Leaping female betta!

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
I opened one of the glass versa-tops on my 55g community tank today to drop in a pinch of flake-food. One of my four female bettas literally shot out of the tank and plopped down onto the tile floor. :22_yikes: As she flopped around I was able to gently get her into my palm and get her back into the tank. She didn't look good at first, but within a half an hour or so, she was cruising around like normal, aside from a horrible looking eye. One of her eyes is badly swollen and cloudy. Is that eye going to be a goner? I hope the little gal can pull through. :cry: That's a long way to fall. I assume the pressure from the hit buggered up the eye.
 

kissofcrimson

AC Members
Aug 14, 2012
100
0
0
North Carolina, USA
Oh dang. Is it protruding out or just really swollen? Hopefully it doesn't fall out or anything. I had that happen with a Goldfish but in a much different situation.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

OrionGirl

No freelancing!
Aug 14, 2001
14,053
342
143
Poconos
Real Name
Sheila
I'd pull her to a hospital tank so you can treat any potential infection, keep water uber clean, and prevent her tankmates from bullying her. Hard to say what will happen--I've had bettas jump, land on a hardwood floor, and lay their to the point where their fins were dried and stuck to the floor. I wet him down to release his fins and put him back in--he lived another 5 years. The damaged fins grew back within 2 months. So--if she doesn't get an infection, her eye has a good chance at recovering.
 

stephcps

AC Members
Jun 2, 2009
2,209
2
38
I would for sure watch very closely. She may get picked on if the others perceive her to be sick. Hard to say about the eye....
I had a pleco once that hid inside a castle decoration. I was redoing the tank..took the castle out....swirled it around etc....gave him plenty of time to come out. He got so far up inside that I don't think he could get out. Anyway, I put the castle in a bucket. Kept looking for him to fall out. Several hours later I am getting ready to leave for work...decide to look one more time...there he was in the bottom of the bucket---no water in the bucket. I thought for sure he was dead....but he wasn't. I put him back in the tank....he was totally fine! Crazy fish!
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
Thanks for the replies. So far so good with her. She's the second largest of the 4 female bettas in this tank, and is happily cruising with the crowd at this point with no bullying that I can see. The eye looks the same. I don't believe she can see out of it. I'll keep watch of things (didn't wanna say 'keep an eye out' :uhoh:) to see if she gets better or worse. I'd hate to remove her for any period of time given what a pill a group of bettas can be to one another upon re-acclimation.
 

authmal

Pseudonovice
Aug 4, 2011
2,621
62
51
Phoenix, AZ
For what it's worth, I had a cardinal that recently had some kind of popeye type issue. Now, I can spot that cardinal at any point, because the right eye is, at best, discolored, but it looks like it's just plain gone to me. Other than that not being able to see stuff on its right, it's perfectly fine. Follows the rest of the fish to food, so, I have good hopes for your betta girl.
 
Last edited:

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
Some months ago I found one of my silver hatchet fish had taken a header out of the 10g and was on the counter between the tank and wall. He/she was pretty dried out and covered in dust/hair from flopping around. He didn't look good at all when I found him and got him back into the tank. Within a hour I couldn't tell him from the other two in the tank. All 3 still around today. They can be resilient buggers.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
Just an update..

It appears the eye healed on this betta! I never thought it would given how damaged it looked from the leap/fall. She looks great. I'm glad too, because this is a really cool looking betta. Kind of an orangish-pink color with blue eyes.
 

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,075
850
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
Dangit, the same female betta shot out of the tank and plopped onto the tile floor again this evening. Ugh.. I partially lifted a versa top real quick to sprinkle in some food and heard a PLOP. Room was dark aside from the lit-up tank. Got her back into the tank w/in seconds, but it was a hard hit. She's hiding in a plant at the moment...

Gotta stop lifting a top.. It's tough even during water changes with bettas.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store