FEMALE BETA BIT OFF CORY CAT EYE

[biofish]

Hey guys I’m very panicked right now I woke up and some of the male guppies on the right side of my 29 gallon somehow got onto the left side past the divider with my female guppies and beta and well i can’t find the hole in my divider so I think they might be jumping over the top of it. I put the men back of course and drained the tank a bit.

my female beta is in the left side and I think the men coming over agitated her because she’s typically the most chill girl ever. Anyway she was following around the other fish like usual, just watching, and I think the Cory cat she was following accidentally poked her with one of his whiskers or fins (can’t remember which one is sharp but I know I’ve been stabbed by it) when she got too close and she immediately ripped his eye out. Like you can see the eye stem. It’s gone. I watched it happen so I was able to remove the Cory immediately

and so I put the Cory cat in a medicated and salted aquarium immediately and removed the other Cory cat that was also on the female betas side

I ordered a new tank divider that’s taller to help prevent the jumps but who knows when that will arrive

Is there anything more I can do? I really like the now one eyed Cory and I really don’t wanna loose him

 

[biofish]

Update: the redness and swelling has gone down and he’s exploring the medical tank. He looks okay right now… ya know… just missing an eye. I will continue to keep watch over him and give him clean water everyday.

his name is Casper. He basically went from Casper the friendly ghost to Casper the one eyed ghost.

 

[Naughts]

Salt and ultra clean water are a good shout. What medication are you using?

I think your betta wants to be alone. Can you get her a little 5G tank?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Allegedly, salt and corys don't get along, but I think you've done the right ting, so just keep a close eye for any signs of distress...as you said you were going to do anyway.

...And then we have all those posters who insist betta can be housed with other fish.

 

[biofish]

Checked in him just before heading to bed. He was nibbling the log decorations in the medication tank and swimming. The medication I’m using is fishkeeper. It’s got a big orange bottle. It was originally recommended to me by my local fish store to help prevent ich but the bottle says it helps infections and parasites too. However, this is the first major injury I’ve used it with so fingers crossed and I really hope Casper makes it through the night and makes a full recovery. He’s just a baby. I’m definitely going to keep him separated until he heals because guppies are the definition of “will kick you while your down” and I’m sure my beta is no different. I’m really sad because I’ve had my beta in the community tank for awhile with no issues. I’m pretty sure this was just an unfortunate timing.

it’s really disorientating because my beta has nibbled me a lot. It’s like her favorite thing to do when I’m moving decorations and she physically follows my fingers and her bites are a bit of a poke but they don’t hurt. It was just so horrifying to realize just how small and delicate the other fish in the tank were. It’s one thing to read the fact and acknowledge it and another thing to actually see it. Because the bite was so fast. It was a flip around and then there was an eye floating in the tank. It was so fast i couldn’t even comprehend what happened. And when I did it was such a frenzy to get Casper out out out.

 

[biofish]

And yeah… if it comes to it I’ll definitely get her her own 5 gallon. But, based on her previous chill behavior, I truly think she was just agitated today because if the male guppies and their tendencies to try and mate with female betas. However, any type of aggressive behavior will definitely cause her to get her own tank. She hasn’t even chased after another fish in her tank and she was just swimming by Casper when he turned and I think poked her. She’s been more interested in stealing the cory’s sinking pellets rather than the cory’s themselves. The attack happened before I fed them so that wasn’t a factor.

 

[Circus]

I once had a pygmy corycat poke his eye out after being startled. He lived to be about 4 and old (I got him @2 years from a friend) and the eye socket eventually healed up. He tended to keep is eyeless side to a decoration after that, but otherwise behaved as normal. I had only added a half dose of aquarium salt for two weeks and did daily water changes until it showed improvement.

 

[Naughts]

Checked in him just before heading to bed. He was nibbling the log decorations in the medication tank and swimming. The medication I’m using is fishkeeper. It’s got a big orange bottle. It was originally recommended to me by my local fish store to help prevent ich but the bottle says it helps infections and parasites too. However, this is the first major injury I’ve used it with so fingers crossed and I really hope Casper makes it through the night and makes a full recovery. He’s just a baby. I’m definitely going to keep him separated until he heals because guppies are the definition of “will kick you while your down” and I’m sure my beta is no different. I’m really sad because I’ve had my beta in the community tank for awhile with no issues. I’m pretty sure this was just an unfortunate timing.

it’s really disorientating because my beta has nibbled me a lot. It’s like her favorite thing to do when I’m moving decorations and she physically follows my fingers and her bites are a bit of a poke but they don’t hurt. It was just so horrifying to realize just how small and delicate the other fish in the tank were. It’s one thing to read the fact and acknowledge it and another thing to actually see it. Because the bite was so fast. It was a flip around and then there was an eye floating in the tank. It was so fast i couldn’t even comprehend what happened. And when I did it was such a frenzy to get Casper out out out.

That medication doesn't sound suitable, it will possibly do more harm than good. Just stick with the aquarium salt (cories do fine with a tablespoon per 10 litres) and ultra clean water.

I would not risk anymore fish with the betta.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

...it’s really disorientating because my beta has nibbled me a lot. It’s like her favorite thing to do when I’m moving decorations and she physically follows my fingers and her bites are a bit of a poke but they don’t hurt.

Did you ever consider that your fish was actually testing the waters and defending her territory?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Unfortunately the Siamese Fighting Fish, aka Betta, is not recommended for community aquariums due to their unpredictable behaviour towards tankmates.

Some think its just the males who can be ultra chilled and docile, often for many months, and then without warning they lash out and attack. Sadly the females, who are often more recommended for community aquarium setups for that reason, are just as capable of being total thugs without rhyme or reason or warning.

There are signs of trouble ahead if you recognise them....body language in the weeks prior to an attack changes subtlely.

Examples include....

Food guarding...the fish using its fins or tail or body to block tankmates from food. Gentle motions initially becoming more obsessive almost "hugging" food

Normally outward and active tankmates becoming timid, especially at feed times, hiding away, turning their tail towards the Betta, staying at the bottom of the aquarium or under plants and filter

A Betta that swims normally but then rapidly turns on any tankmate that strays too close with the intention of initially a warning nip but then manifests into all out attack later on, usually when the aquarium is dark and the "prey" is dozing or not so alert as they are under the lights

The Betta is genetically wired to fight for dominance and territory, if you watch your Betta closely over time you will see how it changes its posture far more noticeably than other fish....the males puff themselves out, that gesture of fin flaring that so many owners enjoy seeing is all a part of their offensive fighting body language. Females puff and flare themselves too, often used towards males in the wild to defend against a rival male or female who has wandered into their territory.

A potential Betta owner should understand that these fish are legally fought in several Asian countries, with some champion bloodlines would a huge amount of money. They are not trained or forced to fight, it is 100% natural behaviour and they can and do fight to the death.

A common error is to have Betta in the same aquarium as Guppy. The Betta only sees those long tails and fins, they do not have the ability to differentiate tween species like humans do....they just see floaty fins = intruding male or female on my territory, must kill.

Betta can be as docile and quiet and friendly as can be for months, even years.....but if something triggers their inbuilt killer instinct, then nothing will stop them attacking that perceived intruder. Your Cory got a warning nip.....next time he/she will not be so lucky.

 

[biofish]

Did you ever consider that your fish was actually testing the waters and defending her territory?

I… hadn’t. Actually.

 

[biofish]

Thank you guys for your advice! I’m gonna go out and look for a tank today. I was hoping this was a one time occurrence but it sounds like it’s just the beginning.

I noticed a few days ago that she was starting to steal the Cory catfish sinking pellets. She would pick them up and carry them away. Now I’m wondering if Casper was just eating and she attacked him for that.

I love all my fish, and I do not want any more to suffer. Especially because if my hopeful negligence.

but on a brighter note! Casper is looking really healthy this morning! I hope he makes a complete recovery!

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Stealing food is classic downward turn behaviour from a Betta, sadly. It definitely explains the nip.

Your Betta seems to have been warning the Cory alot before she snapped.

Cories are not terribly good at learning things....its like a perpetual toddler with fingers to a fire, it hurts but we keep doing it anyway til someone moves the fire or places a guard infront of it.

Going by what you have now said, your Betta has been growing in impatience with her tankmates for a while and unless you knew what to look for in body language from her and the tankmates around her, you would not have known that an issue existed til your fish was found dead after it had ignored her warnings too often.

Your Cory is one very lucky fish.....lost an eye, kept its life. Give that Betta a nice aquarium to herself, she'll be fine.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Stealing food is classic downward turn behaviour from a Betta, sadly. It definitely explains the nip.

Your Betta seems to have been warning the Cory alot before she snapped.

Cories are not terribly good at learning things....its like a perpetual toddler with fingers to a fire, it hurts but we keep doing it anyway til someone moves the fire or places a guard infront of it.

Going by what you have now said, your Betta has been growing in impatience with her tankmates for a while and unless you knew what to look for in body language from her and the tankmates around her, you would not have known that an issue existed til your fish was found dead after it had ignored her warnings too often.

Your Cory is one very lucky fish.....lost an eye, kept its life. Give that Betta a nice aquarium to herself, she'll be fine.

I'd give the Corys a new tank with a more suitable substrate (sand) and fatten it up.

 

[biofish]

Stealing food is classic downward turn behaviour from a Betta, sadly. It definitely explains the nip.

Your Betta seems to have been warning the Cory alot before she snapped.

Cories are not terribly good at learning things....its like a perpetual toddler with fingers to a fire, it hurts but we keep doing it anyway til someone moves the fire or places a guard infront of it.

Going by what you have now said, your Betta has been growing in impatience with her tankmates for a while and unless you knew what to look for in body language from her and the tankmates around her, you would not have known that an issue existed til your fish was found dead after it had ignored her warnings too often.

Your Cory is one very lucky fish.....lost an eye, kept its life. Give that Betta a nice aquarium to herself, she'll be fine.

Thank you. I feel terrible that this happened.
The female guppies she was with didn’t display any weird behavior, none that stick out to me at least but then again I wasn’t sure what to look for. The female guppies swim mostly in the middle and the top of the tank. The only other odd behavior I can think of at the top of my head is that my beta always swam around the bottom of the tank. I was under the impression that they were more middle or top swimmers. Then again I don’t have any super tall plants. I have logs that reach the top but the plants pretty much stop half way up. I have a tall plant in quarantine right now to get any parasites or sicknesses off from the fish store that I was planning on putting in the big tank in a week or so.