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Betta eating Java fern

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  bettathanyou 
#1 ·
So a few days ago I noticed a little bit of Java fern floating on the surface of the tank. I thought nothing of it because one or two of the leaves have tears in them so I assumed that was the cause.

However, yesterday I noticed betta mouth-sized chunks out of one of the Java fern leaves. These chunks are at the side of the leaf and one is in the middle. There's no floating pieces of leaf at the surface of the tank either so I'm assuming my betta has actually eaten some of the leaves.

Is this normal behaviour and would this cause my betta any harm?
I've read that Java fern doesn't taste pleasant to fish so I'm wondering why my betta is eating it?
 
#2 ·
Possible options:

1) Maybe he's hungry? How much are you feeding him?

2) Plants form holes from nutrient deficiency. Pictures would help us determine if it's that or actual betta bite marks.

3) He's bored. Better biting a plant than his tail. Maybe look into changing his decor around a bit or find something new for him, like a floating ping pong ball or a cave.
 
#3 ·
He's definitely well fed. Though, yesterday I didn't feed him because his 'belly' looked more rounded than it should be and I do have one day a week where I don't feed him.
I'm wondering whether it could be to try to aid digestion or something? I've heard that fish sometimes turn to plant matter?

The camera on my phone probably wouldn't be good enough to take a decent picture. They definitely look like bite marks, they're certainly the same size as his mouth.

I will consider the ping-pong ball idea! Would he actually play with it?
 
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