Betta fin

Question
I have a betta in a 10 g tank with 2goldfish,1 silvertip,1 dalmation molly, an
algee eater, and a small dwarf frog. I recently saw a very, very small bit of my
bettas' fin in the water. he looks healthy, and acts normal. I have never seen
anything nip at it though. I really want to know, is it normal to see a small peice
of fin floating? If not, do you know what's wrong?
-thanks Richard Lea

Answer
Hello Richard-

Your tank seems a little on the crowded side...Your betta may be nipping his own fins out of stress. One of my bettas, Ghost, nips his own tail whenever he can get hold of it. He chases it around like a dog, and pulls it to shreds. :(

Also, check to see if there are any tank decorations that may be sharp that would cut your betta's fins. If they would snag a pair of pantyhose, they could rip your betta's fins.

Try adding a dose of Melafix to the tank to help the fin grow back, and keep an eye on him to see if you can spot any strange behaviors (he'll do this most likely when the lights go off.)

There's not much you can do if he's stressed apart from thinning the population of the tank, or providing more hiding spaces.

Hope this is helpful,
Amber Worman