Betta Is Shredding His Own Tail

[Channti]

I'm hesitant to have anything "live" mailed to my university as our mail room is notorious for being slow in getting out mail to us. The mail arrives on time, we just don't get it in our mail boxes for a few days.

As for an ammonia test kit, I had planned to pick one up next time I was at the pet store. The store doesn't stock fish, but they have a small selection of fish stuffs (enough for me to get the basics). I plan to scan the phone book to find out what other pet stores are in the area. I'm new to the public-transit-bus-thing (I'm from a REALLY small town), but I plan to attempt to navigate the bus systems and find myself a cute little mom&pop LFS operation.

I tried attaching a permanent mirror to the tank... but all Alpha did was flare at it. He wouldn't swim away from the mirror. He flared at it for a good solid hour and a half before I removed the mirror. I'm trying it again today and hoping he'll stop the constant flaring.

His fins were considerably longer than my last Betta's. and the fins of Betta's I've seen in stores (you know.. before he shredded his tail and chewed off the length). He seems fairly young too in comparison to my last Betta (my last betta came from a PetSmart chain store, this one came from my usual LFS back home. The manager picked him out for me and I fell in love with the fish.)

 

[jasminekiddell]

Excactly, he was flaring at it and wouldnt move, this is distracting him from tail biting thats why we suggested you add a mirror lol! He wont always be flaring and staying there with the mirror, but it takess his mind off the tail biting. Leave it stuck to the tank side.

 

[Channti]

update on the mirror.

Alpha has spent all of his time either flaring at the mirror, flaring at me, or swimming around the area of the mirror (not directly in it) and flaring. He hasn't left the mirror, except for when he saw me approach with the container of food.

Is this normal for a betta first introduced to the permanent-mirror?

 

[jasminekiddell]

update on the mirror.

Alpha has spent all of his time either flaring at the mirror, flaring at me, or swimming around the area of the mirror (not directly in it) and flaring. He hasn't left the mirror, except for when he saw me approach with the container of food.

Is this normal for a betta first introduced to the permanent-mirror?

Think about it, hes distracted right? Eventually he'll get bored of the mirror and not use it as much but yes thats the idea hes focused on the mirror now. I'd say its normal

 

[loraxchick]

I'm hesitant to have anything "live" mailed to my university as our mail room is notorious for being slow in getting out mail to us. The mail arrives on time, we just don't get it in our mail boxes for a few days.

As for an ammonia test kit, I had planned to pick one up next time I was at the pet store. The store doesn't stock fish, but they have a small selection of fish stuffs (enough for me to get the basics). I plan to scan the phone book to find out what other pet stores are in the area. I'm new to the public-transit-bus-thing (I'm from a REALLY small town), but I plan to attempt to navigate the bus systems and find myself a cute little mom&pop LFS operation.

I tried attaching a permanent mirror to the tank... but all Alpha did was flare at it. He wouldn't swim away from the mirror. He flared at it for a good solid hour and a half before I removed the mirror. I'm trying it again today and hoping he'll stop the constant flaring.

His fins were considerably longer than my last Betta's. and the fins of Betta's I've seen in stores (you know.. before he shredded his tail and chewed off the length). He seems fairly young too in comparison to my last Betta (my last betta came from a PetSmart chain store, this one came from my usual LFS back home. The manager picked him out for me and I fell in love with the fish.)

dont be surprised if it takes a week or more for him to get "bored" with trying to attack his reflection. he stopped biting himself right? andn the aggression he would normally be directing at himself is being refocused into a different activity. keep that mirror up for him. he will become bored of it eventually and only return to the activity when the aggressive "urge" comes back.
if you are worried about stressing him out too much, dont be. it is worse in the long run for him to bite his tail which could lead to infections, especially since you dont have a test kit. make sure you are changing a good portion of his water every third day(like 60%)...also does he have a place he could go to get away from the mirror and rest? breaking the line of sight of the mirror (so its not in his face all the time if he doesnt WANT it to be) is important when you permanently attach a mirror. a cave or even a big decoration that he could go behind and rest might be helpful.
as for ordering live plants and worrying they'd die in transit...if they make it to you in a week or less i wouldnt worry. ive done blackouts on my tanks for 5days before and as long as the plants stay moist, they should be fine.
best of luck. just be patient and he will calm down. it is good that he is interested in the mirror at all. otherwise treating for tailbiting becomes much more difficult.
cheers!