A betta fish may become blind for a variety of medical reasons. By being aware of these issues, you may take the best preventative measures to keep your betta fish’s vision intact. Is My Betta Blind?
Yes, the betta can be blind if it is not eating its food properly. To properly cure the illness, it’s also a good idea to understand what might have triggered your bettas to become blind. Then, to provide your betta with the greatest care possible, you can figure out how to adjust to their new way of life.
Can Betta Go Blind?
Bettas are visually focused animals. One of the best senses they have for taking in their surroundings is sight, and even their color perception is highly advanced.
However, betta might lose their vision as a result of a variety of health problems that impair their vision. This can be disastrous for bettas because they count on their vision. Therefore, it’s crucial to be able to spot the symptoms of a blind betta fish to know how to modify your care for them.
While some reasons are treatable and preventable, others are uncontrollable. We will give you enough knowledge in the hopes that you will be able to avoid serious consequences and stop them from occurring.
Infections
The most frequent cause of many ailments, including a Betta being blind, is infections. The tap water that we typically use for our aquarium contains microorganisms that, if not extracted, might introduce many diseases into the tank.
A compromised immune system is more vulnerable to infections of all kinds. Other factors like stress or a bad diet can also weaken or affect the immune system. Additional stressors include tank size, overcrowding, poor or abrupt changes in water quality, a lack of places to hide, bullying, loud noise, excessive light, and many others.
Most illnesses prefer to affect different areas of the fish, but you should be prepared in case it does. No matter the source of the infection, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic, you must treat the aquarium with a treatment that can manage all of them.
If there is an issue, it will typically develop quickly, cause your eye or eyes to get clouded, and you’ll probably also have additional symptoms, including fatigue and loss of appetite.
Dragon Eye, Moon Eye, Snake Eye, Or Diamond Eye
Scales covering a Betta’s eye can result in a condition known as dragon eye, moon eye, snake eye, or diamond eye. Translucent scales first appear around or close to the eye. Later, when they multiply and take on color. When they completely cover the eye, a Betta turns blind and experiences effective blindness within a few weeks or months.
The occurrence of a dragon eye in both eyes at the exact time is intriguing. It may not cover both at the same speed, but it does so roughly at the same time. Although the exact cause of Dragon eyes is unknown, infection is thought to be the culprit. As an aberrant immunological reaction to fight off the infection, scales develop where they shouldn’t as a result.
Cataracts
Bettas three years old and older are susceptible to cataract development. When Betta’s eye lens becomes foggy, light cannot enter the eye, and Betta experiences vision problems or even complete blindness.
If cataracts develop, there is nothing you can do about it. Teach your Betta pet how to coexist with people, and that’s the only thing you can help. Surgery may be an option for some humans, but given Bettas’ size, it is most definitely not a consideration for them.
Old Age
Sadly, blindness is a normal condition that is incurable by age. Older bettas may start losing their vision over time, and some may go completely blind in the years or months before they die.
The time during which the condition could well be set varies since bettas have a lifespan of 2 to 5 years.
It’s important to note that not every betta will eventually go blind; some may do it earlier than others. It all relies, among other things, on the genetic makeup of the fish and the surroundings.
Losing Eyes
Losing eyes is the last cause on our list, but if Betta has lost one or both eyes, you can be positive that he is blind. This may occur due to physical harm, most frequently caused by sharp tools in the tank or an altercation with other tank members.
In this situation, you should pick your tank mates wisely from the list of available ones. There are instances where a serious infection results in eye loss. You are also limited to helping your Betta acclimatize and learn to cope with her blindness in this circumstance.
How Can You Tell If A Betta Fish Is Blind?
Finding out that your Betta’s eye is not functioning properly is not all difficult. They stand out and are simple to spot with just a little care. You initially become aware of the murky layer that is visible. As the situation worsens, you will have additional symptoms, such as fatigue and loss of appetite. Due to its blindness, your Betta can have difficulty moving and frequently run into things.
The most prevalent moniker for this ailment, dragon eye, although it can also go by moon eye, diamond, or snake eye, is if you observe aberrant scales that have coated the eye. There is nothing you can do to prevent this illness from causing blindness.
Other factors that can cause your Betta to go blind include infections that have not been promptly and properly treated and cataracts, which can appear as your Betta ages.
Aside from the factors already mentioned, eye loss can also result from physical trauma. Since Bettas are naturally aggressive, losing an eye in a fish fight is not at all unusual. Put your betta is blind because it lacks an eye in its eye hole.
How To Tell If Your Betta Fish Has Turned Blind?
A few visual indicators can help you determine whether your betta is deteriorating your vision and has gone blind. They may occasionally not have eyes, or their eyes may pretend to have scales sprouting in front of them. Their eyes may appear clouded, or they may appear to be projecting.
Check Their Eyes
You should first check their eyes for any indications of blindness. The likelihood of their being blind is very high if they lack an eye or even have scales covering their eyes.
Check For Illness
You must then check for disease. You’ll see that if someone has popeye, their eyes are practically protruding from their skull. And as you can assume, if they have cloudy eyes, their eyes will have started to become cloudy.
Put Your Finger In The Tank
Last but not least, you may try sticking your finger into the tank. Just make sure it’s clean and free of any chemicals. The only thing left to do is wait and watch whether your betta investigates. If not, try carefully advancing your finger in his direction. If he still doesn’t care or notice it, he might be blind.
How To Care For A Blind Betta Fish?
There are a few things you can undertake to undo the damage and aid in your betta’s recovery from illness if they are in the early stages of going blind. How long they’ve had an infection, though, truly determines whether they’ll be successful or not.
In any case, you should transfer your betta to an isolation aquarium and replace the water in its primary tank as soon as possible.
Following this, your next course of action will depend on the condition you believe your betta is in. If you believe he has popeye, you must administer ampicillin plus aquarium salt to treat him.
Food for Blind Betta
Betta fish must consume insects and larvae to subsist since they are carnivores. Therefore, it would be best if you gave them a well-balanced, high-protein feed inside the tank.
Additionally, you can feed them flakes, pellets, or frozen food that has been specially prepared for them. Use tweezers or perhaps a syringe without the need for a needle to place food directly into the jaw of the blind betta fish to feed them.
In addition, you can feed worms using a chopstick or put their food on a drifting betta log for convenient access.
Use Signals During Feeding
Your blind betta fish might not have a feeding time. Make a signal, such as tapping the surface of the water or wiggling your fingers in the water, to let it know it’s time to feed. The blind fish will always follow once it is aware of this and will know when it is time to eat.
Use Secure Sponge Filters
You can also use a sponge filter to protect your blind betta fish. They are frequently impacted by strong currents created by powerhead purifiers and perhaps other equipment that generates robust flows inside the container.
Aquapapa Bio Sponge Filter Air Pump Driven is a popular sponge filter that is designed to provide effective biological and mechanical filtration for aquariums. It is powered by an air pump, which creates a flow of air and water through the sponge filter, helping to remove debris, waste, and harmful bacteria from the aquarium water.
Therefore, a sponge filter might be wise because it produces a gentle flow that your fish may easily swim through.
Lamps for Tanks
Like other creatures, betta fish could ideally be always active and demand rest periods. You must provide your blind fish eight to ten hours of light per day for their care and the betta’s eyes.
You can put the tank light on a schedule to save your fish from becoming stressed out by the lighting or darkness all over them. Consider using a timer to control the lights in your fish tank. If your tank has more plants, you will need stronger lighting.
WACOOL Reptile Heat Lamp UVA UVB Reptile Light is designed to provide both heat and UVA/UVB light for reptiles. According to the manufacturer, the lamp is made with high-quality materials and is suitable for use with various reptiles, including lizards, snakes, and turtles.
Pump Heater
Blind betta was first found in streams, little pools, and rice paddies in Asia but is now found worldwide. High temperatures are a regular occurrence in these areas.
You need a heater to keep the water in your water tank at 78 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the ideal condition for your blind fish.
Acquaer 115V 3-Speed Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump is a high-performing durable piece of equipment that is best for your betta.
FAQ
How Long Can a Blind Betta Fish Live?
It depends on the cause of the initial blindness. If an infection is an underlying cause, the fish may experience further issues along the way that could be fatal. The betta should be alright if it loses its vision due to cataracts or aging. The standard of care you give the fish also affects how long it lives after losing its sight.
To keep the fish healthy and content, take down any hazardous decorations that it can no longer resist and feed it appropriately. There is no explanation for why bettas can’t have long and fulfilling lives despite being blind.
What Are The Causes for a Betta to Lose Vision?
A betta fish may lose its vision if it has a condition called moon eye or if it contracts an infection in the tank. Furthermore, the development of cataracts or even an injury sustained in a fish battle may result in blindness in bettas.
What Causes Cloudy Eyes in Betta Fish?
Your betta fish’s murky eye is a sign of an eye infection. It might appear as a result of the tank’s adverse water conditions. The hue of your betta fish eyes may also vary.
Do Betta Require Living Plants?
Bettas require plants because they mirror their native environment and provide places to conceal and rest. Although betta is known as a “fighting fish,” they are often very timid and quiet. Plants are especially important in guaranteeing safety and reducing stress in divided aquariums and communal tanks.
Conclusion
Although witnessing a betta become blind is seldom enjoyable, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a big deal. The problem is frequently brought on by bad water quality, and if you replace the water in your tank, maintain it clean, and take care of any infections your betta might well have acquired, the problem may go away on its own.
In other instances, the blindness might be irreversible, in which case you’ll only need to modify your routine to suit your betta’s new requirements while keeping in mind that he won’t be able to avoid bumping into things and this will likely have difficulties finding his food.