During water changes, our Golden Betta Fish ( displayed below ) got stuck in one of our filters which completely shredded off his tail and later on an infection. If you are dealing with a similar situation, Betta Fish tail rot or tail biting and not sure what to do, then you came to the right place.
Relax. Self-guilt won’t help. Accidents do happen and we can only try our best to avoid them. The good news is bacterial infections are treatable, tails do grow back, and tail rot generally won’t pose a big risk unless not treated on time.
Betta Fish are extremely smart and will be undergo stress after a traumatic event so make sure to lower water levels just enough for your Betta to go up for air and cover your tank in complete darkness for the next 24hrs to allow them to rest.
Our to go medications to treat bacterial infections are Kanaplex and Indian Almond Leaves. Unfortunately both products are hard to find at at local pet stores but can be purchased at online stores such as Amazon. Even if you don’t need them right away, they should be part of your emergency kit!
To learn more about Indian Almond Leaves benefits, click HERE
We don’t condone tail trimming unless it’s to help improve or speed up their healing process. Tail trimming helps promote faster recovery and uniform tail growth thus improving their quality of life. Photos showing his progress are displayed below.
Tail trimming should be performed by experienced Betta keepers
Frequent water changes will cause stress on your Betta. Water changes shouldn’t be more than 50%, recommended 25% to remove any uneaten food and debris. Please keep up with water changes at only 25%, give them a decent tank size, don’t overfeed, or overcrow your tanks. Keep their homes as clean as you would keep yours.
Most tail biting occurs during shipping. In the dark, Bettas can confuse their tails and bite thinking it’s another Betta in front of them. Tails do grow.
Other reasons could be from seeing Bettas next to them, their reflection on glass or mirrors, stress from illnesses such as internal parasites, or from hormones released in the water by Bettas kept in the same tank.
When purchasing Aquatic Decorations, please avoid anything with sharp edges that could cause your Betta fins to rip.
A more natural environment is recommended such as live plans, rocks, and driftwood to mimic their environment as closely as possible. For ideas, you can Google Aquascape.
Betta fry are usually treated with hormones and antibiotics by breeders and their system may not react to regular doses anymore. We only experienced this issue with one Betta, as you increment doses, please check for signs of stress.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 4
Week 8
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post
