Hi everyone!
I have had this betta for about 7 months, and I think she has gone blind. She doesn't move, stays in the top corner of the tank or in the place where the heater sticks to the tank, and doesn't really seem to react to anything.
And because of that, she hasn't eaten anything in 2 days and I'm starting to get anxious. I've tried moving the food in front of her and wiggling my finger around to get her attention but nothing works. I've tried to improvise a feeding ring but she just swims away. Do you have any advice on how I could feed her?
I wonder how she is doing now? You have a lovely moss ball, by the way!
It looks like Columnaris to me, by her fins. My fish has it. If that is it, the treatment is to raise the temperature to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, perform water changes every 1-3 days. Salt was very helpful for my boy. I had him at 1/2 teaspoon per gallon long term. Fins grew back spectacularly. You can use 1 teaspoon per gallon for ten days if you need something stronger. There are also medications for this, but long term salt worked best for me. (There are concerns with this, but his fins would deteriorate when I’d use less of it.) Moss balls are okay at 1/2 teaspoon of salt and I have heard 82 degrees is okay for them too.
For another sick fish I had who wouldn’t eat, I tried different brands of food. I found a flake food he would eat, also frozen blood worms. To tempt a fish who is not eating, try soaking the food in juice pressed from fresh garlic. The garlic is said to help kill the Columnaris parasite as well. I have not tried this yet personally.
Once she is eating, it is helpful to give a higher protein diet, such as every other meal being freeze dried bloodworms, daphnia, etc. It is important to get adequate portions, too. I made the mistake of underfeeding mine, which weakens them at resisting such things. A good pinch of food, and take out what isn’t eaten in a minute or so... some bettas are slower eaters than others. Twice a day. I find when his eating slows down, he has had enough. This is what is helping me, anyway.
She looks a little bloated from the top view... hoping it is not a slight start of dropsy? I have no experience with dropsy... perhaps you can research it? I seem to recall Epsom salt baths used for it, but do look it up first please.
Hope this helps. Happy fish keeping!
P.S. I’m not an expert... just hope this may suggest what to research.
