ugh i caught him guys:(

[babyk]

So I have been wondering about my poor little Apollo...and I finally caught him biting his tail!!! Any suggestions on how to get him to stop?

[newfiedragon]

My boy Goober used to do that, but stopped when I bought an apple snail to clean up some algae in his tank. I guess watching the snail kept him occupied, because he never bit his tail after.

[babyk]

haha thats a good idea. Give him a buddy to play with. lol

[CrowntailxKing]

Put some of that hot sauce stuff on his tail...my friend's parents did that to my buddy when he was little and it got him to stop sucking his thumb...perhaps that will help! :) Jk. Hope he stops soon. It would be a shame if he ruined his pretty tail!

[Luimeril]

with Dante, all i had to do, was change things around in his tank often(like, every week), and give him LOTS of plants to swim around.

[LolaQuigs]

Tail biting is so frustrating!

The most common cause is stress, so you can try different things to de-stress him. If he can see other bettas, his reflection, something outside of his tank that is brightly colored, etc., then move things around so he can't see it anymore. You can try covering his tank in towels and keeping the lights low to see if this helps. You also might want to baffle your filter if it isn't baffled already, sometimes the current stresses them.

Tailbiting can also be caused by boredom. If you try to remove potential stressers and he's still biting, rearrange his tank and see if it helps. Sometimes having "new" spaces to explore helps a bored betta. You can also try holding a mirror up for him to flare at.

Tailbiting is so tricky because the common causes...boredom and stress...are essentially opposites, so there's kind of a catch 22. But all you can really do is try different things and see if any of it helps.

Unfortunately some fish are just chronic tail biters. I tried EVERYTHING to get my copper HM to stop, but he still does. Any time there is new growth he bites it all off. Since nothing has gotten him to stop, I have begrudgingly accepted that he is going to do it, and I just try to focus on preventing secondary infection/fin rot by maintaining good water quality. I recommend tannins from IAL or fallen oak leaves if you have access to either. The tannins darken the water, which helps reduce stress, and they also promote regrowth and healing. Even if your fish doesn't stop, the tannins (in conjunction with frequent water changes) will help him stay healthy and infection free. Hopefully you are able to get your guy to stop though!

[babyk]

Thank you everyone! I will try anything and everything to help him!