Bettas and tail chewing

[Elisabeth83]

I'm just wondering how common it is for Bettas to chew their own tails off?

I have 2 now that have done it just as recently as 2 days ago. Is it something they will continue to do? It looks horrible and I just want them to have their beautiful tails

 

[GuppyDude]

keep it medicated to prevent tail rot, iv heard its accually common but it it persists u may want to do something about it

 

[cutecotton]

it hink it depends from betta to betta, of the 9 that i have, only oen will reguarly blow his tail off he will chew it off, i'll help him heal,it'll grow back in a while and then he'll chew it off again

 

[juliethegr8t]

I have a few who are the same as cc's - they chew it, I fix it, they chew it again. Only one has completely reformed, and his tail is finally beautiful. However, I also had one who completely chewed his entire tail off, to the body somehow (I'm sure it wasn't rot, until maybe the very final stages), and he died from it. So medicate if it looks like it's getting bad.


Weird fish.

 

[Elisabeth83]

Well the one bettas tail is growing back I can see clear fin re-growth all at the edges The other guy just chewed a little bit off and it was only 2 days ago so I can't see any re-growth yet.

I wonder if they are acting like this because this is the first time they have really been near eachother. You know at the pet shops they are usually by themselves in a tank or in a bag and they can't see eachother.

I know they can do these because they get excited..so I'm hoping it's just a one time thing and now that they are more used to being near eachother they will quit.

I can't imagine it being a constant thing...treating it and it finally looking good and then they do it again

I've been adding salt and I've been feeding them real good. I bought some black mosquito larvae the other day as I read it is packed with vitamins. Also they get bloodworms and betta flakes. It only took them like 2-3 days to take food from my fingers...such lovely little fish!!

 

[f250fisherman]

I've had a few that did that every time I let them flare at each other. Next day, the caudal is all chewed up. I have to let those flare at females instead of another male.

 

[Synirr]

I have a couple right now with chewed up tails. One has done it before and he let it completely heal before doing it again, and the other is relatively new and this is the first time he has done it... here's hoping it doesn't become a habit!

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I wonder if it isn't nurological? I knew a great dane when I was a kid that literally was gnawing its foot off and that's why it chewed at itself.

 

[Synirr]

I wonder if it isn't nurological? I knew a great dane when I was a kid that literally was gnawing its foot off and that's why it chewed at itself.

One of our dogs does that. She chews on her paw until there's no hair or skin left in one spot... even animals can have obsessive-compulsive disorder, I guess.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

That sucks Synirr But no, the great dane was a lot worse, it actually chewed its foot off then. I think it started on the other front foot then and they had to put him to sleep.

 

[GP]

I had a betta like this before giving to my mother. I had two bettas in bowls next to eachother, in which they would constantly flare. The red VT would always bite his tail off. I moved him away from the other betta, he never bit. I put him back, he started again.

 

[Synirr]

That sucks Synirr But no, the great dane was a lot worse, it actually chewed its foot off then. I think it started on the other front foot then and they had to put him to sleep.

Yikes! Our dog only chews the skin off, then she moves to another place either on the same leg or her other front leg.

 

[Elisabeth83]

Oh man I wonder how a dog could chew it's own foot off

Synirr we used to have a dog like that too...always chewing and rubbing on things...how annoying lol It's some kind of allergy I think.

I hope my bettas quit doing it because I'm not sure what I can do to stop it. I don't really want Bettas who do that and then have to constantly deal with treating for diseases etc. Would be a PAIN

 

[Curious_george_747]

My betta's started doing it when I started feeding them less(they had big bellies), but since I started feeding them normally again they stopped.

 

[Curious_george_747]

Oh and I also noticed that if they chase thier reflection a lot (like all the time) their fins start to get chewed at.