# Diamond Eye Betta from Petsmart :O



## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

I just posted a thread concerning weird cloudy spots in one of my betta's eyes, and ironically I stopped by Petsmart today and saw a blind betta . I felt really bad for the betta, and bought him. I don't think he's completely blind, because he'll swim away if my hand suddenly appears on the glass, but if he swims *super* slowly, and he won't notice my hand if I put it up to the glass slowly. I'm keeping him in a smaller tank temporarily, just to so that's it's easier for him to move around. 
I'm also concerned about how to feed him, because he doesn't seem to notice the food.
Also I would love some name suggestions  I was thinking of Tiresias, the blind prophet from Greek mythology. 
Here are some pics! I think he's a spade tail..
(I'm almost positive he's a he, because he has no eggspot and his anal fin is quite big)


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## Meggie6347 (Jun 18, 2012)

How great of you o save him! Feeding wise, my old betta before he died went blind and I had to feed him through a medicine syringe and that seemed to work. He definitely looks like a male plakat to me...

For a name, how about Saul? Or Paul? Because in the Bible, Saul (later Paul) was struck blind on his way to Damascus  (Acts 9)

Edit: by the way, I love your username! I LOVE doctor who! I named my female Amy and my new rescue male Rory :-D season premier tonight! Woot woot!


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Just to let you know he is an overly bred Betta. Not a diamond eye.. Or whatever you call it. He has excessive Scaling and I see those all of the time. Poor boy can't see


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Haha; Saul sounds cool, I think I'll put some names in a random generator and see what comes up  and I'll try feeding him with a syringeXD
I can't Wait for the PREmiere  Haha lol
@Mo-oh Okay XD , then what is a diamond eye? Cause I've heard it a few times


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

I'm not sure what a diamond eye is. Lol.. I would go about feeding him by always feedin him in the same slot at the same time of day and after a while he would get accustomed to it


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Okay thanks  I'll try that too


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

You can train him to come up for food by tapping the tank in the spot you'll feed him. As Mo said, his eyes might work but they are covered by his coloring... such a shame. 
Thai breeders are notorious for making up fancy names for faults on fish... that's probably where "diamond eyes" came from.


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Okay thanks  
I do think he is at least partially blind if not full as i wrote before 
I'll start feed training as soon as possible X]


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

He is very pretty I love him and how lucky is he to have you give him a home !
They have what are called feeding rings in the pet shops, its just a circle ring you use to feed in dont know if that would help but if he can see a little maybe you could train him to come into the circle for feeding time. Good luck and keep up posted on how he is doing.


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## CandiceMM (Jul 15, 2012)

Poor boy! I have seen a few like him at Petco and Petsmart and I always feel so bad for them. You are a great person taking him in and giving him a permanent home. Good luck with food training him and keep us posted.


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks guys!  
I'll look for a feeding ring at the LPS  
I just fed him a few min. ago, and if I wiggle my finger in the water he'll swim right over  Hopefully, I can continue feeding him this way X] 
The poor guy's starting to build a bubble nest (though it keeps drifting apart)... I feel really bad that he's never gonna find use for that bubble nest XD 
Also, I think his ventral fins didn't grow right, 'cause they're all crumpled and deformed looking... 
I'm thinking starting a journal for the whole betta gang


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

blind bettas are a handful. i owned one a few years back, and it was hard at first. easiest way to care for them is to not rearrange the tank too much and train him to eat from a feeding ring, if he can see at all. Theo was trained to go to one corner of his tank when he heard the divider i used as a lid scrap against his tank. :U


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Okay, thanks for the advice!


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

He (still un-named XD ) build his first bubble nest! I guess he's not as helpless as I thought


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

Oh that is so so awesome! He's sure got spunk!

For a feeding ring you could just use the top of a styrofoam cup. Just cut the top half inch off and it'll float in the water. You could tape or tie it to one corner. I use these rings to give my boys a place to nest, they love them, but it would work for feeding, I would think.


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

Wow that is so awesome how proud you must be of him !!!!


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## DoctorWhoLuver (Feb 23, 2012)

Okay, I'll try it first with the styrofoam cup, and if I really have to I'll just go buy a feeding ring  he seems to be doing okay
Lol, yep so proud XD


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