Large Pink Eye and Gray Belly?

[juju]

I received a betta fish from my friend a few months ago when she moved. He has had a swollen pink eye ever since before I got him. It doesn't look like the other pictures of popeye I've seen, since it doesn't have a white ring around it and the eye has no pupil. The fish is pinkish-purple all over, so maybe that's why his eye is pink.

Also, he started getting bloated a while ago, but not to a great extent and no pinecone scales. I had been feeding him twice a day, so I started feeding him only once a day and the bloat went down. However, his belly is still gray, which I've read is a warning sign. I do know that his previous owners kept him in a small vase and didn't change his water very often.

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? Not sure
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? No, but I am planning to get a heater soon.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I forgot what it's called...it's a dechlorinator and slime coat enhancer by Tetra.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Have not tested
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He has always had the swollen eye, but the bloat came and went.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? It hasn't, as far as I can tell. He's still swimming around, eating, and pooping normally.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? The belly issues started a couple weeks ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I gave him some generic fish medicine when I first got him, as per the previous owner's instructions. It was supposed to help his eye, but it didn't seem to make a difference.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Other than the eye, I don't know.
How old is your fish (approximately)? Probably 1.5-2 years.

[Skyrocket Moon]

Ah still sounds like pop eye to me happens when Water change temperature is TOO extreme! Best way to deal with that is maracyn two worked for shark he got the white ring once the other eye didn't have any visual signs but did look little bit big. You need to treat it for three days and make sure the water temperature stays appropriate 74 or so. put in about 1/4th of a table spoon of maracyn two daily. He should clear up and it will help with any other problems that may be affecting him. This treatment wont hurt him or affect his mood its just like a bubble bath for all fresh water fishies. If they don't have that for you Beta fix is even better for him! But I do suggest you treat him for three days.

[juju]

That makes sense. It's winter now so his water is probably a lot colder. I'll see if I can get some Maracyn and a small heater-- I can't really afford it right now but my parents might be able to help.

[callistra]

He definitely needs a heater. He will be prone to constipation at winter room temps.

What pellets are you feeding and how many a day? Are you fasting once a week? What color is his poop?

Also needs an extra mid week 50% change in addition to what you are doing.

Can you please share photos?

[SharkyTheBetta]

Low temperature may be the reason for bloat. At a higher temperature, his metabolic rate will increase, so he will digest better and quickly. This is why the heater is so important. After you get it, increase the temperature very slowly, one degree per hour or so (even less) in order not to stress him. I suggest to test the heater first for 24 hours if possible. You need a thermometer to measure the temperature.

Photos of the eye would be very useful.

[juju]

Originally Posted by callistra

He definitely needs a heater. He will be prone to constipation at winter room temps.

What pellets are you feeding and how many a day? Are you fasting once a week? What color is his poop?

Also needs an extra mid week 50% change in addition to what you are doing.

Can you please share photos?

Tetra pellets, maybe 4-5 a day? Not fasting once a week...should I always do that or only until the bloat goes away? His poop is brown.

I'm going to order a heater soon. I'll take photos of him when I get home tonight.

[callistra]

I'll await the photos but I think he's just constipated.

The tetra pellets are one of the worst on the market because of their high wheat content. That combined with low temps, and no fast day makes this problem extremely likely.

He needs to be heated up and fasted the next few days until you see a lot of poop and the bloat go down. It's going to be really hard for him to get regular in the low temp so the heater is imperative. What temperature is his tank now?

I would also look for a good quality pellet whose first two or three ingredients are whole fish, not fish meal or wheat is the worst. I would also give him one fast day a week.

[juju]

I got a heater for the tank! It's set at 79 degrees. He's staying more towards the top of the tank now, rather than sitting on the gravel at the bottom. I also noticed he's pooping a lot more. I am now feeding him Aqueon pellets and fasting him one day a week, as well. There's probably not a whole lot I can do about his eye, since he's had it for so long, but I think the bloat will go down now that he's pooping more.

[callistra]

Can you get a photo? The popeye may need a gram positive antibiotic.

[juju]

Unfortunately, Juju passed away this morning. I had tried fasting him for a while but he wasn't pooping, and when I tried to feed him again, he wouldn't eat. I think he may have had dropsy after all, even though his scales weren't sticking out.

I will probably be getting another betta, so I'd like to prevent this happening again. Is a Hydor 25W heater ok for such a small tank? And what's the best food for bettas that's available offline?