[chibir3dpanda]

Okay so my new Halfmoon Doubletail, Chaos, seems to be biting his gorgeous fins. I look carefully at his fins each day and they keep getting worse and worse! I know it's not any of the plants...I've never seen him bite his fins, I've got a summer job so I'm not always home, but I don't know what else it could be! It's really stressing me out!
But he's my first Halfmoon Doubletail, and he's absolutely gorgeous!~ It makes me so sad to see that his fins are getting worse. Can anyone help me? Like give me a way to help prevent it? Please help...

 

[Sena Hansler]

Can you post a picture?

What size of tank, what is the temperature, how often are the water changes, and do you add tap water conditioner? Many questions! But it'll help ;-)

Have you tried toys? Like a ping pong ball? Or avoided cupping him during water changes? Try rearranging decor... Or even having him in a higher or lower traffic area!

Keep in mind these are ideas to help or avoid tail biting, but some are just chronic, and sometimes for the reason of their fins being too heavy. Take a look at this fella: He chews his fins now, because his fins are always growing and he was being weighed down!!!

 

[chibir3dpanda]

He's in a five gallon tank, temp is around 75 it looks like, I have yet to clean the tank, I literally just got it 2 days ago.. I've got multiple ping pong balls.. lol. I'll post a pic tomorrow I promise! (I'm using my smartphone atm) I've moved his plants a bit... and umm he's in my room, on a dresser thing next to my bed, so I'm usually in my room a lot, and he sees me sleeping.. lol.
Does that help at all?

 

[Sena Hansler]

That does help xD So he is fairly new too? If so he may just have some stress from being in a new place!!!

 

[chibir3dpanda]

I got him on June 9th (my birthday lol)

 

[Sena Hansler]

Hmmm he could still be adjusting, some bettas take longer =D Have you tried... Flaring him for no more than 5 minutes with a mirror? Does he flare too much as it is?

 

[chibir3dpanda]

I've used a mirror before and I can't get him to flare! I've seen him flare two times since I've had him and that's it.

 

[Bladezero]

If they don't flare and they are not sick it means he might be just stressed \ scared..
Give him abit of time, but some will always bite..
I have 2 males that bite their tails when it reaches a certain size, they just bite it the same every time.. One of them I don't mind to much because it regrows in a few days but the other one bites half his tail each time he does it.. takes month+ to heal..

 

[chibir3dpanda]

I know the pictures are terrible.. (he moves around a lot) but can you see how his fins are jagged? They keep getting worse and worse each day!

 

[chibir3dpanda]

Oh, and his head is like turning brown.. is that bad?

He stresses me out so much..He's definitely Chaos! lol

 

[xShainax]

I feel your pain

Taz before he bit his fins and a picture afterwards. He went from a rosetail HM to a CT in the span of two days

 

[chibir3dpanda]

:O OMG wow I'm so sorry! I hope that doesn't happen to my precious Chaos!
Did Taz's tail grow back??

 

[xShainax]

It happened about a week ago, it is slowly healing,

 

[chibir3dpanda]

Oh well how did you prevent/stop it?

 

[xShainax]

I switched him from my 29 gallon to a 2.5 gallon so I think the smaller space relaxed him. My new boy Balthazar has a huge chunk missing, i can't wait until that heals up,

 

[Sena Hansler]

Yes, sometimes more or less space helps!! Higher traffic areas (near TVs, computers, kitchen, etc) may also help.

 

[chibir3dpanda]

Oh so do you guys think I should take him out of my 5gal?

 

[xShainax]

For a couple weeks.

 

[chibir3dpanda]

So since I'm in my room most of the time, should I put him where no one is really around? Like in the bathroom or loft?

 

[xShainax]

I think you need to put him some place where people frequent like in the living room. They like to monitor what's going on