neon sunburst moon platy

Question
Hi, I was wondering if you would be able to answer something for me. I have two fish in a 2.5 gallon tank, a male Betta and a male neon sunburst moon platy. I've had the Betta since September and added the platy in late January - early February. The pet store who sold me the platy said that there would be no problem between the two which is why I bought the platy. At first the Betta seemed a little uncomfortable sharing his home with the platy and would chase him around while flaring his gills out. I separated them for a couple days giving them both time to adjust and it seemed to work. Occasionally the Betta would still chase him but it never lasted and soon they seemed to get along fine. The behavior has remained unchanged. A few days ago I began noticing that the platy didn't really eat anymore when I fed them. (I feed them both their separate foods every 2-3 days). Usually the platy would eat right away, so i began to think that maybe he ate when i stopped watching. Now for the real problem... I noticed today that my platy is missing a small section of his tail, between the bottom edge and the middle of the tail. He is still able to swim fine but I'm concerned. I don't think that the Betta did it because they've been fine together and he never hurt him before but to be sure I've separated them again. I was wondering what could of happened to his tail and if he is going to be ok? Also what should I do? thanks.

Answer
Good evening Stephanie, thank you for your question.

I commend you for keeping your betta in a proper tank instead of a bowl. Hopefully it is filtered, heated - I bet it is. The real problem is that this is a mighty small home for your betta, and when you weren't looking, he did bite your platy's tail. Unfortunately, it only takes one nip to create a split in the tail that is both painful and compromising to the health of your platy. Even if they were together for 3 months and seemed fine, if one day out of those 3 months your betta decided to be nippy - well.

I suggest you return the platy to the store if you can - this is really too small a tank for a platy. They need swimming room to thrive, and like different water conditions than bettas do. Overall, they are not compatible, in spite of what the pet store may have said. Sure, there are people that keep these two kinds of fish together - there are also people who successfully keep cats with their pit bulls. It depends on the individual temperament of the fish, and to me, it sounds like the betta is unwilling to share his home with the platy, which the platy isn't very happy in anyhow since it is too small a world for him to start with.

My suggestion would be to get a 10 gallon tank and keep a few more platies, as well as the betta, in the tank. Strength in numbers would very likely ensure that the platy population doesn't get nipped at by the lone betta. Platies do not have nipping tendencies, either. If you don't have your heart set on making a platy/betta community work, then don't worry - just keep your betta alone in the 2.5 gallon tank. You can add ghost shrimp or a snail, perhaps.

Maybe you can keep the platy separately, in the enclosure you have moved him to? My suggestion would be - in the hospital tank, add 1 teaspoon aquarium salt per 10 gallons (pre-dissolved in warm water) and, if you believe in the power of tea tree oil, you can pick up some Melafix from the store and add it to the water at a half dose. I believe that with excellent water quality, Melafix is a help. It is really just "icing on the cake" - the most important thing is keeping the platy isolated, the water very clean via daily (or at least every other day) water changes with dechlorinated tap water, adding a bit of non-iodized salt.

I hope that helps! Check out www.bettatalk.com for more information on betta keeping - my favorite betta resource on the web. Feel free to write back anytime.

Take care,
Nicole