SOS, Help! I think my betta has Pop-eye.

Hey guys, I got a new betta about 3 weeks ago, and I think he has pop-eye. Please help!! I will post some pictures in a little bit.

Tagged people: @Colin_T , @Fishmanic , @WinterSoldier.

Please help!

Here is what it looks like, sorry for the bad pictures.

So is it pop-eye?

Another tagged person that seems to know a lot about bettas: @Byron
Please help me!!

I tend to stay out of disease-related threads because I have very limited experience (fortunately) with disease. And diagnosing a problem especially when it is a disease can be very difficult. I have a professional microbiologist and a professional ichthyologist I consult on the rare occasion that I need such advice but sometimes even they can only suggest likely options. But at least they are reasoned options and they were right on the three times I needed them.

Other members will likely want some data here, such as water conditions and parameters, age of tank, water changes, etc.

Tank size: 2.5 gal.

Inhabitants: 1 Super Delta Tale/ Dumbo Ear Male Betta Fish, 1 Zebra Nerite Snails.

ph: 7.2-7.5

Got him 3 weeks ago, please help!!

http://www.bettaboxx.com/betta-disease-illness/popeye/


https://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-and-Treat-Popeye-in-Betta-Fish

Try reading these

Thanks! I did a 50% water change/gravel vacuum today, and treated the tank with half a dose of MELIFIX. I hope he gets better.

MELIFIX has Tea tree oil in it. Great for humans, but not so good for bettas, it can coat their labrynth organ and suffocate them

I read that!! But also it said if you does half of what the bottle says, your betta will be fine. Is this true?

@Colin_T , please help me!!

The first picture his eyes look normal.
The second and forth pic I cant tell anything.
The third pic looks like his left eye is bulging out and cloudy.

Are the eyes cloudy?

Do you have a picture of him when you first got him?
If you do, compare the latest pics to the first pic you took of him.

Most eye problems are caused by poor water quality and a dirty environment. If the water quality is good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and less than 20ppm nitrate), and you do regular water changes and gravel cleaning, eye problems are very rare and usually heal up quickly.

You can do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 2 weeks and that will usually heal most eye problems. If they are actually swollen and don't improve after a couple of big water changes, then you might need anti-biotics. But at this stage I would do water changes and gravel cleans first and see how he looks in a few days.

------------------------
Melafix, Pimafix and Bettafix all contain the same thing (tea tree oil). This can leave a film on the surface that prevents the fish being able to breath air from the atmosphere. You should only use these products if you have lots of aeration/ surface turbulence and a filter on the tank.

Thank you so much! When I got him, his eyes where cloudy. I just compared it to the picture of when I first got him.

It did leave a bubble film! I stirred it up really good, and the filter is medium Strength anyway, so he can still breath. Will he be ok? I did a 50% water change/gravel vacuum yesterday, and a side-of-tank scrubbing. I really hope he heals quickly.

just do daily water changes and gravel cleans, and monitor him over the next few days.

Ok, should I still treat with MELIFIX? I removed the ZN snail in his tank, to reduce waste build up. I am currently doseing half of what the bottle says to dose. Should I do full dose?

I wouldn't add anything to the tank.

what's a zn snail?
snails don't add a lot of bioload to the tank.