My betta, Blue, is in a pretty bad shape. She's been dealing with popeye and lethargy for days now. I've noticed she spends most of her time on her side, and there's this whitish stuff all around her mouth. I initially treated her with Bettafix, but that didn't seem to work, so I switched to erythromycin for 4 days. Unfortunately, her popeye got way worse today. On top of that, she hasn't eaten in 6 days. I did get her water parameters checked at Petsmart, and they said everything was fine.
At first, I thought she might've had swim bladder issues because her stomach looked engorged, and she was acting really lethargic. But then she had a couple of bowel movements, so I ruled that out. She was in a community tank with some seveflake tetras, but I moved her to a quarantine tank with fresh water. I've got another betta that had fin rot, and the erythromycin treatment seemed to help her. But Blue just seems to be getting worse. I woke up this morning, and her popeye was huge. I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can offer.
help with my sick female betta
Re: help with my sick female betta
I don't have much experience with popeye, but I do know that Petsmart tests aren't always reliable. Those test strips can be hit or miss, and the staff often don't fully understand the readings, so they just assume 0 is the best result for every test - I've learned this from personal experience. I truly hope Blue recovers and feels better soon.
Re: help with my sick female betta
Can we get a picture of Blue's condition? Please complete the erythromycin treatment as prescribed. In addition to that, I'd like you to try Epsom salt baths, 3 times a day. Use dechlorinated water that's the same temperature as the quarantine tank water. Add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt to the water, making sure it's fully dissolved before adding Blue. Leave her in for 5 minutes, then return her to the quarantine tank. You can repeat this process up to 3 times a day. If the erythromycin doesn't work, consider trying Seachem Kanaplex and Furan-2 together, following the instructions on the packages. I've seen this combination work in similar situations. Once the treatment is complete, make sure to do weekly water changes of 75%. Keep us updated on Blue's progress.
Re: help with my sick female betta
I really appreciate all the responses and concern for my Blue, it truly means a lot. I was thinking about the test strips when I posted, but they actually test for several parameters and all the colors were fine, which is a relief since I have a pretty diverse community in that tank - 7 tetras, a zebra loach, and 3 panda Corys, and they're all doing great. However, my other betta did have fin rot, and I'm starting to think that maybe the second betta I got, the one I didn't quarantine, might have brought something into the tank. My tank is only about 6 months old, so it's still pretty new. It's heartbreaking to see Blue looking so bad, and I'm really worried I might lose her tonight - she's my baby, and I'm really struggling with the thought of it.
Re: help with my sick female betta
Did the tank actually go through a proper cycle before you added all the fish, I'm worried it might be a water quality issue after all, considering you said it's only 6 months old and you didn't quarantine the second betta.
Re: help with my sick female betta
Bettas aren't meant for community tanks - they shouldn't be housed with tetras or loaches. Could be a water quality issue, like we've discussed, but it's possible those other fish are nipping at her fins, even her eye. Stress from all those active fish in the tank might be taking a toll on her too.