beta in community tank, tail chewed off....

Question
QUESTION: Hi, we got a new beta a few weeks ago (Lemon Pepper)then
had to replace our tank so hubby got a 15 gal ( from a 10 )
he added a few black  Mollies ( had 1 ), a calico cat
( we have a striped one ) some  more neons and stripped neons... they ve lived together for 2 wks just fine... tonight I discovered something had chewed off the betas tail... currently I have him  contained in a sm. net, still in the tank... should i put him in a bowl until he heals, and  how do we prevent this from happening again ?

ANSWER: Hey Heidi,
I love that betta's name! ;-)

Although bettas can often live in commununity tanks just fine and they are often healthier and longer lived from it...All must be under the right circumstances. For instance, and probably most important, the tankmates have to be completely peaceful with no fin-nippers. Your fish you selected are generally all reasonably peaceful species. But the mollies do raise a little suspicion. And you said you had Striped neons. I've never heard that name before. Could you describe them or find a picture to send the link to for me? Maybe they are Glowlight tetras?

When bettas are kept in community aquariums, the filter and current has to be gentle as well. Because their delicate fins rip easily and they are easily overwhelmed by currents. Blocking some of the tank's current with floating plastic plants wedged in front of the filter helps with most filters such as the hang-on-the-back power filter.

All decorations in the aquarium should be smooth and not have any chance of snagging the betta's delicate fins also. A trick often used by betta keepers is to take all decorations and drag a piece of pantyhose across it and if it snags at all, it could be risky your a betta's fins. If it doesn't, then of course it should be safe.

Its most likely that he has been fin-nipped though. I know they lived together Ok for 2 weeks but fish are very unpredictable in their behavior, especially when mixing fish with one that has very tempting flowing fins. I don't know why fish find pleasure in nipping the fins of others but I think a lot of it is curiosity.
You should probably let him heal and make sure he always has good clean warm water in his bowl and fed a good diet. Better yet, get him a 2, 3, or 5 gallon aquarium just for him. If the tank was a 5-10 gallon you could even try him with some very peaceful tankmates like neons, Glowlights or little catfish like Corydoras or Otocinclus, ghost shrimp, or mystery snails. African Dwarf frogs are also commonly kept with bettas.

Best wishes and I hope this helps!
Karen~

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Karen !!   sadly Lemonpepper passed away today, after we put him in a clean pickle jar.
I too suspect the mollie because a few months ago our catfish was misisng its dorsal fin...we kept him in the sm net until he healed ( sulking the whole time )

The striped neons as I call them,  are small like the neons with a silvery body, and black stripes running horizontally...I guess we ll hold off on anothe rbetta for the big tank  its not fair to  keep adding 1 if MOlly is going to assault them. Hopefully I can talk hubby into a small tank just for a betta in the future.

Answer
You're welcome,
I'm sorry to hear about Lemonpepper. Poor thing. You tried your best!

I wonder if the striped neons are actually Zebra Danios?
Here's a link to a picture-
http://www.tropical-fish-pictures.com/fish-pictures/zebra-danio.jpg

I don't know if I'd really blame the Zebra danios for fin-nipping because I've never had any trouble with them. I would guess the mollies as you suspected too.

A small tank would be so wonderful for a betta. I'm so glad you are considering it!

If you need anymore help, feel free to write!
Karen~