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Wow, okay, she looked absolutely fine the other day, then yesterday evening as I go to feed my fish, I notice my biggest girl has this monster case of pop-eye. I didn't notice it in the morning (though I was in a hurry to get to work, so it's possible that I just missed it, though HOW I could miss it is beyond me... poor thing is so swollen.)

I immediately dug through my drawer o' fishy meds and tossed in some Maracyn 1 & 2. I don't know what to do besides doing a big water change to keep everything as clean as possible. I don't know how she came up with this, or why. The only other time I've had an issue with pop-eye is when two of my other girls slammed into various decor and the substrate in the hopes of getting away from a mis-sexed and aggressive short-tailed male. That was like.... a black eye. If she slammed into something, she must have hit head on. The left side of her face is more swollen, but there's definite swelling all over.

She's trying to eat at least, but she obviously has trouble seeing. I would QT her, but I'm thinking I should treat the whole tank, in case this could spread.

Why does stuff like this always have to happen to my favorite fish?

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Kitten don't feel bad...remember about a month ago, Psycho (the little girl who couldn't wait to get free in the big tank with Lucky) developed "pop-eye" and I swear it was overnight I know I watch them better than that, and she couldn't have gotten that bad, without me noticing]:|

So you are going to want to treat the 20 gallon with Melafix, but we are going to move Twerp to her own little tank, your 2 gallon should be good

Mix up 2 tbs of the salt with hot water, and shake it to get it to mix thoroughly...then when it is totally combined add cool water to get it down to a decent temperature, we don't want to tramatize Twerp, like she has done to you Then take a bit of airline and make a drip system of the salt solution into the tank. You want to be able to add the salt to the tank, but not increase the salinity too quickly as it will burn her and cause more problems.

I would only add 1/2 this mixture tonight, the other half tomorrow morning...

Also tonight you will want to treat the 2 gallon with Melafix, as well as in the morning...then continue on a schedule of treating the tank in the evenings starting tomorrow evening for the week or so long period.

Tomorrow night you will want to add another 1 tsp of salty water solution to the tank in a drip system, and again on Thursday evening...

Friday evening do a 50% water change and add the tsp of solution and melafix, then add the tsp of salt, and melafix again Saturday, and Sunday...

Monday 50% water change, and repeat the above procedure...I'd keep this up for 2 weeks.

Now keep an eye on her and make sure she is not stressing out and getting red gilled, if she is do a water change and don't add the salt solution for a few days till you are due for a 50% water change...

The book I read that suggested this said that if she makes it through the first week, that she should be fine...

I think the salt solution actually dries the excess whatever out of the eye sockets, thus "de-pops" her eyes...

So far Psycho is fine, and fixing to go back to a "normal tank"

Best of luck, oh and don't forget to add an airstone to Twerp's tank, keep it covered, and keep the lights off...

And one last thing, I found feeding Psycho flakes or anything else that she could find that might float was best, just make sure she is still eating, ok?

Call me if you need me, heidi




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I ain't as good as I once was
That's just the cold hard truth
I still throw a few back, talk a little smack
When I'm feeling bullet proof
So don't double dog dare me now
'Cause I'd have to call your bluff
I ain't as good as I once was,
But am as good once as I ever was
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Cripes... I came back here to check on what I'm supposed to do for her tonight, and a thought entered my sieve-like brain... I'm out of town for the holiday weekend! I leave saturday morning and come back monday night.

Should I just do a salt drip friday afternoon and set one up for saturday morning and just leave it at that? I'd bring her with me if I didn't think two hours in traffic would stress her to death.

The only person I'd even SOMEwhat trust with my poor baby girl is going to be gone for the weekend as well. It's either interrupt treatment for the weekend or bring her with me... and I don't think dragging her across two states is a bright idea with her poor face the way it is.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I hate to say it this way, but let's wait and see how she is looking Friday Night/Saturday Morning...This can be more stressful on mom than it is on the betta girl isn't it?

If she is showing improvements, I'd go and act like Saturday Morning (that is when you're leaving right?) is Saturday night, do the water change add the salt drip and melafix, and go on your way...she should be over the worst of it by then...

If she is not showing improvements, then run to walmart or where ever (walmart is less than a mile from my house, can we tell) and pick up one of the 64 oz "Water Jugs" it is well insulated and would be a good trip tank, and take her with you...and continue treatment on the trip...with the lid on it (straw removed, might want to let everyone else know it's Twerp in there not ice cold water) it will be dark and insulated and be less stressful than say a betta bowl or bag...

Is she looking any better today? I know last night you said her eyes were looking "oddly different" not good, not bad...just different...I suspect it is the swelling going down...

Talk to you laters, heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Heidi, you ARE a goddess... omg, you would NOT believe the improvement in Twerp! She's NOTICEABLY better than she was last night. Her face is almost back to normal proportions!

I've got a freshwater drip going to bring her slowly back to normal salinity - or at least closer to normal, so when I do a water change it won't shock her to death. (Or maybe I'll just continue with the dripping in place of a water change? I'm taking out water, then replacing it with fresh...)

When I get home, I'll remove some more water and continue the fresh water drip. I'll let you know how she looks tonight and we can make a decision on whether or not she comes with me. We're leaving at a painfully early 7am on saturday, so any plans need to be made tonight so I can wake up and go.

The change is incredible... two or three nights ago I thought I might lose her. This morning, she looks - if not normal - much better. The swelling is dramatically reduced and she can see straight. The poor thing... the swelling had one eye pointing upwards and the other out to the side.

THANK you, heidi, from both Twerp and the Kitten.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Kitten no problem...if I hadn't just gone through the same thing with Psycho I wouldn't have had any idea except the adding Melafix thing...I'm glad she is doing much better...and just doing the drip to bring her back to normal is good...And since she is looking so much better, and the trip is 2 hrs each way I'd go ahead and leave her...she'll be fine now...just add the melafix before you go, tell her to behave, and that you don't want to go through this with her again...next time you'll be putting her in the corner if she wants to do this again

Thanks for your help last night...think we know what we will be doing as well

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Well, upon my return, I find the right side of her face looks pretty normal, but the left side... I don't know. Don't know if she can see out of that eye, don't know how well she can see, period.

I'll do another fresh water drip tomorrow, see how things go. The left side is still a bit swollen and red. Her eye looks odd, but she won't move to the point where I can see it easily. I don't want to force her to move or stress her in any way unless necessary.

She DID seem to eat, but only when I put the food right above her mouth... she found it when she came up for air. I really hope she improves.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Give her time Kitten, that's all I can say...it hasn't been till this past weekend that Psycho is seeming back to normal, and swimming like she should, and going after her food like it were alive and attacking it (gotta remember to keep the water level down and the lid shut tight, so she doesn't jump out):%)

Take it slow, you still might want to keep some salinity to the water, not as much but some...

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle