Japanese Fighting Fish

Question
We have an approximately 2 year old fish.  It currently has one eye that is
swollen - the outer ring of the eye is white but the inner eye is the normal color.
Could you guess what our problem is?
Thank you

Answer
Hi Becky,

Is the eye poping out or just milky colored?  Does the white look hairy?

If the eye is simply white with no popping out and no hairy look to the white this is 'cloudy eye', a bacterial infection, and needs to be treated with 1 tsp. per 5 gallons of water of aquarium salt, the recommended dosage on the bottle of Melafix and an anti-biotic (preferably Mardel branded) for 'cloudy eye'.

If the eye is bulging out this is 'pop eye', a bacterial infection, and should be treated also with the salt and Melafix but an anti-biotic that treats 'pop eye' specifically.

If the white of the eye looks hairy or fuzzy this is fungus.  This is secondary to a bacterial infection.  This can be treated also with the salt, Melafix and an anti-biotic for fungus.

Hold off on feeding while medicating (about 4-5 days), and change 25% of the water each day and replace with new, clean, conditioned water with the appropriate salt, Melafix and anti-biotic.

Test your water asap for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.  99% of the time disease is traced right back to water quality or an inadequate housing.  Your ammonia and nitrites should be flat 0, nitrates 5-20 ppm.  All bettas need at the very minimum a 5 gallon, filtered tank with a heater between 78-80 F constantly.  If the water quality is off or the tank/filtration/heating is inadequate fish become chronically ill until they finally die from the stress of the environment or illness caused from it.

Good luck : ) April M.