AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 6/16/2008 Subject: Swollen Eye
Question I have a betta that was recently given to me. She has been very lethargic from the moment I received her. She mostly stays at the bottom of the bowl barely moving and appearing to be dead. But then, unexpectedly she'll swim tot he top of the bowl, seem to take a breath of air and sink back to the bottom. In the last couple of days I noticed that the scales seem to be raised. Now, this morning, I woke up and noticed one eye has a large clear whitish colored bubble over it. Also noteable is that all of the fins especially the dorsal one are very short. What is wrong with my betta and what can I do to treat this condition?
Answer Hi Melissa,
Female bettas naturally have short fins. Only males have long fins.
Bettas are air breathers, so it is normal for them to go to the surface to breathe.
The white bubble over the eye is not good. Are there other fish in the tank? The white is usually the result of an attack by another fish.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
