is betta tail length affecting swimming

[kingrise]

I think it's pretty clear that boredom and stress are the main culprits behind tail biting in bettas. Adding some extra stimulation, like more plants or even some tankmates to chase, can really help alleviate this. I've heard that shrimp are great for this, they're fast enough to keep your betta engaged but hard to catch, as long as your tank has some decent cover for them to hide in.

[folksy]

He's got plenty of tankmates - over 100 shrimp and 6 nerite snails. The first couple of days in January, he was munching on a handful of them, but since then, he's mostly just chasing, rarely catching.

[folksy]

I recently got 20 pregnant shrimp, it'd be great if he started eating more of them, seems like a win-win for both him and me.

[kingrise]

I'm seeing some improvement with his face, but now I'm concerned about another issue.

I knew he had a pretty big chunk of his tail missing when I bought him - about a quarter of it. I figured it was due to the terrible conditions at the pet store, which I'm guessing led to the tail biting. Now that his tail has almost fully grown back, I've noticed it's always pointing downwards, even when he's flaring. He's still able to swim, but his movements seem a bit labored, like he's carrying some extra weight.

The past few days, he's been resting more than usual, but his breathing seems fine and there's no bloating or pineconing. I've been testing the water daily since I noticed this change, and everything looks normal - his appetite is good, and he's still making bubble nests. I measured him, and his body is 3.5 cm, with his tail and bottom fin adding another 3.5 cm.

What really caught my attention was when I saw him turn around while swimming and attempt to bite his tail today.

I think he might be stressed rather than bored. Could be the location of the tank - is it in a high-traffic area? How many hours of lighting does he get daily?

[folksy]

The most traffic is when I'm passing by to grab a coffee, but I don't go right next to the tank. The lights are on 24/7. I've seen him stressed in the quarantine tank, but not in the main one. He's really mellow in general, and he'll even swim close to me when I'm near the tank.