# fraying tail on new betta?



## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

Moonies beautiful tail is fraying pretty bad on the bottom, each day its a little worse...doesnt seem like disease, hes perfectly active and has a great appetite...just lots of fraying where he drags his tail around and a little hole...could he be tail biting or just draggin it enough to fray it? I have tested the water with test strips, they seem pretty good however the pH may be high...could their be an ammonia spike causing it? Ive been doing changes 50% once a week, maybe do more like 50% every other day til the tank cycles? Its a 6.6 gallon tank with aquaclear filter turned down low. the outer edges of his gils are appearing a little darker too, again, could ammonia cause it? Just want to catch his tail before it continues fraying, its so pretty! Any thoughts/advice?

his tank temp is 75 
he does have a heater
he has sand and rock substrate
he has 2 moss balls
1 anubias
he does not spend time around his filter
his filter is an aquaclear and its on the lowest setting

test strips 
Ammonia: ?
Nitrite: (white) 0? 
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.6 or 8.0 (higher end) 
Hardness: 120 
Alkalinity: 120

this is the tank from a few days ago...hes since had an anubias added and a little figurine and his purple gems have been moved around


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I wouldn't worry too much. Try raising the temp to 78. He'll be much happier. Just give him clean, warm water. He may be tail biting which is a sign of boredom though. Try showing him a mirror once in a while. Other than that, he should be fine unless he gets fin rot or some other disease.


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

thanks betta man! I have to wait to get a new heater but I plan to get one that I can manually adjust...thats a simple betta heater, i wanted to see how it did, the other day i hoped to buy one of the adjustable ones but they dont sell them lol...ill have to look online, any recommendations for adjustable heaters?


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

That small one should keep the tank at 78 I have them in a few of my tanks. Do u have a thermometer? Walmart sells them cheap like the stick on the glass ones.


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

yes sir, thats the kind i have  i think its the extra gallon, seems to make the tank cooler :/


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

That wouldn't do it. They're supposed to be for up to 15 gallons. Heaters will just keep heating until the tank water temp is the temp they're set for. Make sure there's enough circulation around the heater. It may just be heating the water around it, and not the water by the thermometer.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can add some fake plants and let them float, the high light may make him feel exposed. If it is tail-biting there isn't a lot you can do except give him some distractions. 

Watch the tail over time, poor water quality can eat away at tails and so can fin rot. pH is not a big factor, you just want it steady so water changes aren't shocking. A mild fin-rot can go away on its own. An aggressive fin-rot needs meds.


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2012)

Watch your betta. If it is tail biting then he is most likely bored. Give him something that will distract him. Or you can kinda play with him through the glass. My doubletail betta had bitten his tail. I thought that it was fin rot so I kept an eye on it to see, but his tail didn't get worse at all. If it does get worse, treat it with meds that treat fin rot. But if the tail does not get worse then you don't have to worry about it. Just give him some distractions and see if that helps with the tail.

Have a question: does the tail grow back if the betta is tail biting and has stopped tail biting?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think so. But it can take months. Fins on all other fish grow back unless the fleshy part of the base is damaged. Sometimes they grow back slow, or clear, or different colors.


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

heres a pic of the fraying tail....i took them about 2 hours ago...



















I also revamped the tank...its funny, i decided to take out the stones incase it was causing the rips and add more sand, right when i emptied out the tank and got ready to add the sand the ups truck pulled up and dropped off the decor ive been waiting for lol..couldnt have had better timing ever! so his tank has been revamped, hopefully it helps! 










still waiting on 2 plants to arrive


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Take another pic in a few days and you should be able to tell if it getting worse. If it isn't just be patient.


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2012)

Your tank is cool! Yeah I think your betta was just bored and was biting his tail. 

My doubletail betta looks a lot worse than that. But he doesn't have fin rot. I hope that his tail grows back. my doubletail betta's tail is so pretty. I don't like it all short like it is right now. I will post a pic when I have a chance to.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

If the rips start to get fuzzy you will want to add some anti fungal. To help the fins repair you can add some melafix, but it's not necessary.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

sometimes when bettas do too much posturing or flarinng ; they can blow fins...which means that the fins can get ripped and get holes in them....


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

That would actually make a lot of sense lohachata ...he has been pretty fiesty...as soon as the sun set its changes the dynamics of his lighting and he goes into fight mode for a good 2 hours a night. He flares out tail and all...looks amazing but that would make sense...Im gonna watch him tonight, see what his tail does when hes all showy...thanks everyone!


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2012)

You're welcome. I will keep an eye on my doubletail betta as well.


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