betta fish tail biting

All this fish ever does is attack his own tail. He is extremely overly-aggressive and destroys his tail fin whenever it gets long enough for him to reach it. I vary his diet with bloodworms, live mosquito larvae and betta pellets. He eats like a pig, and then goes back to spinning in circles trying to reach his tail again! SOOOOOOO frustrating... maybe I'll just get a new fish :(

betta fish tail biting sentiment_very_dissatisfied 11

Betta 15 years ago 26,373 views

All this fish ever does is attack his own tail. He is extremely overly-aggressive and destroys his tail fin whenever it gets long enough for him to reach it. I vary his diet with bloodworms, live mosquito larvae and betta pellets. He eats like a pig, and then goes back to spinning in circles trying to reach his tail again! SOOOOOOO frustrating... maybe I'll just get a new fish :(

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Most popular comments
for betta fish tail biting

wolverinexx2013
wolverinexx2013 - 6 years ago
betas that are bored are like spoiled kids... get another beta or two they will eithr get along and be fine or they will chase one around so no time for boredom
rani thanigaivel
rani thanigaivel - 6 years ago
Why???
rani thanigaivel
rani thanigaivel - 6 years ago
My Berta also doing like this
Clorox Bleachs
Clorox Bleachs - 7 years ago
Hes broken
Lawrence Rodrigues
Lawrence Rodrigues - 7 years ago
I think their are parasite on his fins that he want to remove
lps mini Studios films
lps mini Studios films - 7 years ago
I had the same problem with my Betta Fish I put 2 guppies in his tank and he chased them and stopped biting his tail. I guess he was to preoccupied with chasing them that he forgot about his tail.
Hey Leon!!
Hey Leon!! - 6 years ago
Thats one way of solving it xD hahahahah!
Eren Salinas
Eren Salinas - 7 years ago
that betta is stressed .... better heal him immediately he is actually attempting his self to die
thizzy
thizzy - 7 years ago
Eren Salinas think it's to late for that bud
EndiePearl Roleplay
EndiePearl Roleplay - 7 years ago
If your betta is biting his tail it means he's stressed
Amanda Selby
Amanda Selby - 7 years ago
Everywhere I've looked has different reasons for why a betta might bites its own tail. Some places says it's unknown, but apparently it's common.

10. comment for betta fish tail biting

Anne-Sophie Dammann
Anne-Sophie Dammann - 7 years ago
I need help! I got my better fish couple weeks ago and he has been doing fine. I put water conditioner, filter, heater, plants and he lives with very small tetras (five) and a sucker fish. He has been doing fine but I found from one day to another his tail was ripped and had this almost cloud looking thing around it. I don't know why this is happening because his tank is clean and he gets along fine with the fish and eats well. I saw him his fins getting stuck in the filet and it got worse so i tightens a pantyhose over it so his tail wouldn't get worse. Please help because I am worried for my poor little baby and don't know if he is ripping it off himself, or if it was the filter or fin rot. Sorry for the long text but I don't want him to suffer and need to know!
Mark Brown
Mark Brown - 6 years ago
Yes, my tetras nipped my betta's tail. Grrrrr
A. Cama
A. Cama - 7 years ago
The cloud looking thing is possibly ich. Please research on it. Also, tetras are known to be fin nippers. And a ripped fin is open to bacteria and parasites.
D r . S p u d
D r . S p u d - 7 years ago
I have a halfmoon betta with huge fins. I've heard fin biting can be because of stress, but my betta shows no signs of stress. He's always energetic, exited, and does a little greeting when I go over to the tank. He nips his fins a but to be more quick and agile. Is this normal?
Mark Brown
Mark Brown - 6 years ago
Mine greets me too. He will be hanging out on one of his leaves, not really doing anything and when I come over, he comes to the glass, faces me and wiggles his fins. It is so cute.
Slang Flat Earther
Slang Flat Earther - 7 years ago
the betta fish is hungry, just give him a lot of food
Zachary
Zachary - 6 years ago
Betta fish are always hungry and will bave an appetite depsite being full. This is a sign of aggression, not hunger.
Eren Salinas
Eren Salinas - 7 years ago
can you spot any stripes on your betta if you have then its stressed... those are called stress strips
Kyaw Thu
Kyaw Thu - 7 years ago
i guess its natural cuz they can move faster with short tail like king bettas
Lily Tran
Lily Tran - 7 years ago
man my betta has the same issue, did you ever solve it? every time i see it healing beautifully, he just chomps it back down! so frustrating
The Enderguy
The Enderguy - 7 years ago
ITS HUNGRY!
FEED IT!
Tanaya Chanda
Tanaya Chanda - 8 years ago
i bought my betta fish couple of months ago and from that time, i can see some black things lying inside of the tank, on the decorations and even on the plants. same happening with my brother's betts fish tank. both mine and his betta fish are fine. but i really want to know what is that thing? pls help. TIA
kasss xo
kasss xo - 6 years ago
lmao that’s poop. idk about black tho it should be more like dark brown
D r . S p u d
D r . S p u d - 7 years ago
A black thing? oh that's just a clump of turds. Nothing to worry about.
Angela Geli
Angela Geli - 9 years ago
Also a bit late, but here is my suggestion:
As some people before me have already mentioned, he could be stressed out. Not necessarily because he is bored, but because his tank is too scarcely planted. Bettas like dark, heavily planted tanks which resemble their natural habitat.
Tank size might have been a tad bit too small for him too.
AnnPeek
AnnPeek - 9 years ago
I think they do this when they are stressed, or the water conditions aren't quite right.
Bobzeda
Bobzeda - 9 years ago
I think some betta are just crazy.  I have four.  They all have the same tank size and similar decor.  Only ONE constantly bites his tail.  He also has the prettiest tail.
Smart Cookie
Smart Cookie - 7 years ago
I know right. It's ridiculous. When I got him, he was a feathery tail, now it's all covered in shreds. I was thinking it could have been the filter since I never caught him tail biting, so I added more water to decrease the pressure of the water flow and covered parts of the filter tube.
Hayden Does Things
Hayden Does Things - 7 years ago
Bobzeda same

20. comment for betta fish tail biting

BettaFishHelper
BettaFishHelper - 9 years ago
Hey so this is a couple years late but this looks like he is bored.  I've been trying to extend my research on tail biting (thankfully have never dealt with it personally) and I realize that a lot of times fish are not given a lot of mental stimulation or even physical stimulation (as in new additions to the tank, something to chase, etc).  I would imagine by now you no longer have your betta but thank you for sharing this video! 

Also what size was your tank and did you have a heater? 
Something Fishy Juno
Something Fishy Juno - 7 years ago
BettaFishHelper hows ypur reading on tail biting going? My arowana os doing the same. Please help.
Katherine Elizabeth
Katherine Elizabeth - 10 years ago
hes like "u little shit come back here"
FlowingDepths
FlowingDepths - 10 years ago
Sometimes varying the tank by adding hides (terracotta pots, the small ones, work great), floating objects that are safe (plastic balls, for example), colored marbles, etc. help.
hOng koNG ch33se dUmPLinG
hOng koNG ch33se dUmPLinG - 11 years ago
dont b frustrated coz its hereditary. during the mating season. no matter the unstable enviroment or the water quality or the food. they turn emotional & fussy easily. try to give him a female or ye, slap the table slighty to distract him whenever he try to do it. this behavior may change.
TwistedNerds
TwistedNerds - 11 years ago
I have the same fish! black head blue body but the tail does not have that color spot change
sedona arizona
sedona arizona - 11 years ago
Try adding some live tank plants and make sure that the lighting in his space is set up so he doesn't see his reflection in the glass. I have betta and cichlids, both get hyper aggressive when for ex. the tank light is on but the room is dark.
Keri Kent
Keri Kent - 11 years ago
This is what my Betta was doing, but soon I'm moving him to a three gallon tank. And the same as my other fish. I hope it's going to work cuz I like Really really like my halfmoon and my veil-tale alot. The tank they are in now is a one gallon. :D!
TheHaloChief117
TheHaloChief117 - 11 years ago
maybe he likes the way his tail tastes
109367
109367 - 11 years ago
My friend had one like that and every time he went to bite she hit the table his tank was on really hard and scared the crap out of him. It's like training/correcting any other animal, he associates biting his tail with something unpleasant and he eventually stopped. Whether that's the best way to stop it or not I'm really not sure lol
Reboot French
Reboot French - 12 years ago
Just realized today that my Betta is a tail biter. I've been told that Stress Coat can help. I'm also going to move mine to a bigger tank and get him a tank mate.

30. comment for betta fish tail biting

connie rodriguez
connie rodriguez - 12 years ago
I know this is an old video..but my betta is missing partvof his tail..i hace him in a ten gallon tank by himself..but right now i placed him in a smaller bowl to see if he is doing it to himself..it was fine three days ago..ive had him for 3 months only..im going to post a video and please tell me if you think he is doing it or they just fell off
meub
meub - 12 years ago
My was veil tail too but it is red
awhatzable
awhatzable - 13 years ago
someone tell me why betta do this ? mines did this aswell and it almost completely grew back and recently found out he did it agn -.-
JO Smith
JO Smith - 13 years ago
thats such a shame, he's such a beautiful betta
homer simpson
homer simpson - 13 years ago
The reason many bettas nip their own fins is because sometimes they feel like their tail are to heavy and rather go lightweight by taking some fin of' although it can be dangerous leading to fin rott in my case.
coolfreak2000
coolfreak2000 - 13 years ago
the fin nipping is a common trait in the halfmoon betta but thats a veiltale so i have no idea why lol
Luimeril
Luimeril - 13 years ago
@BigolePappy2 no one knows. i guess it's like a human biting their nails when nervous. x:
Luimeril
Luimeril - 13 years ago
tail biting is common in bettas anymore. to stop it, is pretty easy sometimes. he's either stressed by something, or bored. best way i found to figure it out, is to give him more plants to hide in and re-arrange his tank decor often. if he still does it, he's stressed by something, usually the filter current. it's NO reason to get rid of a betta, though.
withramya
withramya - 14 years ago
Mine is a tail-biter too turns out! The tail starts to grow and then he bites it off. I have never seen him do that actually. He is alone in a 15 gallon tank (maybe I should get him some tank mates). He is a veil-tail and it is so uncommon for VT to be tail biters.! (frustrating)
Roland
Roland - 14 years ago
my betta's tail would start to grow back then 'CHOMP* - back to square 1 again. i've given up worrying about it now. used to treat his tail with bettafix/tri-sulfa etc and tried just about everything to stop it but i've given up now. if that dumb fish wants to ruin his tail then fuck it - whatever.
Travis Na
Travis Na - 14 years ago
oh ok I think mine is doing the same thing i have a video check it out,but i posted it like 1 week ago now every time i wake up in the morning his tail gets worse then sometimes it gets better.
Travis Na
Travis Na - 14 years ago
I think mine bites his tail too i though it was fin rot
Acecombatgamer
Acecombatgamer - 14 years ago
STUPID FISH
MiniMochaLop
MiniMochaLop - 15 years ago
I thought my betta Blu had fin rot but I just caught him chasing his tail today...yeah I tried to distract him but I know he's done this before....He sort of resembles your betta.

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