When I brought Fish Perry home from petsmart, he had fin rot ( he had the tiny pin holes ). Thanks to good advice here, he healed and his pretty red tail grew long and flowy. Every once in a while I would find little "chunks" out of his tail and this sent me into a worry, thinking the fin rot returned, but just this morning I watched him make a tight turn in this betta log and when his tail flipped in front of his little face...Snap! He chomped a little bite right out!!!! He sleeps in a tight curl in one of his caves so I wonder if he sees his tail often and bites it when he does. Should I worry about this? Here is my big supid question...do bettas have tiny little teeth? I cannot believe how that little mouth just snapped off a piece of tail like that. I actually saw the piece float off. Of course Ive heard that they fight to the death but I guess I never thought about how they inflict wounds. So DO they have teeth then???
If Dionysus was bigger, I swear it would actually hurt! Nothing like the koi fish gently nomming my fingers, bettas definitely have some chomping power.
I'm sorry your fish is tailbiting, it's really frustrating when you see them mutilating their beautiful fins X( Tailbiting shouldn't become a health hazard as long as you keep the water clean to ward off any infection/rot. Bettas do have little teeth, they are carnivores after all ;)
i have a delta who bites his tail. i just leave him alone. keep his water extra clean. it doesn't hurt them, probably similar to humans biting their fingernails.
Same here, Luimeril. Anderson keeps his veiltail trimmed to plakat length and Train recently decided he didn't like his lovely marbled anal fin. Just keep the water clean. You can't really prevent the tailbiting as far as I know but you CAN prevent fin rot.
Thanks yall. Wow, What a complicated, facsinating, entertaining pet my little $5.00 rescue fish turned out to be ( though Ive spent hundreds on tanks, filters caves, logs, meds ect...hahaha ) No, he hasnt bitten me, just launched up and snatched a bloodworm from an inch or two above the water. I almost jumped out of my skin when he did that. I sure have gained a healthy respect for his "tough guy " rep though. As soon as that tail flashed across his face, he struck like lightening. His tail is still long so I think he only bites when he see it as he did in that instant. As I wright this, he is busy making a bubble nest under a leaf. He is SOOOOOO cute! Im getting a co worker to show me how to move pix from my iphone to this site ( yes, I am severly tech challenged ) so everyone can be in awe of his cuteness!! LOL
He sounds wonderful. Tailbiting can be frustrating but if it's not primarily looks you got your boy for (and it sounds like you didn't) then it's not an issue. Clean water is all you have to worry about. I have one too. Right now his tail looks like one of those snowflakes kids make out of cutting paper and half his dorsal is missing. Yep, they can reach those too.
Vaygirl, I just saw your tank videos - beautiful!!!! As you can tell, aquarium keeping is new to me. A new, UNPLANNED interest! My 10 gallon tank has silk plants but yours look so peaceful and lovely that I may try live ones too. Maybe!
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Tailbiting can be frustrating but if it's not primarily looks you got your boy for (and it sounds like you didn't) then it's not an issue. Clean water is all you have to worry about. I have one too. Right now his tail looks like one of those snowflakes kids make out of cutting paper and half his dorsal is missing. Yep, they can reach those too.
