I've heard of other animals (birds, cats) self-mutilating due to stress. (This happened to a cat of mine years ago--after I spent a week in hospital, he started attacking his own tail the night I came home. I tried to stop him took him in to the vet first thing in the morning, but he had already clawed/bitten to the bone--he had to have part of his tail amputated. He had to wear an E-collar for months, but eventually his tail healed and he learned to leave it alone.
Betta with body modification fetish
- Thread starter Hannys_Papa
- Start date
I really dont think its stress as he otherwise seems very content in his 10G heavily planted tank.
I somewhat suspected it could be what Roan mentioned - but how do you cure betta boredom ? lol
I thought about adding a few pygmy cories or otos but after this being his tank for so long i doubt he'd be willing to share it. And i really dont want to add fish so he can harass them so he's not bored anymore.
I somewhat suspected it could be what Roan mentioned - but how do you cure betta boredom ? lol
I thought about adding a few pygmy cories or otos but after this being his tank for so long i doubt he'd be willing to share it. And i really dont want to add fish so he can harass them so he's not bored anymore.
I had one once that beat himself on the glass over and over til he died. by the time I realized what he was doing and moved him it was too late. I guess he could see himself :duh:
My thought is that he could have a parasite or something that is bothering his tail. ? Just an idea.
My thought is that he could have a parasite or something that is bothering his tail. ? Just an idea.
Dunno.Hannys_Papa said:
I do know that Mark has changed physically and mentally since I tossed him in the 36g with the other fish. He's always doing *something*, y'know? When he was in the 2.5 or 5g, he just swam around for a bit. Then sat for a bit. Then swam around. And sat. Then he started sitting on the heater. Drove me nuts because that's what Jakers started doing a month before he died. No, he wasn't in the same tank at all. Different ones.
Then he started to look like Jakers. His tail started getting a little "translucent" looking at the ends and that really bothered me, so I said, what the heck do either of us have to lose? and put him in the 36g.
His tail is almost back the way it was. He follows the bronze cories around all day. Eats well. Chases the baby platies -- he can't catch them but he tries. They really are *terrible* swimmers these long-finned bettas. Terrible.
Dunno, Hannys_Papa, maybe all this genetic dabbling done to produce bettas has actually spawned a super race of smart fish that get bored and rot away if they are not intellectually stimulated?
Who knows :huh:
Wish I could offer better advice, but I honestly have no clue. I just try different things and see what works.
Roan
I understand the things you are saying about Mark and the difference the enviroment makes.
I am seriously thinking about replacing the 10G that Propane is in with a 20G - make it heavily planted aswell and then try a group of cories with him.
If i do that they'd all be "new fish" in the tank so it wouldnt be HIS - something i think could be a big problem with his current tank.
I have to say though - he never really rests or just hangs out. He is always swimming, searching and trying to see whats going on in the room. Since i added snails recently he is constantly trying to find the small ones to eat them too.
Only time he doesnt move much is at night when he "sleeps".
I am seriously thinking about replacing the 10G that Propane is in with a 20G - make it heavily planted aswell and then try a group of cories with him.
If i do that they'd all be "new fish" in the tank so it wouldnt be HIS - something i think could be a big problem with his current tank.
I have to say though - he never really rests or just hangs out. He is always swimming, searching and trying to see whats going on in the room. Since i added snails recently he is constantly trying to find the small ones to eat them too.
Only time he doesnt move much is at night when he "sleeps".
Might work. Also, with a 20g it gives the other fish more room to get away from him if he gets bossy. That's what I've found with Mark in the 36g. There's tons of room for the other fish to swim away if he gets annoying.Hannys_Papa said:
You're lucky then. That's how Jakers was before he got ich and deteriorated. He was always on the move searching things out and checking the 'hood.
Maybe bettas just don't like me
Roan
i love that you name guys name your fish!.. i once had a double fin betta, his name was george RIP, i had him for over a year.. i noticed that he got bored and would do odd things.. chase his tail, nip at them, swim into the sides of his tank.. so what i did was, i got a matching tank, with another betta.. named him gupie, hehe.. anways i put the tanks about 2 feet apart.. george could see gupie and altho hed flare up, he seemed content to show off to gupie.. thus curing his boredom. after a couple hours, i would put a blocker between the tanks so that the fish could rest. not sure if this was ever the right thing to do, but it seemed to really work...AND.. i totally dig that picture!! it gave me a much needed giggle
patoloco
De seguro no sabes lo que dice aqu
I stated before that probably a mirror could drive his attention to "another" fish. You could also try putting a ping pong ball in the tank. He might like to play with it.
I've tried mirrors and marbles and ping pong balls. Snails and cories and otos. They hold interest for a while, then they get bored again.
Can fish have ADS? I wonder.
Roan
Can fish have ADS? I wonder.
Roan
Hannys_Papa said:
No seriously Hanny's, my betta was getting bored. Now he is in a 5G planted. I have a sponge filter and snails and some small ottos. He is not bored anymore. Case in point, we have caught him: staring at snails, swimming with the ottos. His favorite though is to get right over the tube coming out of the sponge and let the bubbles blow him around and carry him to the top. His fins get all stretched out and he comes right back down and does it over and over - until he realizes we're watching, then he swims to the front and begs for food.
On a side note: the snails were hitchhikers and VERY fertile, I stopped feeding the betta as often and between him and the ottos all the lil' egg sacks are disappearing! Go Betta!
