care and feeding of a blind betta

[flambo]

Hi everyone,
I've had my betta for about 7 months now and I'm starting to think she's lost her sight. She's just not moving around like she used to, and lately, she's been sticking to the top corner of the tank or near the heater. It's like she's not even reacting to anything anymore.

I've also noticed she hasn't eaten in 2 days, which is really starting to worry me. I've tried putting food right in front of her, even wiggling my finger around to get her attention, but nothing seems to be working. I attempted to make a feeding ring, but she just swims away from it. Does anyone have any tips on how I could get her to eat?

[florapix]

What's your tank size, and could you share your current water parameters? Also, would you be able to post a picture of your betta?

[flambo]

What's your tank size, and could you share your current water parameters? Also, would you be able to post a picture of your betta?

I have a 21-liter tank, roughly 5.5 gallons.
Unfortunately, I don't have a water testing kit on hand, so I'm not sure about the parameters, but the temperature is around 26°C, or 78.8°F.
Here are some pictures of her.

[florapix]

It's really tough to pinpoint the issue without knowing your water parameters. Would you be able to take a water sample to your local fish store to get it tested?

[angelica]

I would recommend doing a 75% water change straight away, using dechlorinated water that's the same temperature as the tank. This should be done daily for two weeks, then once a week after that. This will not only help her overall health but also encourage her fins to grow back.

Adding a substrate and some plants to the tank would make a huge difference. Bare tanks can be really tough on bettas. I don't think she's refusing food because she's blind, I think she's genuinely unwell due to poor water conditions. She needs to be nursed back to health, and the best way to do that is with clean, fresh water. I'm not an expert, but I've heard that aquarium salt can be beneficial in these situations - perhaps one of the betta experts could advise on the correct dosage and so on.

[oceanpath]

Hi everyone,
I've had my betta for about 7 months now and I'm starting to think she's lost her sight. She's just not moving around like she used to, and lately, she's been sticking to the top corner of the tank or near the heater. It's like she's not even reacting to anything anymore.

I've also noticed she hasn't eaten in 2 days, which is really starting to worry me. I've tried putting food right in front of her, even wiggling my finger around to get her attention, but nothing seems to be working. I attempted to make a feeding ring, but she just swims away from it. Does anyone have any tips on how I could get her to eat?

I've been wondering how the little one is doing now. Your moss ball is lovely, by the way.

That fin condition does look like Columnaris to me - my fish has it too. If that's the case, I've found that raising the temperature to 82 degrees Fahrenheit really helps, along with water changes every 1-3 days. I used flour in my tank and it made a huge difference - my fish's fins grew back beautifully. I kept it at 1/2 teaspoon per gallon long-term, but you could try 1 teaspoon per gallon for ten days if you need something stronger. There are medications available, but I found that salt worked best for me in the long run. Moss balls seem to do okay with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and I've heard 82 degrees is fine for them too.

For my other fish that wouldn't eat, I tried different brands of food and found that flake food and frozen blood worms worked well. You could also try soaking the food in juice pressed from fresh garlic - it's supposed to help kill the Columnaris parasite. I haven't tried this personally, but it might be worth a shot.

Once she's eating again, it's a good idea to give her high-protein foods like freeze-dried bloodworms or daphnia every other meal. Just be sure to give her the right amount - I made the mistake of underfeeding my fish, which weakened him. A good pinch of food, and remove what's not eaten after a minute or so... some bettas are slower eaters than others. Twice a day seems to work well for me, and I find that when my fish's eating slows down, he's had enough.

She does look a bit bloated from the top view - I hope it's not the start of dropsy? I've never dealt with dropsy before, but I think Epsom salt baths might be helpful. Do look it up and see what you can find.

I hope this helps, and happy fish keeping! Keep in mind that I'm no expert, I just hope this might point you in the right direction for research.