Um, he's eating his tail.

[BettaMomma]

Yeah, so it wasn't the intake filter...
but I just caught him eating his own tail!

How do I stop him?
Why's he doing it?

 

[RandomWiktor]

Is this the fish who was acting irritable in the tank because of his reflection? Perhaps he is going after his tail because he's thinking it belongs to that mystery betta he can never QUITE catch. I would say, remove all the backgrounds, and keep his light off for a while to see if that helps cut down on the relfection.

 

[Rivermud76]

I have heard that this is a trait in Bettas. I don't know if it's a genetic thing or what but on the IBC site they make mention of breeding bettas and culling out fin eaters.

 

[steppy104]

other threads

yet another

update on a tail biter

tail biter...

how common is it?


i'm still looking for more...i've heard of this lots of times but never had it happen to me personally...maybe the help given on the other threads will help. good luck with the betta

 

[Cheart99]

My betta does this but because he is bored. When i give him a mirror every day for at least 5 minutes he stoped eating his tail. But if i do not then in about 4 or 5 days he starts it again.

 

[BettaMomma]

Nope, this is the guy that just got moved into his new 5 gallon hex with the filter.
I got to work one day a week or two ago, and a section of his tail was gone - i just thought maybe it had rotted off, even tho he didn't have much in the way of finrot at all.

Now he's in his new tank, and I left for lunch today and when I came back, another top hunk was missing. then I turned my back to do some stuff and turned around again and he had chewed another big hunk off.

I didn't believe that he could actually be EATING it, but I did a sealth watch of him (if he catches me watching him he'll come over to see what i'm doing and wag his tail at me) so I witnessed him swimming in circles, chasing his tail just like a dog.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Is this the fish who was acting irritable in the tank because of his reflection? Perhaps he is going after his tail because he's thinking it belongs to that mystery betta he can never QUITE catch. I would say, remove all the backgrounds, and keep his light off for a while to see if that helps cut down on the relfection.

Agreed. And sometimes they're just tail biters I have a few boys who insist on doing it,very annoying.

 

[BettaMomma]

Do you think it's cuz he's in his new tank?
I was reading those 2 threads (links provided above) and it seems like the common trait is when something new has changed. Although he did this once before - just a few weeks ago - in his old tank.

I might try to pick up some of those fun tubes (like they have for rats and such) to swim through - something for him to do - I'm just afraid if he's doing this while i'm HERE, what's he going to do at night when I'm gone? eek

 

[wuvmybetta]

Make sure it doesn't have anyplace that he can get stuck in (the fun tube),bettas can and do drowned.

It could be because of the new enviroment. It's hard to say for certain.

 

[BettaMomma]

Aah, you're correct.
Maybe I'll opt for a nice small piece of pvc pipe then.
It will ruin the whole "tropical vacation" theme style I have going, but that's better than having, well - the alternative.

One thing I thought of - and this might be dumb.
COULD it be because he's in the new tank - and the current is carrying him away, and now his tail is flapping all over and hitting him, and it's never done that before so he's pissed and is just chewing it off?

That sounds like something I'd do. LOL

 

[wuvmybetta]

That sounds like something I'd do. LOL

LOL! Alleviate the problem in a sense, I like that. It makes sense though. Can you slow down his filter?

And this just goes to show ya how naughty they can be sometimes. The one you try to spoil the most turns out to be the one who likes to keep things simple

 

[BettaMomma]

Man, it really ticks me off, too.
So many people have come by to tell me how beautiful my "new" fish is.
They don't even recognize him in his new tank because with the light, his red body shows off so beautifully.

He is a little sh!t, for sure. OOoh!
I'm really considering going and getting him a 1 gallon tank, then getting a new betta to put into the 5 gallon, just to piss him off. But I won't.

There's no switch or anything to slow down the filter, but I might see what I can do with it.

Man, I have SO many fish problems. It seems like the number of problems grows exponentially with every fish I acquire.

 

[cation]

Shove a chunk of filter sponge in the intake tube if you want to slow down the filter. The nylon will probably slow the flow down enough that you don't have to do that, though.

 

[BettaMomma]

Good idea.
I'm sure PetWorld will LOVE to see me come in the door again.