Pet Information > ASK Experts > Pet Fish > Freshwater Aquarium > missing part of my bettas tale

missing part of my bettas tale

23 16:29:02

Question
Ok so part of my Male bettas tale is missing ,and he dose live with one female ,and one betta that I think is a female betta .So I didn't see my fish Eric for a cople of days so I lifed up the fake sea cave ,or Eric's fav hidind spot,and he swam out with about half of his verey perty bule tale was missing ,and I put him into a other bowl quickly .So what can I do for Eric.

Answer
You must be sure the other fish is not a male. Male bettas should never be in the same tank as they will fight to the death. The female is fine, although the ratio should really be two females to one male. The females have short fins and are less colorful and the males have the long fins with the color. Unless you are positive you have both females and the one male, I would recommend removing the one you are not sure about. Chances are the tail missing is from the one fish you are not sure about. They probably fought and "Eric" got injured. You must remove the one you are not sure about unless yuou are positive it is a female. I suspect the missing tail is due to the other fish and "Eric" fighting. To help this, remove the culprit and just let "Eric" heal. Try not to stress him too much. Also, be sure to watch him closely to make sure he does not develop a disease or parasite due to the injury. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need more help.