Help Needed! Betta Eye Problem

[shearer1931]

Please, please help!!!

My little girl betta, Wyland, has an eye issue. She just healed from gill flukes and I went away on vacation and had a friend watching her and I came back to this issue.

She has a white, cottony type looking object at the front of both eyes. One side is a bit worse, but both have it.

She was treated with Coppersafe for two weeks for the gill flukes. I told my friend to watch the ammonia levels as my tank is still in its first cycling process. Instead she put in ammonia tablets (Jungle Ammonia Clear) every day for three days. Last night I did a 50% water change and added more Coppersafe. I took the carbon out of the filter and added aquarium salt. Today is when it moved to both eyes, as yesterday it was only in the right eye. When I got home I added a Parasite Clear tablet. I'm afraid of my baby losing her eye(s) so I hope someone can help.

Tank info:
16 gallon
Temp: 81-82
pH: 7.6
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:5.0
Ammonia: between .0 & .25

She has been eating and swimming as normal and still loves playing in her bubbles from the airstone.

I have correct pH, but don't know if I should use it to lower the levels. My ammonia goes up to .50 every couple of days. I have been doing 10 - 25% water changes every day to every other day.

Also in my medicine cabinet I have Fungus Clear and Quick Cure.

I desperately need help for my little baby. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[AmberLynn]

Hm white and cottony always sends out the question of it being a fungus or colmunaris. I would treat her with something broad spectrum like a mix or maracyn 1 & 2

 

[Syphoniera]

Lucky you have Fungus Clear right there - fungus can move pretty fast and it sound like it is.
I've just tried - among other things - Maracyn and Maracyn 2 on a weird black (probable) fungus with no effect, and several other broad range antibiotics, and got Maroxy to try as I couldn't get the Jungle Fungus Clear I've heard recommended.
I'd get the Fungus Clear in ASAP - and hopefully the various experts will be on soon to offer more seasoned advice.

Edit - thought I'd better add that white cottony growth is the standard description for a 'true fungus' - and the eyes being affected is extra scary.

 

[shearer1931]

Thanks for your advice. I got the Fungus Clear in ASAP and will alert to any changes tomorrow.

 

[LauraFrog]

Keep an eye on the ammonia because some medications will kill the cycle bacteria - be especially careful since your population of bacteria isn't fully established. It doesn't look too bad because I don't think whatever it is has gotten past the cornea (the relatively hard, clear shell that protects the eye). So the inner workings of her eye are not damaged, and if you cure this now she should come out of it with no scarring and normal sight. Good luck with her! I love the iridescence, I bet she's a beautiful colour.

 

[Syphoniera]

Thanks for your advice. I got the Fungus Clear in ASAP and will alert to any changes tomorrow.

Good stuff - and LauraFrog's on the case, so now you're set.
Best of luck and a speedy recovery.
Edit - I really hope you don't artificially adjust your PH - it'll cause swings and all kinds of trouble.
That's not based on my experience, as I've never done it myself, but advice I've seen given to many by a number of people for whose advice I have the greatest respect.

 

[shearer1931]

Thanks for your advice. I got the Fungus Clear in ASAP and will alert to any changes tomorrow.

Good stuff - and LauraFrog's on the case, so now you're set.
Best of luck and a speedy recovery.
Edit - I really hope you don't artificially adjust your PH - it'll cause swings and all kinds of trouble.
That's not based on my experience, as I've never done it myself, but advice I've seen given to many by a number of people for whose advice I have the greatest respect.

Thanks for the advice LauraFrog and Syphoniera. This morning both eyes looked better. There was still a white spot at the front of both, but I didn't see the cottony substance hanging from either.

I don't adjust my pH. I did in the beginning, but then I do read it was bad. Is it also bad to adjust the ammonia with Ammonia Clear or is that okay?

 

[ThePiggy]

In my opinion, it's always better to get rid of any ammonia by doing water changes as opposed to adding chemicals to the water. I believe that the less chemicals you use, the better it is for your fish. Of course this doesn't mean to never use chemicals, but the more you can avoid it, the better.

 

[shearer1931]

In my opinion, it's always better to get rid of any ammonia by doing water changes as opposed to adding chemicals to the water. I believe that the less chemicals you use, the better it is for your fish. Of course this doesn't mean to never use chemicals, but the more you can avoid it, the better.

The chemicals were as a last option for my friend to use since I was not going to be home to do water changes every day. I did a water change as soon as I got home. There was definitly a severe miscommunication between us because I told her to use those in case of emergency, not every day.

Today Wyland looked a bit better this morning. It is just white spots now rather than flowing cotton.

Thanks for your advice though.

Good luck with her! I love the iridescence, I bet she's a beautiful colour.

Thanks! Yes, she is beautiful (of course I'm partial...). She is a beautiful blue with red on her fins. She looks lavender when her color is in full bloom and she is not sick.

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, shearer1931,
I'm glad to hear she's improving so rapidly - lucky you were on it so fast.
We'll be hoping for pics once she's back to full bloom as she really does sound gorgeous.

 

[shearer1931]

Update...

Wyland now has two white dots on each eye. I can't tell if it is cloudiness or the cotton fungus. It's been four days since I added the Fungus Eliminator adn while it looks like she is getting better, I'm unsure of the waht the spots are.

Tonight I did a 50% water change and added Pimafix and Melafix. I'm hoping this will take care of the problem. I will update when i know more.

 

[Syphoniera]

Update...

Wyland now has two white dots on each eye. I can't tell if it is cloudiness or the cotton fungus. It's been four days since I added the Fungus Eliminator adn while it looks like she is getting better, I'm unsure of the waht the spots are.

Tonight I did a 50% water change and added Pimafix and Melafix. I'm hoping this will take care of the problem. I will update when i know more.

My sympathy, shearer1931, this must be very stressful.

Is she still on the Jungle antifungal, or shifted over completely to Pimafix/Melafix?
I've never used that med so don't know how the treatment lasts, and how long therefore a clearing of fungus is supposed to take.
(Don't recall ever having that type of fungus in any aquarium fish; just bought some some with a black (I think) fungus in the past few months.
And the fungus med I'm trying right now (designed for white, cottony 'true fungus') has a 5 day maximum use period, so I'm thinking it should have cleared within a few days.)

I wonder what caused the original eye injury that triggered the fungus in those places - could it have been related to the Ammonia Clear or any other chemicals that your friend might have mistakenly added while you were gone?
I hope LauraFrog, The Piggy, or some other experienced person will soon be advising about this...