In this post, we will answer the question “Can a betta fish go blind?”. We will also discuss some possible causes of blindness and how to take care of a blind betta fish.
Is it possible for betta fish to become blind?
Although not frequent, bettas can and do go blind, which is something that should be taken into consideration. However, the likelihood of their being fully blind is quite remote. The majority of the time, individuals will lose vision in one eye or, more typically, will only have limited vision in one eye.
What causes a betta fish to go blind?
When bettas lose part or all of their sight, there might be a variety of reasons for this to occur. While some of these are absolutely out of your control, others may be avoided or even cured if you take the proper precautions and precautions.
Dragon eye/moon eye/diamond eye/snake eye
The moon eye is a condition that happens when the scales on your betta’s eye begin to grow over their pupil. There are many alternative names for this condition. It occurs most frequently in dragon scale betta, which is why it is known as the Dragon eye.
In most cases, mooneye begins out as a few transparent scales sprouting around the eye, but after a period, the scales begin to multiply in quantity and become more vibrantly coloured. Eventually, over a few months, the scales will fully cover the eye, thereby rendering your betta visually impaired.
No one knows for certain why Mooneye arises, although some speculate that it may have something to do with the fact that infection occurs in the eye, and the scaling that occurs as a result of the infection, although no one knows for certain.
Infections
It is also possible that your betta is losing his or her vision as a result of illness. Parasites, bacterial and fungal illnesses such as pop-eye and hazy eye, as well as other diseases, can cause damage to your betta’s eye and impair their ability to see well.
It is normal for your Betta to be able to fight off these illnesses if they are in good health; but, if you have been keeping them in bad circumstances, their immune system may be too weak to fight off an infection.
If your betta is going blind as a result of an illness, the first indicator you’ll notice is that the eyes are clouding over. Furthermore, the younger your betta is at the time of the exam, the more probable it is that they are suffering from an infection rather than cataracts.
Additionally, infections tend to spread quickly, and in addition to experiencing blindness, you may also have other symptoms such as fatigue and a lack of desire to eat.
Cataracts
The likelihood that your betta may suffer from cataracts increases as he or she grows older. The age of the person is one of the most reliable methods to determine whether or not they have cataracts. If you detect that they are beyond 3 years old, the likelihood that they have cataracts will grow significantly.
Unfortunately, if your betta has cataracts, there isn’t much you can do to treat them, so you’ll just have to learn to coexist with your betta’s vision impairment.
Physical injury
Finally, if your betta has lost an eye, or in some cases both, you will be able to tell for certain that he or she is blind.
There are a variety of reasons why your betta may end up losing their eyes, including physical injury caused by fighting and stiff items in your tank; however, infections can also be a contributing factor.
How to tell if your betta fish has turned blind?
If you’re not sure if your betta has gone blind or not, there are a couple of things you may do to find out for sure.
Check their eyes
To determine whether or not they are blind, you need first examine their eyes. If they are missing an eye or have scales developing over their eyes, the likelihood that they will go blind is substantially higher than the average.
Check for illness
After that, you’ll need to look for signs of disease. Their eyes will practically bulge out of their heads if they have Popeye syndrome, as you will observe. And, as you might expect, if they have foggy eyes, their pupils will begin to dilate and their pupils will become clouded over.
Put your finger in the tank
You may also try sticking your finger into the tank (but make sure it’s clean and free of chemicals first.) All that’s left to do is wait and watch whether your betta decides to investigate more. However, if he does not, try carefully sliding your finger in his direction of him. If he continues to ignore it or shows no interest, he may be legally blind as a result.
How to treat a betta fish who’s going blind?
While it is too late to save your betta’s sight, there are a few things you can do to slow the progression of the illness and aid in the recovery of their vision. However, whether or not they will be effective is mostly dependent on how long they have been afflicted by the virus. If you have a betta, the first thing you should do is transfer him to a quarantine tank and replace the water in his primary tank.
After you’ve completed this step, the next steps will differ based on what you believe is causing your betta’s illness. Medications like ampicillin and aquarium salt will be required if you suspect he is suffering from pop-eye.
How to care for a blind betta fish?
Unfortunately, there are situations when there is nothing you can do and your betta ends up either completely blind or partially blind as a result of this. If that’s the case, here are a few pointers on how to take care of him properly.
Remove any sharp decorations
The first thing you’ll need to do is remove any pointy decorations or anything from the tank that might potentially harm him. If you still desire decorations, you should consider substituting real plants or silk plants for the ones you already have.
Remove him from a community tank
Ideally, your betta should not be kept in a communal tank and should be moved to a separate tank. If he is blind, he may find himself the target of bullies. Even if he doesn’t, the presence of other fish in the tank is likely to cause him to get distressed.
Consider sand instead of gravel
Consider utilising sand as the base, rather than gravel, if you want to keep costs down. Even though it’s unusual that your betta will end up in the substrate, it’s always better to be careful than sorry. This step may not be necessary if your betta does not come into contact with the substrate at any point.
How do you feed a blind betta?
One of the most difficult aspects of caring for a blind betta is attempting to feed them. To your advantage, there are a variety of things you can do to ensure that your betta is getting adequate nutrition.
Put the food in the same spot
The most straightforward thing to attempt is to keep the meal in the same location each time. If you do this often enough, your betta will become accustomed to the spot and will instinctively gravitate toward it when he is hungry.
Try a feeding ring
No matter how carefully you arrange your food in the same location, if your betta does not consume it soon enough, it may wind up floating about the tank. When this is the case, it may be worthwhile to consider installing a feeding ring in the tank as well.
Drop the food near his good eye
If your betta still has a decent sight, you may always drop the food close to it so that he can see what you’re doing. You might also try putting some live food in this manner, as the movement may aid him in determining where the food is located.
Use tweezers
When your betta still hasn’t worked out where the food is, you may place it straight in his mouth by putting it on some tweezers and holding it there. Thus, he will be able to identify the meal right immediately and bite down on it with no confusion.
As a result, you’ll want to make certain that you give him plenty of time to become acclimated to this new situation before proceeding. And if you’re going to feed him in this manner, keep in mind that you shouldn’t offer him food that’s too large since he may have difficulty swallowing it.
Conclusion
In this post, we answered the question “Can a betta fish go blind?”. We also discussed some possible causes of blindness and how to take care of a blind betta fish.
If you have any thoughts or doubts, feel free to drop us a comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Can betta fish go blind?
Is it possible for betta fish to lose their vision?
Even though the cloudy eye is not communicable, poor water quality will increase the likelihood of your fish contracting a variety of ailments. Although a cloudy eye is not lethal, it can result in visual loss. If the water quality does not improve, your betta is likely to get a potentially fatal infection.
What causes a fish to become blind?
Freshwater fish farmers and owners of fishing ponds are always looking for the source of the condition that causes blindness in their fish. Usually, blind fish are ancient fish that have lost their ability to see in one or both eyes as a result of growth behind the eyeball or an injury to the front of the eye. Blind fish are not uncommon in the ocean.
What is the cause of my betta fish’s missing eye?
Without treatment, Popeye sickness can lead a fish to lose its vision or possibly result in the loss of one eye if it is allowed to progress. There are a variety of potential reasons for fish pop-eye, including illness, damage, and poor water conditions. Popeye in fish can typically be treated, however, the method of therapy varies according to the reason.
Is it okay for you to touch your betta fish?
You should never touch or play with a betta fish because it may become frightened and bite you or become terrified of you (which would ruin all of the training and playing you’ve been doing to make it acclimated to being around you). Touching a fish can also cause the animal’s natural slime coating to be removed, making the fish more susceptible to illness in the future.
What caused my betta’s eyes to become black?
Stress, old age, accidents, and disease are all possible causes of colour loss in your betta. It is also possible for Bettas to lose colour on their own, especially if they carry the marble gene. As long as there are no other indicators of sickness in your betta, you shouldn’t be too concerned about their colouration changing.
References
How To Care For & Feed A Blind Betta Fish – https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/blind-betta-fish/
Song, M. (2006). Caring for Betta Fish. Lulu. with.
