Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi all, I'm new to this, just started with my betta 3 weeks ago. I'm getting a bit worried and thought I'd check in with you guys - I think my betta might have popeye.

When I get home at night and turn on the lights, he's like a different fish for 15 minutes - bumping into plants and the tank. After that, though, he's back to normal - active, eating fine. I tried to take a closer look at his eyes, and they do look kinda bulgy. Problem is, I have no idea what normal betta eyes are supposed to look like.

I've got him in a 1.5-2 gallon tank, which I know isn't ideal - I'm thinking of upgrading soon. I change the water every 4-5 days using tap water, which I know isn't the best either. I feed him pellets and give him live food as treats.

So, I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out with a few things:
1. What do normal betta eyes look like - are they flat? What color?
2. Is it normal for my betta to go "blind" when I first turn on the lights? Is it just him waking up or something?
3. Do you think my betta's got popeye?
4. If so, what should I do about it?

Thanks!

I've taken a look at your betta's eyes, and to me, they seem perfectly fine.

I do think I can help with the temporary blindness issue, though. When you turn on the tank lights, is the room completely dark beforehand? I'm wondering if that might be the cause. You see, fish eyes take a bit of time to adjust to changes in lighting - up to an hour, in fact. Unlike us, they can't adjust their pupil size, so it's a slower process. What I'd suggest is having some other lighting in the room for about an hour before you turn on the tank lights. It could be daylight or just regular room lighting. And when you turn the tank lights off, try to keep the room lit for another hour to help your betta's eyes adjust.

As for your water changes, I think you're on the right track. Using tap water is fine as long as you're adding a dechlorinator to remove any harsh chemicals. Just make sure the new water is the same temperature as the tank water, and you'll be good to go. Most of us use tap water, and it works out just fine. The only times you might want to avoid it are if the water is known to be bad for human consumption or if it's very hard and you're using a water softener - in that case, you'd want to use the bypass tap.

I'm with sSjey on this, your betta's eyes appear completely normal to me. The fish seems to be in good health overall.

Thanks sSjey and SeaBidder, that's a huge relief for me. I think I found the issue with the lights, I'll make sure to get the room lit before turning on the tank lights. For the water, I'll definitely look into using a water conditioner since we don't drink untreated tap water here in Southeast Asia. Appreciate your help and have a great weekend!