Marine Betta's Tail

[heithingi]

Hi everyone,
Someone is chomping on my Marine Betta's tail!! Two days ago, there was a bit missing, yesterday a bigger piece, now today he is missing the fin part of the very end of his tail!
Who could be doing this, do you think? There is a checkerboard wrasse that NEVER goes close to the betta, a niger trigger who can get pushy, but seems to leave the betta's hole alone, 3 chromis damsels, and a snowflake baby eel who's home is very close to the betta's. Any ideas? Anything I can do about this?
Lynda

 

[pufferlover]

My best guess is the eel then second the Niger. Since eels have such poor eyesight they go by smell and if the other fish lives too close at night the eel may think he has found a meal and takes a pinch which makes the other fish move away therefore the little pieces missing. For quite a while after I got my first eel my Maroon Clown would sleep in front of the area where the eel would put its head out and the clown would just smack its head with its tail sort of like a slap slap. Now I notice the clown sleeps more in another area then where he did altho I never saw any missing tail pieces on the clown.

 

[lionfish]

LionFish says.....
My guess would be the Niger as it is a trigger and as much as people want to say that they are so docile they are still aggressive and it is in their nature to be aggressive. The eel could have done it be I doubt it. If you say the Niger can be pushy I would watch the Niger. hey can be just as mean as the rest of the triggers family. Keep an eye on the eel as well but I wouldn't be too concerned with the eel.

 

[gobylover]

Do you have any crabs?My Bettas tail is the same way right now because of my hermit crab.Don't that make you mad?!

 

[heithingi]

Hi all,
Gobylover, yes it does, I am furious! Only one crab in there, a sally lightfoot I have not seen in a couple of weeks. Interestingly enough, just last night, the betta moved his home away from the eel, so maybe the eel is the culprit! Going to have to feed that bugger more, cannot believe how much a tiny baby eel can eat! Pufferlover, I am thinking you might be right!
Lionfish, thanks! What I meant by pushy, should have clarified, is when it comes to food. The niger and damsels are aggressive about it, whereas the betta is pretty laid back. I have seen the niger and betta go nose to nose, but the betta always manages to swallow the food first. LOL Pretty funny, really.
Thanks all, will watch the niger and eel carefully, I LIKE my betta's tail! <g>
Lynda

 

[dlight692000]

i think it is the niger, i dont care what anyone says ...they are not docile!! he bit my tusks tail and cornered my blue throat trigger which i had to take back because of it. my guess is the niger and if not that i bet it is the ..eel but the niger is a butthead (lol right?)

 

[heithingi]

Hi all,
Well, but we think Pufferlover may be right on this one! My first thoughts were the trigger, too, but even though he gets pushy, it is only on a nose to nose confrontational type of thing over food. Normally, the betta has already swallowed whatever the trigger wanted.
However, the betta just recently moved his "home" further away from the eel..and today, he is not missing anymore of his tail!
Lynda

 

[pufferlover]

I'd like to say I was vindicated by the fishes moving. When I saw Lions and Delights posts I decided to sit back and see what you would find happening. As we said we all had our own ideas and it may still turn out the other way, but if it was the eel and the fish moved its home it was easier to deal with then if the Niger. I also must admit that altho a eel owner I have seen other posts here reference what you had happening and some things I read gave the ideas I expressed. That is why this board is so good you get opinions which can help you figure out what is happening or what to watch for. Delight and I have had a post discussion regarding Nigers and I do agree that they can be snots more often then not. I often wonder why most books say they are good community fish when most owners of them say no. One of the other things I learned about eels is that you better be ready to feed them when you open the lid because if they are hungry they shoot out and will nip at the other fish until they get their bearing on their food. I always put in the feeding stick the minute I see the head pop out from the rocks that way it gets its food and stays low allowing the other fish to eat in piece.