My Betta Is Sick?

Question

I have had this betta since April and now his eyes are all bugged out and he has this ugly color next to his gills, what is wrong with him? All my other bettas are fine and healthy except him. I clean their tanks every week and they get fed 3 pellets in the morning and 3 pellets at night. What can I do to help him?

Answer 1

Common Name: Popeye
Scientific Name: Exophthalmia
Description: Symptom of infection
Symptoms: swelling and protrusion of one or both eyes
Cause: bacterial, viral or parasitic
Medications: Maracyn, Maracyn-Two combined
Ingredients: Erythromycin, Minocycline, Tetracycline

More Information

Popeye, also called exophthalmia is a symptom, not a disease in itself and has many possible causes. Popeye is characteristically diagnosed by the swelling or protrusion of one or both eyes.

Curing popeye can be difficult if the source is unknown. The origin can range from bacterial, viral, parasitic or as an effect of fish tuberculosis. It’s often impossible to determine which has infected a given fish. Answers may lie in other symptoms. When you first notice popeye it’s best to observe your sick fish and other tankmates for other signs of disease that may offer a clue. For example, if the popeye is accompanied by redness under the scales you may deduce that the source is bacterial. There is no sure way to determine the cause and your best guess may be all you have.

Generally when the origin is unknown aquarists begin by treating with a broad-spectrum antibiotic like Tetracycline or a combination of gram-positive and gram-negative antibiotics like Mardel’s Maracyn and Maracyn-Two that contain Erythromycin and Minocycline respectively.

Exophthalmia itself is not contagious but the infection that caused it may be so it’s best to treat any sick fish in a hospital tank away from other healthy tankmates. The original infection is most commonly caused by poor water quality and measures to improve the tank water should be taken immediately. Poor water quality does is not usually obvious to the naked eye. Your water may seem to be clean in appearance but there could be toxins present like ammonia, nitrite and elevated nitrate levels. The only way to determine the presence of these toxins is to test with the appropriate water test kits. Other stressors may have contributed to the infection like fluctuating temperature or pH or harassment from other tankmates.

To avoid diseases like popeye, keep up with your water changes, frequently test your water and never introduce new fish to the tank without first quarantining them in a separate tank for 3 – 4 weeks before exposing them to healthy fish.

The lasting effects of popeye vary from a full recovery to cloudy, swollen or even a missing eye. It’s not believed that these effects inhibit the quality of life for the fish. Even in the case of a missing eye, the fish can live a full and normal life. If your fish looses his eye be sure to keep your water very clean to avoid any further infection while the socket is healing.

Just a note…

Antibiotic resistance is a problem facing aquarists all over the world. This occurs when bacteria evolve to make newer, stronger strains that cannot be combated by available antibiotics. To avoid creating tougher strains of bacteria be sure to carefully follow the directions on the medicine package and to never stop or change medications part way through treatment unless your betta is having a dangerous reaction to them. As with any disease, remove your sick fish from the community tank and isolate him for treatment in a hospital tank. Never medicate healthy fish.

Answer 2

If his eye(s) are buldging out it's most likely Pop Eye. Use a broad spectrum antibiotic and you should be fine (depending on how long he has had this symptom he/she should be fine). It wouldn't be a bad thing for all the fish in your tank to have this appiled to them as well, so no need to quarantine them in a separate tank.

I have used Virbac Animal Health products in the past with great success. The product from them that you would want to use is the Mardel Maracyn-2 product. You can find this at most LFS/Pet Stores. Here's a link for you so you can see what the packaging will most likely look like.

http://www.virbacpets.com/mardel/product.php?pid=182

Answer 3

Is he appearing any further efficient because of the fact the water variations? i think of he looks slightly swollen/bloated besides. in one image, it very almost looks which could be what's inflicting the colour loss, because of the fact curiously interior the comparable section because of the fact the bloating is. First, end utilising the salt. purely use aquarium salt if treating for parasites or if there is nitrites contemporary interior the tank. additionally, end utilising the ph adjusting product. those are junk, and could surely reason greater injury then solid till you recognize what you're doing by changing the ph. in many situations, after utilising those products, the ph will bounce decrease back the place it develop into initially very quickly, inflicting extra rigidity on the fish. maximum fish will tolerate ph from 6.0-8.0 merely super. depart that's what that's at clearly on your place. i could advise choosing up a smaller gravel vacuum on your tank length, and initiate doing weekly water variations. whether the betta does not make it, in case you intend on getting yet another, all fish surely could desire to have their tanks wiped clean out weekly. without understanding what the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates have been that ok could be what the possibly develop into. all the indications you have defined from the colour loss, bloating, clamped fins, etc. could be signs and indicators of damaging water high quality. i could proceed with the conventional water variations for here few days. Then get on a weekly schedule. p.c.. up some epsom salt besides, and upload a sprint bit that to the tank. i could upload a pair of million/2 teaspoon. Epsom salt enables with constipation, and likewise enables to entice fluids out. Aquarium salt keeps fluids, so returned, do no longer use that anymore till treating for what I distinctive above. additionally for here few days, purely feed him a small ingredient of the interior a pea. That enables with constipation besides. it relatively is all i could do at this element for scientific care. If he's gonna make it, it is going to be because of the form in water high quality. If he's merely too a methods long previous, the different stuff maximum possibly won't help, and that i do no longer see a elect for utilising any med at this element because of the fact it rather does not sound like a bacterial or parasite project. solid success!

Answer 4

Sounds like pop eye if his eyes are bulged out. Probably need to change the water more frequent. Also don't change all the water at once, no more than half, it'll stress the fish from the ph and temperature differences. Try the meds they sell, look for one specific for popeye.

Answer 5

It is definitely Eye Cloud/Pop-Eye and you can get antibiotics that are made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals at Wal-Mart, most pet shops, or on line and it doesn't cost much. The antibiotic you need is called either Fungus Cure or T.C. Capsules. Look at the packaging in the store to see which symptoms match most closely to your fish. I cannot tell which by what your description is.

Answer 6

He has popeye. You can find all the info you need on the website listed in my sources, a friend with a betta fish gave it to me, and though there's a bit of text talk and other things, it is completely trustworthy.

Answer 7

He has pop-eye. Go to a fish store, tell them about it, and they'll give you some medicine. It'll help him.

And change his water more frequently.