# New Betta fish now has cloudy eyes



## plessans (Mar 20, 2009)

5.5 gallons
freshwater
2 weeks; tank was completely cycled before fish introduction
One Betta splendens
Artificial plants
A constant 80 F
Hydro I sponge filter
Not using a CO2 unit
No natural sunlight
Last water change: today; 3 quarts
Water changes once per week
Feedings once per day; freeze dried blood worms and New Life Spectrum Marine Fish Formula, but switching to HBH Betta Bites
Lighting is 8 watt fluorescent lamp for 12 hours per day
My fish has cloudy eyes causing temporary blindness and can’t see where it’s going or any food I try feeding it. The irises are as black as the pupils. Breathing is slightly faster than normal. Spends more time on the substrate than before. All symptoms onset started gradually after first 5 days from purchase. Fish vigorously ate blood worms on first day in the aquarium and explored the aquarium very actively.
pH: 7.4 (Wardley Junior pH freshwater test kit measures between 6.2 and 7.4) Ammonia: 0 ppm, Nitrite: 0 ppm, Nitrate: 0 ppm (Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate were tested with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals liquid test kits)
 
 The last time I bought a fish was in the spring of 2006. In the store, the fish was not very active but he was only in a cup.
Please help me figure this out. I will try to answer all your questions.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

Your diet is all wrong. Blood worms should be only offered once a week, and you are feeding marine food. You need him on a betta-special pellet diet. 

You alos either have a faulty test kit, or you tested wrong. It is impossible to not have nitrates in a FW tank. Retest that, please.


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## Nataku (Feb 22, 2009)

plessans said:


> 5.5 gallons
> Last water change: today; 3 quarts
> Water changes once per week


If you are keeping your fish in a 5.5 gallon you need to be doing more than a 3 quart water change once a week. The water is probably dirty (and I question any test reading that reads perfect zeroes across the board) and this may well be the problem. Change at least 2 gallons twice a week.




plessans said:


> My fish has cloudy eyes causing temporary blindness and can’t see where it’s going or any food I try feeding it. The irises are as black as the pupils. Breathing is slightly faster than normal. Spends more time on the substrate than before. All symptoms onset started gradually after first 5 days from purchase. Fish vigorously ate blood worms on first day in the aquarium and explored the aquarium very actively.


Okay, this needs some clarification. "Temporary" blindness. Is he able to see things sometimes and other times not? How do you know? 
The cloudy eyes, does it come and go, or is it always there since it first showed up? I am assuming the black irises and pupils are what you were referring to before the cloudiness set in? Or did you mean something else by that?
Inspect the fecal matter if you can. Is it present? Color? No little worm looking things in it are there?


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

No Nitrates, Plain and simple, Tank is not cycled yet,

Takes way more then two weeks to cycle a tank unless you have media from another tank that is cycled.

Cycled tanks will have Nitrates,


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## plessans (Mar 20, 2009)

First of all, I would appreciate if you guys were a little more polite. 

Cody, the 0 nitrates was a typo. That's my fault. Corrected Nitrates: 40-80 ppm. I also stated that I'm switching to special betta food.

Nataku, Also, when I say the tank has been set up 2 weeks it means it's been fully cycled for 2 weeks. It took me 6 weeks to get there. 2 gallons (36%) per week is too much in my opinion. I did 10-15% / week water changes on my 65 gallon coral reef tank for the 2.5 years it was up and running and it was fine. Please disregard the "temporary" in temporary blindness. I didn't know what I was talking about. When talking about the irises, shouldn't one be able to see the irises in any healthy fish and not have trouble differentiating between the irises and pupils? I haven't seen any feces yet.

Chicklet, the tank is cycled. It was a typo. Nitrates: 40-80ppm


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## onekatietwo (Apr 12, 2009)

Hmm. Well, I don't know much about Bettas yet so I can't help you.
But I think your tank still might be 'dirty'. I think generally you have to change water in a much higher quantity and much more often in a small tank than in a larger one. 65 gallon tank is much closer to a natural ecosystem than a tiny tank which, even if it is cycled, is still closer to a bucket of water, you know? 
I don't have much experience with smaller tanks, but with that, I think it is much easier for the cycle to be broken, so you probably do have to be very careful about not changing too much water.

But, anyway, the only thing I have ever read about cloudy eyes has always been attributed to poor water quality or overcrowding, so I guess I'm not any help but here's a link that might help?

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/eyes.html


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## Campbell (Apr 12, 2009)

Is the eye just cloudy or does it appear to have a thick film over it? If it's the later it's defiantly water quality.
And I don't think the previous posts were rude. They were telling you what they thought was wrong, and that's no reason to get defensive. There's always room for improvement.


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## plessans (Mar 20, 2009)

Okay, so I diagnosed that he had dropsy cuz his scales were poking out, his body was very bloated compared to when I first got him a little over 2 weeks ago, breathing fast, couldn't see, and wasn't eating at all. Yesterday was the first time he remained near the water surface for oxygen and when I woke this morning he was dead. I didn't even get a chance to give him anitbiotics. He started going blind about 1.5 weeks ago and the symptoms gradually started appearing and gradually worsened. My Ammonia in the tank was still 0 ppm, Nitrites 0 ppm, and Nitrates 40 ppm.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry about your fish.


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## Campbell (Apr 12, 2009)

That's to bad.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

40-80ppm of trates is very high. Especially in a 5.5G tank. The only way I see that happening in such a small tank is because of lack of maintenance, or bad tap water which should be tested in the first place.

Also for your information, there is no cure for Dropsy once it is the "pinecone" stage. 99% of the time, it is fatal. For any fish as well, and the upraised scales always stay.


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

meh...in his defense, I believe Cody was a tad bit harsh...there is a way of given people information for improvement, and a way of making them feel like crap / stupid...I believe Cody did the ladder, not the first. 

In any case, first of all...truly sorry to hear about your Betta. :'S
It always is sad to hear about someones loss of any type of pet, especially when they had good intentions. 
However, I noticed that as tough as Betta's are, they can be pretty sensitive as well...cloudy eye to me would indicate bad water, and perhaps more water flushed were needed at a time...especially if once a week meant every 7 days. I think your %'s could have worked...but not every 7 days. 
Prob. more like every 4-5 days if only 36% water to be changed. I personally do either 2 50% x2 a week or 1 75% once a week for my 15 gal tank, cutting my tap water with distilled water form the store [80% distilled, 20% treated tap]...mostly due to the amount of fish in the tank, but also as I noticed if anything less, my Betta was prone to fin rot. 

The bloat suggest [not positive, but just thinking] that he might have gotten a "bad worm" Not sure if you were giving him frozen, live or freeze dried, but if freeze dried the case, perhaps he ate a worm that was too stiff for his digestive track...if frozen / live...might have simply eaten too many at a time, clogging his d-track. Any case, bloat is typically caused by over feeding, thus the reason I thought that. 
I have seen it in a few guppies I was given from my prev. boss...but sad to hear your Betta getting it. 

If bad tap water the case...Cody especially shouldn't be so harsh, as I didn't know about the high amount of iron in our tap water until another resident notified me. Where I live, you cannot buy anything that tells you those sort of things, and there is no one / place you can take it to for real testing. The only places I have found test-stripes for things such as chlorine, etc, were old jobs...nothing I have seen being for iron levels. 

Either way...if it was the tap water, perhaps something such as distilled water, etc would be better next time around.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I wouldn't go with straight distilled water since it lacks the minerals that fish need. Bloat is one of the symptoms of dropsy.


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

was just wondering...was your Betta "fat" before he became all piny looking? Just wondering. If so, was it for very long? Or did it happen pretty fast?

[also FYI ;D ] I have actually heard of a few rare cases where people have been able to make their Betta survive with dropsy. Of course, their lives not nearly the length of a 100% healthy Betta...but alive non-the-less. Cant remember if it was this forum or another Betta forum, but it took him allot of TLC meds and patience, and he had updated about his Betta not passing from it. [haven't read about it recently, so not sure of their status as of current times]


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

dramaqueen said:


> I wouldn't go with straight distilled water since it lacks the minerals that fish need. Bloat is one of the symptoms of dropsy.


no, but meant that perhaps 100% of the water he had wasn't working either, and to also use something different.
Thus why I explained how I changed my tank ;D
sorry if it was confusing xD


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Its probably ok if its mixed with other water but straight distilled water isn't good. I don't think dropsy can be "cured" but I think I've heard that if its caught in the early stages you can treat them and prolong their life.


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## onekatietwo (Apr 12, 2009)

Oh no.  
Ugh, I hope I never have to deal with this. It's really gross and kind of creeps me out. Not to mention it's sad. 

But yeah, going from a 65 gallon tank to a 5 gallon tank takes some adjustment. It seems opposite, but in a way, a five gallon tank is going to take a little more maintenance as I mentioned in my last post.

Best of luck!


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

> 40-80ppm of trates is very high. Especially in a 5.5G tank. The only way I see that happening in such a small tank is because of lack of maintenance, or bad tap water which should be tested in the first place.
> 
> Also for your information, there is no cure for Dropsy once it is the "pinecone" stage. 99% of the time, it is fatal. For any fish as well, and the upraised scales always stay.


I tend to agree with what Cody said,



> meh...in his defense, I believe Cody was a tad bit harsh...there is a way of given people information for improvement, and a way of making them feel like crap / stupid...I believe Cody did the ladder, not the first.


You want the truth, He gave it, Sorry if that's to blunt for some,



> Cody especially shouldn't be so harsh


If people can't take a reality shot then maybe they shouldn't be here asking for help/advice in the first place.
Truth is never easy to take sometimes,
But you still have to deal with it, Or run away and solve nothing.

Did you come for the Truth, Or filtered misconception.


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

Chicklet said:


> I tend to agree with what Cody said,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yes well, being "blunt" only proves you to also be as ass...
I prefer not to make myself out to be one.../but if that's your preferred method...to each their own.

I prefer to answer their questions with out making them feel completely stupid...after all, you too once didn't know much either...

but w/ever...there is no arguing with trolls...it means they win, so I'll stop with that.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Some people hear only what they want to hear.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

Thank you Chicklet.

Guys, relax. I answer questions and explain them. If its not what they want to hear, then oh well, because its true.

And as Haeclark said, "to each their own." We all help on a help forum. People seem to be forgetting that lately...


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

Cody said:


> Thank you Chicklet.
> ...We all help on a help forum. People seem to be forgetting that lately...


that's all I was getting at, but stating people didn't have to do so in such a way as to "poke the iron in the wound"

should also keep in mind the person asking for help, and that they might not be feeling to great about the whole situation...being harsh about answering them only makes them feel worse, not help them.


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## plessans (Mar 20, 2009)

Haeclark said:


> that's all I was getting at, but stating people didn't have to do so in such a way as to "poke the iron in the wound"
> 
> should also keep in mind the person asking for help, and that they might not be feeling to great about the whole situation...being harsh about answering them only makes them feel worse, not help them.


Thank you , Haeclark.


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## Haeclark (Sep 5, 2008)

no problem!


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