Caring for a blind betta

[BeautifulBetta123]

Hi everyone! I am wondering how to care for a blind betta :D
Winter my beloved baby has scales hat are growing over his eyes. His eyes are also going cloudy so I was wondering if you guys could give me any tips and help about this. Anything is much appreciated :)

[MattsBettas]

No experience dealing with blind bettas, but-

1) I would provide the best overall care for him. Food, water, temperature all need to be good

2) I would somehow find a way to make it easier for him to find his food, eg placing it in front of him, feeding him in a shallow container.

Not much else I can say. You should find what works for you.

[Kiara1125]

Most blind dragonscale bettas are able to see shadows, so it would be easier to drop food in front of him. What size tank is he in now? Just make sure that there aren't things that he can bump into.

[Luimeril]

what i did with my blind betta was this:

kept him in a smaller tank(2.5 gallons)
bare bottom
only two decorations(one small plant he slept on, and a big, fluffy plant he hid in)
feeding ring(mostly to keep his pellets in one place since he jumped at them)

i also never rearranged his decor. he memorized where everything was, so if i moved anything, he'd be lost. ;3;

otherwise, i treated Theo like he was a normal betta.

[sarahspins]

I think they can typically "smell" their food fairly well.. I have one with scales over his eyes and he has no trouble going after food or navigating his tank.

[Myates]

I have a complete blind (not dragonscale) who sniffs out his food.. why I use stinky sinking pellets for him with a bare bottom.

[BeautifulBetta123]

Thanks everyone :D he is in a five gal with a heater that keeps the tank at 78*F and is fed Omega 1 pellets. All my tanks are becoming bare bottom because of a fuzz that forms after only two days :( he will have a betta hammock and a few silk plants to hide and play in.

[Picasso84]

Why is the bare bottom important? I think my new dragonscale might be a little blind :(

Is there something about dragonscales that makes them susceptible to blindness?

[Kiara1125]

With the dragon scales, the color can move into their eyes and create blindness. That's what I was told. Bare bottom tanks just make it easier for cleaning and for eating food. It's like being blindfolded and feeling around a bunch of rocks for your meal. You have to smell it more then anything. It just makes targeting the food easier.

[BeautifulBetta123]

Thanks everyone. Winter will hopefully be able to live life to the full even without sight :)