How long to get rid of popeye?

[Rosemary]

My betta has had popeye for some time (I wasn't sure if he had popeye until I got another betta and compared them).

I gave him a full course of Maracyn 2--it had no effect. Now I'm trying Ampicillex.

When I hit on the right treatment, how long will it take to see a change in his eyes?

If the Ampicillex doesn't help, what should I try next?

He's in an established 5 gal, heated to 80F. Ammonia: 0, nitrite: 0, nitrate: <5, pH: 7-7.5. Whisper power filter. No tank mates. Nothing new (recently had to treat him for constipation, but he had the popeye before all that. Also he has a lump on one side which I believe is a tumour. He is behaving normally. He usually eats Hikari Bio Betta Gold pellets, bloodworms 1-2 times a week, fasting one day a week, try to convince him that daphnia is edible once a week but I don't think he's ever eaten it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Menagerie]

Popeye is not a disease by itself, but a symptom. It is often caused by bacteria. I will PM An t-iasg on your behalf for more help.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi Rosemary,
Like Menagerie says, popeye is a symptom of something. Usually, but not always, it's poor water quality. When you say your pH is 7-7.5, does it fluctuate that much? The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate look good. What media do you have in the Whisper filter? Is it a HOB or an internal filter? You probably mean a HOB filter. I have an internal Whisper filter for my QT tank. I kept the betta in there for 3 weeks once; the internal filter doesn't seem that good in terms of cycling. Another thought on the filter: is there a lot of current? Bettas don't like current and that could be stressing him. In my 5 gallon betta tanks, I have a sponge filter, run by an airpump and a gang valve, to lessen the current. There's a pic of the setup in my gallery.

I've used Ampicillex before and it always helped my bettas. You could also try Kanacyn by Aquatronics (I have had trouble finding this brand) or Kanaplex by Seachem. Jungle Fungus Eliminator works for bacterial and fungal infections and it always has worked for my bettas too. If the directions say you can use a med for an additional course of treatment, then don't be afraid to do so if the fish doesn't look stressed by the med. Sometimes you need that extra 4 or 5 days of treatment. One caution -- don't use MelaFix (or BettaFix). The active ingredient, melaleuca, seems to adversely affect the betta's labyrinth organ. For other fish, it's a wonderful med, but it seems to stress bettas.

Your feeding schedule is just like mine. I feed Hikari pellets every morning. On M-W-F evenings, I feed Hikari bloodworms or daphnia. One of my bettas doesn't eat the daphnia either. He just can't seem to see them. Instead of pellets, on Saturdays I feed peas. Peas help with constipation. I use frozen peas, since canned peas seem to make a mess in the tank. Boil some frozen peas for 4 1/2 minutes on high, cool, and peel and discard the skin. Cut the "meat" of the pea into small pieces about the same size as their pellets. Then on Sunday, I fast the bettas. When I feed the Hikari pellets, I soak them in a cup of tank water for 2 1/2 minutes. Sometimes, dry food can cause bloating as it swells in the stomach.

I hope your betta gets better!

 

[Rosemary]

Thank you for your detailed reply.

When I said the pH was 7-7.5, I meant it is somewhere between those two readings. It doesn't fluctuate that much.

The filter is a HOB with the white fluffy media (sorry, forget the term). Last night I put plastic canvas around it to reduce the current. I'll look into the sponge filter.

Jellybean can see the daphnia, he just doesn't consider it edible.

 

[Steven A]

Hi my female angelfish also has pop eye I really dont want to losse her as she is lovely and has a mate i.e. breeding pair. I have treated for 3 days so far .. not much change and today i did a 30% waterchange. What else can i do to help and how long will it be until it has gone 8)

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi Steven,
I replied in your other thread...keep up with your water changes and try the antibiotic. Be patient (I know it's hard to watch our fishies get sick!) You've only been treating for a short time.