My rescued betta (Mr. Bubbles) had a horrible accident today. He was living in a crystal container that my toddler pulled.... it crashed on the floor... I ran to keep my toddler safe from glass, picked up Mr. Bubbles and put him in a small glass while I picked up the mess... When I came back for him... the water was pink due to a bleeding from his right eye!
The bleeding has stopped, not sure if he has lost his eye. I changed him to a more comfortable container than the small glass and will get something more suitable tomorrow (it is already 2 am in my country).
Have never heard of epsom salt before, so after reading lots of posts not sure if I can get some here.... not sure what to do either. Right now I am under a very limited budget. Please advise. Thank you!
Oh no! That sounds really painful! I've never had to deal with an injury before, so I'm not sure what the general rule is on treating the fish. Epsom salt is easy to find, any walmart or store with a pharmacy section. They were right next to bandaids in my target! (also, the bag was pretty cheap, only a couple bucks, and now I have it for later use)
Do not use epsom salt. Epsom salt is used for treating bloating or swim bladder disease. Aquarium salt is what you for use for on external injuries or finrot. There is a difference between the two and never use them together. Epsom salt extracts water from the fish. Aquarium salt reatains water in fish. Make sure his water is warm and clean. I would use aquarium salt. I am not sure what the dosage would be for an injury like that but I believe its a tablespoon for every 5 gallons for regular use. I am sure someone with more knowledge will have a better answer for you but thats what I would do in the mean time to keep him from getting worse or an infection.
Hi MishByrne and welcome to the forum. Sorry it's under such circumstances. Sounds like quite the freak accident. :( Poor guy. Let's see what we can do to help.
Here's your aquarium salt dosage. 1 tsp per gallon, super clean warm water and API Stress Coat if you can find it. Can you get a pic of his eye? Put your little betta guy in something that is at least a gallon that you can put an adjustable heater in. While he's in recovery, you'll want to change the water every day, 100% and redose the salt. It's important to keep the water clean to minimize the chance of infection or he will definitely lose the eye if he hasn't already.
I hope this helps you. Good luck and keep us posted.
Thank you so much for your replies. I ended up putting him in a dark shallow crystal container and away from noises in a warm place (I live in Mexico City and the current temperature is 20C/68F).
He seems to be doing better, ate a pellet a few minutes ago. I think he will make it, just want to make sure I give the proper care he needs and need your advise on this.
After I rescued him last March, I put him in a 2 litre container with gravel, pebbles and a bamboo plant, changed his water every week, use bottled water with drops to remove any chlorine traces. He eats about 10-15 pellets a day normally. Gave him live bait a couple of times but he started getting constipated and gave him mashed peas to fix that (he loves the peas LOL).
What should I get him now? My budget is tops 50 dollars. Don't even have aquarium salt, will go and get all he needs in a couple of hours.
Hmmm it does sound like something used with Epsom salt, (i'm just saying that cause popeye is treated with Epsom) and i agree with Sakura, clean it 100% and MAKE SURE IT IS HEATED!
Hmmm it does sound like something used with Epsom salt, (i'm just saying that cause popeye is treated with Epsom) and i agree with Sakura, clean it 100% and MAKE SURE IT IS HEATED!
Popeye is caused by a build up of internal fluid. The only simalarity between popeye and this injury is the location. Epsom salt will solve none of this fish's problems. I would recommend aquarium salt because open sores can lead to infections, and the aquarium salt treatment will lower that risk. It is also very inexpensive. I would keep him in a warm, dark place. These steps can help make the recovery go smoother, but only time can really heal an injury,
Thank you so much for your replies. I ended up putting him in a dark shallow crystal container and away from noises in a warm place (I live in Mexico City and the current temperature is 20C/68F).
He seems to be doing better, ate a pellet a few minutes ago. I think he will make it, just want to make sure I give the proper care he needs and need your advise on this.
After I rescued him last March, I put him in a 2 litre container with gravel, pebbles and a bamboo plant, changed his water every week, use bottled water with drops to remove any chlorine traces. He eats about 10-15 pellets a day normally. Gave him live bait a couple of times but he started getting constipated and gave him mashed peas to fix that (he loves the peas LOL).
What should I get him now? My budget is tops 50 dollars. Don't even have aquarium salt, will go and get all he needs in a couple of hours.
Thanks again!
are you using tap water with water conditioner or just water? spring water works but i don't think purified water is good for them
Popeye is caused by a build up of internal fluid. The only simalarity between popeye and this injury is the location. Epsom salt will solve none of this fish's problems. I would recommend aquarium salt because open sores can lead to infections, and the aquarium salt treatment will lower that risk. It is also very inexpensive. I would keep him in a warm, dark place. These steps can help make the recovery go smoother, but only time can really heal an injury,
Oh, sorry, i am not that knowledgeable in injuries, only spawning and stuff, speaking of which, i should go research injuries......
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i am not that knowledgeable in injuries, only spawning and stuff, speaking of which, i should go research injuries......
