Tail-biting or fin-rot?

[Betta Slave]

A few of the tips of his dorsal fin have been kind of... white and just wierd lately... parts are missing... and fin-rot doesn't have to have brown/black edges, does it?

I'm sorry for the crappy pic, my dad wouldn't let me use his Nikon, so the better pics will have to wait till tomorrow.

If it was tail-biting, wouldn't he be biting his other fins too, since most of them are about the same length? I came home today to find him with splits in one of his caudal lobes, too, but it doesn't look as suspicious as this though...

He is in a one gallon, daily water changes, temperature at at around 78 roughly... he flares, he blows a few bubbles, he eats like a pig. He's definitely gained some color since I got him.

I know his tank is bare- hospital tank, he was having a few problems with gill parasites- but I've just added his beloved vase and I'll try to set up a 2 gallon for him in the next few days... probably on the weekend, I have so much work to do it's not even funny.

It's his dorsal... see how it's a bit wierd at the end? And his top caudal lobe, you can see a few splits in it around the middle... but I don't think that's tail-biting. Better pics tomorrow...

[Aluyasha]

It is hard to get detail in the picture but lets see.
He is a DT? I have noticed that nearly all DTs bite their fins. Also, as for you wondering if he would bite all of his fins. Mandala (also a DT) is a tail biter, and he bites every one of his fins to about the same length.
You said you moved him into a smaller tank? Did his fins start looking like this before or after being put in the new tank? If it was after being put in the new tank, maybe he is biting his fins because he is upset and/or bored. Mandala was not always a tail biter, he started when I put Melvin's tank next to his (Melvin has since been moved). And that stress triggered his tail biting.
It looks to me to be tail biting. Plus, you said you do water changes everyday and fin rot is usually caused by dirty water.
If you are still not sure, try to get some more pictures.
Hope I helped. Good luck. :)

[Betta Slave]

He was in that tank to begin with- I usually start out with all my bettas in smaller tanks to quarantine them and then I move them into larger tanks.

Yes, that's what didn't make sense about the fin-rot... just wanted to make sure.

It started a day or two after I took his vase out... so let's see if he'll stop biting now that I put it in.

I definitely will get some more pics, again, I apologize for this bad one... the Nikon it will be!!

Thank you for your help! :)

[Aluyasha]

Just remember, if it is tail biting. It will take a long time to grow back, so do not worry if his fin is still missing those chunks.
Mandala's is still growing back and he stopped biting about a month and a half ago.
Another way to tell if it is tail biting is by how fast it happened. Was the damage seemingly over night? Or over a extended period of time? Mandala always waited untill I turned his light off to bite his tail.
If it happened quickly then it is surely tail biting.

[Betta Slave]

Tail-biting then... I woke up one morning and a chunk of his dorsal was gone.
-.- I was keeping a light over his tank, too... so I've removed that and I'll see how he goes. I was planning to breed him, too, so that really sucks... hope he stops biting :/

[Aluyasha]

He should stop once whatever is bothering him is not there anymore.
And of course, make sure he has fin safe decor and try to make sure he does not get bored (just in case that is what is causing his tail biting).
I hope he recovers well. :)

[Betta Slave]

Yup, I'll make sure all of his decor is fin tear-proof, as I always do. Thank you :)

[Aluyasha]

No problem. Hope I helped. :)