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help with nipped fins on my female betta
Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:45 pm
by zeen
I'm stumped - my female betta's fins are getting nipped.
She's in a planted tank with no sharp objects, so I'm ruling that out. Her tankmates are:
- 2 female, 1 male gardner's killifish
- a school of cardinal tetras
- a school of glowlight tetras
- a small, shy bristlenose pleco
- sterbai corydoras
- pygmy corydoras
Everything's been fine for 4-6 months, then I noticed this today. I've treated for fin rot just in case, but I don't think that's it. Any ideas what could be causing this?
Re: help with nipped fins on my female betta
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 12:03 am
by dungeon
zeen wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:45 pm
I'm stumped - my female betta's fins are getting nipped.
She's in a planted tank with no sharp objects, so I'm ruling that out. Her tankmates are:
- 2 female, 1 male gardner's killifish
- a school of cardinal tetras
- a school of glowlight tetras
- a small, shy bristlenose pleco
- sterbai corydoras
- pygmy corydoras
Everything's been fine for 4-6 months, then I noticed this today. I've treated for fin rot just in case, but I don't think that's it. Any ideas what could be causing this?
I'm going to take a guess here, but I think your cardinal tetras might be the ones nipping at your female betta's fins. Those little guys can be quite feisty, especially when they're in a school.
As for your betta, I think it's generally recommended that they be kept alone, especially if you want them to be the king of their domain. Of course, the size of your tank is a big factor in this, but it's something to consider.
Re: help with nipped fins on my female betta
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 12:58 am
by boomer
I'm not convinced it's just the cardinals, as we don't know the exact number of each tetra species - this can impact their behavior, after all. Both tetras could be involved, and let's not rule out the killifish just yet either. The cories and bristlenose are likely off the hook, though.
Re: help with nipped fins on my female betta
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 2:19 am
by detroit
I've noticed that all Tetras and Killifish tend to be fin-nippers if they get the chance. Even my own Killifish have taken a liking to nipping at the fins of my Red Phantom Tetras. It's not just the Cardinals or Glowlights, any of these species can be guilty of fin-nipping.
Re: help with nipped fins on my female betta
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 3:11 am
by coltin
A few photos of the fish and tank setup would be great to see, might give us a better idea of what's going on. If fin nipping is indeed the issue, I'd put my money on either the tetras or the killifish - they're known to be a bit fin-happy.