My betta has Pop Eye

[Betta Mom]

He looks a lot better! But certainly not "cured". I would do several water changes & maybe add carbon to the filter to remove all the fungus med before starting another treatment, even medicated flakes. Keep up the good care, you're making progress.

Thank you so much for answering me. I so appreciate your encouragment and help. Should I also continue the 15 min. Epsom salt baths. He tolerates them well. Also, He only likes the Omega One Betta Buffet pellets. I tried frozen defrosted blood worms. He smells them and thems swims away. I just tried Bug Bites this morning, tasted one and swam away. I tried fish flakes before and won't eat them. Fussy eater. He must have been raised on just pellets. Is there a medicated pellet product out there in the fish world? I've searched youtube and google. I love this fish.
Deb

 

[fishorama]

There are antibiotics you add to the water. The hard part for you will be guesstimating the dose for 2.5g, most are per/10g. Almost any lfs store will have some...I'm drawing a blank on the different kinds commonly available, I rarely use them. You want 1 that treats both gram negative & gram positive but gram negative is more likely if you can only get 1 type. Follow the directions for frequency, water changes. Don't mix drugs unless it specifies it's ok.

I would not get melafix or bettafix, they are very mild "natural products", you want a real antibiotic drug.

I would skip the Epsom salt baths during the drug tx. I don't know if it would have an effect but drug tx can be stressful enough.

Good luck!

 

[Betta Mom]

There are antibiotics you add to the water. The hard part for you will be guesstimating the dose for 2.5g, most are per/10g. Almost any lfs store will have some...I'm drawing a blank on the different kinds commonly available, I rarely use them. You want 1 that treats both gram negative & gram positive but gram negative is more likely if you can only get 1 type. Follow the directions for frequency, water changes. Don't mix drugs unless it specifies it's ok.

I would not get melafix or bettafix, they are very mild "natural products", you want a real antibiotic drug.

I would skip the Epsom salt baths during the drug tx. I don't know if it would have an effect but drug tx can be stressful enough.

Good luck!

Thanks for instruction. If it's a capsule I will empty it onto a plate and split it evenly into 4 sections per the administering dosage for 2.5 gal. The same idea for a packet of powder. Does that sound like a plan? No salt baths and water changes 25% per instructions. I don't understand what you mean by gram negative vs. gram positive? Please explain. I am a new Mom for betta fish.
(I also have a female and Cory in a similar 2.5 filtered tank. They get along well. She is the boss). I saw Ick on her. I treated the tank. Took out the decor small boat an Java Fern & Moss balls and treated them in seperate bowls. I think it's gone, I don't see white dots on her. (The Cory is white). If it comes back, what meds would you recommend?

 

[fishorama]

Bacteria come in 2 forms, gram negative (most fish disease bacteria) & gram positive. The "gram" thing is a stain to help identify bacteria in a very simple way. Antibiotics are often gram stain specific. There is a 1 kills all tx.

I'm "old school" for ich tx. I like dyes, methylene blue, Victoria blue or malachite green, probably in that order (half time of my football game, sorry). Salt (regular table salt or iodized) is also a possibility I've only used once or twice. I always treat for at least 10-14 days beyond any visible white spots.

Basically there are 3 stages to ich; on the fish, then it fall off into the substrate & then into the water to attack fish again. The best time to kill it is in the water column. The reason I treat so long as the spots can hide in the gills. Be careful of using copper based tx, it can stay in the substrate, plants, etc., forever.

If using salt, it's best to add it slowly over several days to a "full dose" & let it stay at that level until well after any visible spots. Then remove it slowly over many days of smallish water changes.

Bettas are pretty sturdy for many tx, corys are less so.

Sorry,got to go!

 

[Betta Mom]

Bacteria come in 2 forms, gram negative (most fish disease bacteria) & gram positive. The "gram" thing is a stain to help identify bacteria in a very simple way. Antibiotics are often gram stain specific. There is a 1 kills all tx.

I'm "old school" for ich tx. I like dyes, methylene blue, Victoria blue or malachite green, probably in that order (half time of my football game, sorry). Salt (regular table salt or iodized) is also a possibility I've only used once or twice. I always treat for at least 10-14 days beyond any visible white spots.

Basically there are 3 stages to ich; on the fish, then it fall off into the substrate & then into the water to attack fish again. The best time to kill it is in the water column. The reason I treat so long as the spots can hide in the gills. Be careful of using copper based tx, it can stay in the substrate, plants, etc., forever.

If using salt, it's best to add it slowly over several days to a "full dose" & let it stay at that level until well after any visible spots. Then remove it slowly over many days of smallish water changes.

Bettas are pretty sturdy for many tx, corys are less so.

Sorry,got to go!

Hi,
Go Patriots, lol... I am from Massachusetts. Anyway, what does tx means. What are the words for those 2 letters? That's what I mean. Also, salt, 3 teaspoons per gallon? 10-14 days with both salt methylene blue, Victoria blue or malachite green? All 3 for 10-14 days? Thats unclear to me?
I hope your team won.
Thanks,
Deb

 

[fishorama]

Yeah, I like the Pats but love the Eagles. My husband is Philly-born & we lived in DE for many years. But we also lived near Boston for 10 years, so we are really green blooded in the Super Bowl way this time (again, we haven't forgotten '05 ) Go Eagles, lol.

Sorry, tx = treatment, typing fast. Pick 1 of the dyes, not all 3, OR salt. Corys are more sensitive to salt than dyes IME. & because they have "plates" rather than scales, they're harder to treat & with albinos, it's hard to see ich spots...another reason to treat for a longer period of time.

Whatever ich treatment (tx) you choose (dye OR salt) I treat for at least 10 days BEYOND any visible spots, 14 days are better.

I believe the salt dose is 1 TBSP (3 teaspoons) for 5 gallons but look it up. Like I said add it gradually & remove it slowly too. So in 2.5g you'd use 1.5 teaspoons, adding maybe half a teaspoon daily over 3 days to get to a "full" dose. If you change water during treatment (a good idea), you'll need to add enough salt to keep the level up to the "full" level after water changes. Have I lost you yet?

I hope my fast typing about gram neg & pos bacteria was not as confusing. Most fish disease bacteria are gram negative, only a few are gram positive but I don't know what "pop-eye" usually is...I'm guessing gram negative.

You're right on how to divide the 10g drug dosage for a 2.5g, that's how I'd do it too . Not too hard