Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hey guys, I just got a new betta and now I have two - this one and my blue/yellow crowntail who's moved downstairs to a 10-gallon tank. I'm just wondering if you notice anything off about him? I picked him up from Petsmart on Friday and he's already exploring his new space. He's a dumbo halfmoon, but I think there's some crowntail in him too - he's got those spikes on his top dorsal fin, just like my other guy. One thing I did notice is a slight bend in his back, which I'm pretty sure is scoliosis. I've done some research on it and it seems like it's not a big deal, especially since it's not affecting his swimming. I'm having a hard time deciding on a name - I'm stuck between Olympus and Apollo. Here are some pics of him - he loves showing off, but he's super camera shy lol.

His eyes do seem a bit bulgy, and that top lip is puffed out - could be the pic though. If you take some more pics, upload 'em to your computer, and then go through 'em to find a good side view, that'd be super helpful to share here, maybe we can get a better idea what's going on.

kindo said:

Thanks for the feedback coltin, I've uploaded some new pics of his eyes and mouth, hope these are more helpful. He loves showing off, but cameras just aren't his thing lol.

I've taken a closer look at your betta's pictures and I think there might be an issue with his left eye - it seems to be protruding a bit more than it should. This could be a sign of a bacterial infection, but it's hard to say for sure without knowing how long the eye has been like that. If it's something he was born with, it's likely genetic and there's not much you can do about it.

If it's an infection, it's often caused by poor water quality, and you'd typically see some cloudiness in the eye. But if your tank is clean and well-maintained, with no ammonia or nitrite and low nitrate levels, it's unlikely to be the cause. Since you've only had the fish for a few days, it's possible he had the issue before you brought him home.

You might want to consider contacting the shop where you bought him and letting them know about the trouble he's having with feeding and the issue with his eye. This way, it's on record and if the problem persists, you can go back to them and ask about exchanging the fish. If you wait too long, they might say the issue developed after you brought him home and refuse to take responsibility.

I'm hesitant to suggest medication just yet, as infections in the eye or brain can cause fish to stop feeding and act strangely. I'm hoping this is just a minor issue that will clear up on its own now that he's in a clean environment.

You could try doing a 75% water change and cleaning the substrate daily for a week to keep the water clean and reduce the risk of bacteria or other issues. Just make sure to remove any chlorine or chloramine from the new water before adding it to the tank.

coltin wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 5:02 pm His eyes do seem a bit bulgy, and that top lip is puffed out - could be the pic though. If you take some more pics, upload 'em to your computer, and then go through 'em to find a good side view, that'd be super helpful to share here, maybe we can get a better idea what's going on.

I'm pretty sure he was like this when I got him, I was there when the shipment came in and they brought him out, he wasn't lethargic or anything, he's actually pretty active, loves chasing the bubbles from the filter. He's eager to eat, just has trouble grabbing it. I'll definitely contact Petsmart, I saw another betta there with super bad ich, I told the manager and she took him away for treatment right away. His eyes aren't cloudy or anything, but I'll do the water changes just in case, I've got a barebottom tank, no substrate, so I don't have to worry about that. I'm always on top of keeping the water clean, dechlorinating new water, cleaning up waste, doing small water changes when needed, I check the levels with test strips to make sure everything's good. I hate seeing my fish sick because I wasn't paying attention, but he's been doing better today, his depth perception isn't as bad, he's improved. Thanks for the help, if his eye gets worse, do you think I should use the Betta Fix I've got from my other betta's infection? It's just something you add to the water, right?

I think you'd be better off doing a 75% water change each week, not just 10-15% like you mentioned. For any fish, including bettas, bigger water changes are more effective at getting rid of all the microscopic stuff that can cause problems.

As for using Bettafix, I've never tried it myself, but from what I've read, it's got teatree oil in it, which might not be the best thing. Apparently, it can leave a film on the surface of the water, which isn't ideal. I'd say try doing some bigger water changes first, see if that helps, before resorting to medication.

coltin wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 5:02 pm His eyes do seem a bit bulgy, and that top lip is puffed out - could be the pic though. If you take some more pics, upload 'em to your computer, and then go through 'em to find a good side view, that'd be super helpful to share here, maybe we can get a better idea what's going on.

Thanks for the advice, I was worried about stressing them out with big water changes but I'll do the 75% from now on. I've had issues with Bettafix leaving a film on the surface, I only used it on my other betta when his infection was getting worse fast, he was just lying on his side at the bottom barely moving, it was like he couldn't fight it himself anymore. I'll do the 75% water changes first, and only use Bettafix if it's really bad, it's just for emergencies.

Doing a large water change shouldn't cause too much stress for your betta, just carefully siphon out some water and then refill the tank. Leave him in the tank while you're doing this, he'll just swim around as the water level drops and then rises again.

Ahh alright thank you, I've had a bad experience with big water changes before - my other betta would freak out and jump out of the tank onto his table, it scared the life out of me. I didn't want a repeat of that, but I'll try it your way from now on and just keep a close eye on this little guy so I don't have another heart attack.

If you work in the tank more often, the fish get used to it and to you being around the tank, they don't stress or spook as much. I've found that just putting a siphon hose in the tank each day and moving it slowly about for a minute then removing it helps. You don't have to remove any water, just put the hose in the tank so the fish gets used to it and doesn't get scared when you do drain the tank. It's like with people, if you're always around, they get used to you, if you're never around, they get stressed when you are. Same with fish, if they're in a busy area, they're fine with people moving around, but if they're in a quiet corner, they freak out when someone comes near.