# How do you know if a betta is blind?



## registereduser

My newest guy acts so strange. He has no reaction to movement outside the tank and often goes a little crazy zooming around and running into things :-(

His eyes don't look different from any others. But he does have a sore/growth/pimple on the side of his head. Maybe a brain tumor? Parasite?

This is the original thread about him with photos http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=135217


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## LittleBlueFishlets

You could try contacting AyalaCookiejar. She has a blind betta.

In fact, she has a journal for him: Tales of a blind betta


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## registereduser

Thanks! I didn't know that!


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## Luimeril

does he react to you when you go in front of his tank? or react to his reflection? if not, those are two good signs that he may have trouble seeing...


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## AyalaCookiejar

My thread says exactly how I found out that my CT was blind and it happened gradually.

He stopped being able to find his food first. Then he started running face first into things. Then he stopped following my finger and being lethargic. He can still sort of sense light, though. If you see all four of those things, he's likely blind.

But I have also seen people with bettas who were only blind in one eye. My boy's eyes don't look any different.


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## registereduser

AyalaCookiejar I read your journal. Your fish is very active and normal acting compared to my weird little guy.

He doesn't react much but when he does he races around the QT tank (it's round) so fast that he bumps into the heater. There have been times when it seems like he reacted to my movements but usually not. There is nothing in the tank besides the heater so I can drop pellets right in front of his nose and he won't make a movement.

Not eating doesn't worry me, I've had hunger strikes last 2 weeks or more. But this guy seems to be in a trance. He's like frozen sometimes.:-?


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## Luimeril

try getting a pellet that smells really strong. i fed Theo New Life Spectrum Grow. smells REALLY strong. if you can't, soak them in garlic juice or blood worm juice. feeding him in the same spot every single day may help, too, once he starts eating.


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## registereduser

I have frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp to try. I have NLS betta formula, I will soak them in garlic.


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## AyalaCookiejar

My CT is very lethargic. He spends most of his time sitting in one place not moving, unless I open the tank lid and cause vibration or water movement, then he darts.

He has his appetite, but I haven't found a single type of food that I don't have to aide him in finding. I've tried both NLS and black gold, I believe, and he will not find it unless I somehow get it to touch his mouth. I usually just feed him freeze dried bloodworms soaked in VitaChem, because they are longer and easier to hang right by his mouth so it touches him.

He did not used to be so lethargic and I suspect that his blindness is genetic and that he also has other health issues due to poor genetics. I think he's also figured out that running face first into things isn't fun so he stopped swimming around so quickly.


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## Luimeril

your blind boy is lethargic? mine never was. unless you knew him the way i did, you'd not know he was blind. he'd memorized his tank layout, i never changed it, and he scooted about like my other fish. he was more skittish, though, and would dart into his Giant Pink Plant to hide... he knew that if i took off his tank lid, it was feeding time(which made cupping him for water changes super easy), and he didn't even freak out in his cup...


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## AyalaCookiejar

Yes, he is, and like I said, I suspect he has other health issues that are likely due to poor genetics. He has chronic SBD problems, he can't hold himself up normally (his back end is always lower than his head) and sometimes he stands on his tail or floats vertically, which I've been told is not a good sign and usually means their time is near. He also has quite a bit of fin damage, probably from getting it caught in stuff, possible tail biting from boredom, and also the fact that he is a CT and I have more alkaline water.

But I've had him since the middle of November, known he was blind since around the middle of December, and he's had that buoyancy and virtical floating issue for awhile and he's still alive. I can't say he's the happiest fish ever but he's seemed to come more to terms with it. Plus, he has his own 5 gallon heated tank with adequate water changes, VitaChem, and high quality foods.


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## registereduser

Ok I just had the bright idea of putting a mirror in there. After awhile he flared at himself. So he's not blind. :lol: Why didn't I think of that before? :dunno:

He still has that pimple. :-?


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## Luimeril

aahh. well, i knew my blind boy probably had other issues. he had this odd patch right behind his head. a little band that was a.... best way i can explain it is, it was a different white than the rest of his body.

he ended up passing on after i found him, unable to swim correctly. so i think he may have had a tumor inside. x:

and i'm glad your boy's okay, other than the pimple, registereduser! i hope you figure out what it is x:


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## AyalaCookiejar

He may be just partially blind (if he is at all). But the darting almost sound like, maybe, external/internal parasites, but I highly doubt that the growth has anything to do with it. I would say, though, that if he has no issues eating then he is definitely not blind. If he is not eating, I would try to feed him by getting food to actually touch his mouth. Bloodworms are easiest or larger pellets. This was my first clue that Bahari was blind. He was obviously starving but he just could not find the food and his sight went gradually.

Also, if you have not already, I'd message Sakura8 and/or Callistra to see if they might have another idea what the growth is.


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## nel3

i dont think ,my DT is blind though he does turn in too sharp most of the time to eat his food. looks more like a dog trying to bite his tail. he has almost no issues when he rises to the top in direct sight or after a medium run up direct line. no other symptoms aside fromturning too sharp/closely for food.


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