Self-nipping help!
A few months ago I picked up a sad little betta who had been at my store for awhile. He was originally in a five gallon but he was always swimming very erratically so he got moved into a ten.
Hes been fine up until this past week where he sliced his fin and then tore the sliced chunk off the next day. I was hoping it was a one off thing but this morning I saw that it’s not only that chunk, but his fins just appear tattered? They have always been a bit translucent and messy looking, he was kind of an ugly little guy when I got him and never got that classic ‘glow-up’ although he did significantly improve (just switched phones and the old pics didn’t transfer so I can’t show ): )
I believe he might be biting himself but I don’t know how to stop it?
When my halfmoon started nipping himself, he was also having trouble swimming so I moved him to a shallow tank. However this guy does not have trouble swimming at all and regularly uses all the vertical space in his tank so I’m not sure what would be best for him? Does anyone know how to chill him out a little? 😭 I can move him into a smaller tank that still has vertical space if that would help? I know longfins are notorious for having fin issues and needing to have their tanks adjusted but he is sooo active and he likes to swim down and then spin around to swim back up so I don’t necessarily want to downsize him.
Ten gallon tank w/ heater set at 78
Tankmates: 6 ember tetras and a mystery snail.
Ph: 7.6
Ammonia, nitrite: 0
Nitrate: under 20