Popeye!

But first, a disclaimer: This is not my Betta. It's just an example.

My Betta, Josef, has suddenly come down with a case of "popeye", a bacterial malady that has made his left eye bulge and cover over with a blister-like protective weirdness. He acts just fine, his eating habits haven't changed, and he still blows bubbles, but today I changed his tank and treated it with a medication made for the illness. It's not a disease, thankfully, but it sure does look weird!

I'm always nervous when treating Bettas. Hell, just changing his tank makes me sweat, especially if I have to use tap water and treatment (if I have it, I use distilled water). He's a tough little guy though; we've had him for nearly four years. That's getting up there, so I suppose I should expect an illness once in a while. This is the first time he's been ill. Not bad!