Help!! Terrible Case Of Popeye!!

My poor Betta, Manuel, has developed a terrible case of Popeye!!! Overnight his eye appeared swollen, then four days later it is still swollen but looks like a gory bloody mess!!! The whole side of his face is swollen now including the top of his head. He didn’t eat for two days and just the other day he managed to eat three pellets. It’s been another two days since he’s eaten, and hI just sits in his floating log. When he sees me with his good eye, he does swim away still, but he’s obviously very weak. I’ve had him for six years, going on seven, and he’s the most stubborn Betta fish I’ve ever owned. He’s tough and has the most intense will to live that I’ve seen in any other creature. I’ve been giving him Melafix everyday as well as these lifeguard dissolving pills, I put aquarium salt in, and he has a heater, and is in a 1 gallon bowl. I’m pretty sure he’s just so old he can’t fight off this infection, And now he’s just lingering and slowly getting worse Anything more I can do???? If the infection spreads to his other eye I’m taking him to the vet to be put down.

 

What are you water parameters?

 

What are you water parameters?

No idea I’ve never checked in his whole life! I do frequent water changes but I noticed in the week before this infection started to show his water was getting cloudy really quickly, kind of like he wasn’t eating his food and it was falling to bottom more.

 

I’d urge you to buy an API liquid test kit and test his water. Popeye is almost always caused by poor water quality. I would also do a 50% water change. Be sure to add water conditioner. What tank size is he in? Oh holy cow, I just reread and see that he’s almost 7. That’s above average.

 

I’d urge you to buy an API liquid test kit and test his water. Popeye is almost always caused by poor water quality. I would also do a 50% water change. Be sure to add water conditioner. What tank size is he in? Oh holy cow, I just reread and see that he’s almost 7. That’s above average.

Yes he’s very old so I’m pretty sure this is his last hurrah. I just want to make him as comfortable as possible at his point! Is doing a salt bath recommendable? And yes I forgot to mention it but I always condition his water. And what about 100% water change or is that too stressful?? His whole life I’ve been doing 100% water changes every 5-7 days with his water always being conditioned and with drops of Bettafix. I just did a 100% water change two days ago

 

I’d urge you to buy an API liquid test kit and test his water. Popeye is almost always caused by poor water quality. I would also do a 50% water change. Be sure to add water conditioner. What tank size is he in? Oh holy cow, I just reread and see that he’s almost 7. That’s above average.

Oh and he is in a 1 gallon tank while he’s this sick so I can medicate him better. Usually he’s in a 3 gallon

 

Personally, I'd move him back to the bigger tank. More water,the better the chances of keeping the parameters in check. It is seriously impressive that he has made it to 6-7, you'll need to tell us your secret. What do you feed him?

 

Personally, I'd move him back to the bigger tank. More water,the better the chances of keeping the parameters in check. It is seriously impressive that he has made it to 6-7, you'll need to tell us your secret. What do you feed him?

I have feed him 3-5 pellets every day, one day a week I fast him, and every now and then I give him a bit of chicken or green pea. I feed him the national geographic pellets. Mostly I think it’s his genes and he’s just a really tough, strong fish.