Bettas by Jennifer Lapello
Popeye
Note the grossly protruded eye socket on this Betta. Photograph by Jennifer Lapello.
Symptoms: There are two ways Popeye can present itself. The first form is a simple clouding over one or both eyes.
The second form is much more grotesque, where the eyeballs actually protrude profoundly outward.
Cause: Popeye can
be simply caused by shipping stress (especially in colder weather), rough handling (i.e., rough nets), or by an injury. Popeye
can also unfortunately be an indication of another, more serious, underlying infection or disease.
Treatment: When Popeye
is present by itself, it can be treated fairly easily simply by keeping the fish in clean water treated with Melafix for a few days
to a week.
When Popeye is present due to another underlying illness, it doesn’t seem to respond to normal treatment.
In more cases than not, your fish will come down with a more serious illness weeks or months after you first notice the Popeye.
If you have a fish with seemingly incurable Popeye, it may be a good idea to put it on some anti-bacterial medications for a week
or so to see if you have any chance of knocking out the underlying cause. I have seen Popeye prelude Dropsy on more than one
occasion.
Prevention: Keep fish in clean water. Exercise care when handling fish, and if you use nets, use the soft
kind (like the kind used for brine shrimp). Monitor any fish newly-shipped to you for signs of stress.