Tails/fins Splitting

[Bryan]

I don't have water testing equipment, I didn't buy any because it's not much of a tank. The only reason I got this tank is because my daughter won a fish in one of those "throw a ping-pong ball into a fish bowl" games (those should be outlawed, so many fish die that way) and I don't believe in fish bowls. The first thing I did was dump the fish bowl and bought a 10 gallon tank, sand, a heater, a 10 gallon over the back power filter, live plants and an air pump & air tubing. I ran the air hose under the sand to have bubbles coming out of the sand (set very slow, about 3 bubbles a second).
The fish are; one male Betta, one little algae eater (not sure what kind) and 4 male guppies. It's full of live plants and I had a bunch of those little snails that take over the tank. My plants were getting smothered with algae so I put the little snails in and they multiplied like crazy, of course, and wiped out the algae, then most died, there are only a few left now. That let the plants get light so now the plants are growing so fast I'm removing a gallon zip-lock bags worth of plants every couple of months.
The Betta is around 2 years old and the tank has been set up this way for around 1 1/2 years.

That's the tank.

The problem:
Over the last year or so the betta's tail fin would split in several places. This would last for a month or so then it would be better. This time it's been a couple months and it's not getting better, also, the guppies fins are split and they are missing most of their tail fins.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

The problem is Bettas and Guppies do not really get along. The pretty fins of the guppys attract the attention of the betta and he is probably attacking them. You may want to get rid of either the betta or the guppies. Something short finned would go good with the betta, like platys. Or you could have the betta in the top areas of the tank and get some bottom dwellers like 5-6 pygmy cories, or another small species

 

[three-fingers]

Without water parameters it's hard to suggest possible causes, the most likely reason would be what Dieses said .

If you take a water sample to a local pet store that stocks fish, they should be able to test the water for you, they may charge a couple of $ though.

Water quality issues are unlikely, though bettas and guppies prefer very different water parameters anyway (bettas a high temp and soft water with a low pH, and gupppies low-mid range temps with hard water and a high pH). Both species are highly adaptable but most commercially available fancy guppies and bettas are relatively short lived anyway, especially in sub-optimal water conditions.

So yeah, even more reason to rehome either the betta or guppies...or get another tank .

 

[Bryan]

The problem is Bettas and Guppies do not really get along. The pretty fins of the guppys attract the attention of the betta and he is probably attacking them. You may want to get rid of either the betta or the guppies. Something short finned would go good with the betta, like platys. Or you could have the betta in the top areas of the tank and get some bottom dwellers like 5-6 pygmy cories, or another small species

That's not the problem, I would have noticed that. There are so many plants that the betta can't usually see the guppies. Also, the guppies all stick together and when the Betta finds them they swim away and the Betta can't catch them, they get lost in the plants. BUT MAINLY, if you were right that wouldn't explain why the Betta has the same problem, guppies don't attack the Betta.
Guppies do get along with Betta's and the Betta can't catch the guppies.

 

[Bryan]

Without water parameters it's hard to suggest possible causes, the most likely reason would be what Dieses said .

If you take a water sample to a local pet store that stocks fish, they should be able to test the water for you, they may charge a couple of $ though.

Water quality issues are unlikely, though bettas and guppies prefer very different water parameters anyway (bettas a high temp and soft water with a low pH, and gupppies low-mid range temps with hard water and a high pH). Both species are highly adaptable but most commercially available fancy guppies and bettas are relatively short lived anyway, especially in sub-optimal water conditions.

So yeah, even more reason to rehome either the betta or guppies...or get another tank .

As I replied to Dieses, why would the problem have happened to the betta? It actually happened to the betta first. And as you said, water condition is not that critical with both species, that's why I have guppies, I don't care for guppies at all but with a 10 gallon tank I'm limited. I like tetras but a 10 gallon tank is too unstable and not big enough for even one school.

Also, I think I would have noticed the Betta attacking the guppies, even more, I would have noticed the guppies attacking the batta, I would have taken videos of that.

Here is a picture of the tank, take a look and you'll see why I doubt it's fish picking on fish. You can't even see the guppies in here, they betta is in the upper right corner, hard to see, but he's blue and you can see a little of him but you I can't find the guppies. click here

 

[colleen0309]

I really don't think your tank is that heavily planted. It has a good amount of plants, but the betta and guppies will have no problem finding each other in there. I also don't see anything else in there to be causing fin damage(no sharp rocks or drift wood). I've had a problem with damaged fins in my 55 gallon. I couldn't see what was causing it. It has been going on for a long time. Last night I finally caught the culprit. He will be leaving the 55 for a small 10 all to himself. My point is, you can't watch 24/7. They may be picking and you don't know it.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I never saw my guppies attack my betta or my swordtail. But the betta wouldn't come out of the log, and my swordtail (4 inch MALES) were hiding behing the filter intake and heater. I couldnt figure out was wrong until i went downstairs at night while the light was off, and took a flash light too it. The 5 guppies were rolling on the other fish like the mafia!!! These guppies were out of their minds!

 

[Bryan]

I don't believe it's the fish because this was happening to the Betta before I added the guppies. He was the only fish in the tank for the first year and his fins spit once for about a month when I first got him then a few months later it happened again and lasted a couple months. Then it happened once after I got the guppies and this time it's all the fish.

The plants look thin like that because I just took out enough to fill a gallon Ziploc bag. As I mentioned in my first post, they grow fast, the light wasn't even reaching the bottom last week.

 

[snazy]

As I replied to Dieses, why would the problem have happened to the betta? It actually happened to the betta first. And as you said, water condition is not that critical with both species

Hi Bryan,
Just a little comment on this part. Water condition may not be critical for these species as much as for them to die, but it will cause sickness, finrot, etc..

Can you post a picture of the damaged fish?

I agree that if they really nip at each other, normally at least the aggressor would be in good condition. In your case all of them have damaged fins. It is worth to have your water tested anyhow and very regular water changes to help the fish recover a bit, unless they are sick.

 

[Bryan]

I was hoping for some specific disease that would cause this problem, but I guess not.

I will get the water tested and see if that might be causing a problem.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, that's why I come here, friendly helpful people.