Let me start off by saying, taking care of Fish and Small Mammals is extremely difficult at points.
While I still firmly believe that with parental guidance fish can be great first pets for younger folks, especially if you’re a family with a tighter budget, it is pretty scary to know that you will probably miss most of the ailments that are happening to your fish.
A bit ago our little guy got struck with ick due to a mixture of moving into a new apartment that is much colder than the old one (don’t worry, we bought him a heater), and me working 10-12 hour days for two weeks on a show, making me the bad pet parent who left the tank unchanged a bit too long…
I don’t know how long Blub has had Popeye for, so I went through all of the pictures I’ve taken of him over the time we’ve had him here and it’s clear he didn’t arrive at our new apartment with it, but the only clear photos that show his eyes are more recent.
Things don’t look too serious yet, a bit of cloudiness, and his eyes aren’t protruding too much, but it still doesn’t mean I’m not worried! Luckily, Popeye is curable, and I’m going to share some of the information I know about it!
What is the Cause?
Popeye is usually caused by dirty water. It can either be a sign of a more serious ailment like tuberculosis, but can be as simple as mishandling while netting a fish.
Popeye is caused by pressure behind the eyes caused by fungus or bacteria and may lead to your fish losing their vision or their eyes.
Will my fish survive?
I’m happy to let you know that most fish survive Popeye if treated with medication.
What are some medications/remedies?
Epsom Salt (also known as Magnesium Sulfate) is a great remedy that can be used to remove the fluid built up behind your Betta’s eyes.
You’ll also want to use ampicillin or medications such as erythromycin, minocycline, trimethoprim, or sulfadimidine which are commonly used for fin rot (use these if you’ve caught the pop eye early).
My meds are in the mail, what do I do in the meantime?
Clean your tank often! The absolute best cure for Popeye is clean water! You can do 25% to 50% water changes daily, making sure that you also use water conditioner.
Do not “warm up the water” as this can actually make things worse. Make sure you’re sticking to the regular 78 degrees!
CONCLUSION
As much as I say fish can be a bit difficult to take care of, they’re also very easy to cure (at times!)
There’s not really much more you need to know about Popeye! I’ll let you know what happens with Blub, but we’re expecting a recovery!
If you are interested in reading up on other betta illnesses I would recommend checking out this more in-depth article.
How much epsom salt do I put?
I usually use 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons, some folks have recommended 1 tablespoon per gallon. I’d recommend starting off slow with a smaller amount and seeing how that goes, then adding more over time. Hope that helps!
I hope your Betta gets better, Johnny.
Thank you! He’s showing really big steps of recovery, and we’re so happy to see it!
Good to know they can survive this.
Yeah I’m really glad. I’m not ready to lose him 🙁
I love learning so much about caring for fish! It’s totally outside my comfort zone!
I’m super glad you’re enjoying these posts! I was a bit worried people wouldn’t find these posts interesting 😛