When to give up?

[starsman20]

• pH 7.2
• Nitrates always <10
• Hardness 8 drops gh
• Nitrite 0
• Ammonia 0
• KH/Buffer  6 drops kh
• Water Temperature 78
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• This is the fish that started it for me. Came from my daughters friend. I had it in a quarentine tank for 3 months. Had popeye and fin rot. Treated with maracyn twice,  paracleanse, maracyn 2, and furan 2( not at the same time)  he gets epson salt baths every other day.   Decided to put him in his real tank about a month ago with a few plants to try to mske him feel a little better. .  This is the fish that got stuck in the cholla wood.  Since that happened the one eye that never receded has clouded over im sure he cant see out of it he swims in circles and spirals. Does seem to eating ok. I feed him bug bites daily and some blood worms once or twice a week witha pair of tweezers.  I am just wondering if there is anything else to do or if I should just let him be and see what happens?  The water is as perfect as I can get it. Even running a uv filter 8 hrs every other day. 
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[Andrew Geiger]

I'm slightly confused. So his fin rot is going away and his pop eye is clouded over? Are you still treating with antibiotics? Are all of these symptoms you were talking about still present?

Not much you can do, but I've seen fish go through a lot and pull through. I don't think there is a time to give up on him. Just keep a close eye on his eye, wounds. In case you do need to keep treating. If you don't want to continue with medication, clean water and minimal stress is the best option I suppose.

Edited November 3, 2020 by Andrew Geiger

[starsman20]

The fin rot went away.  He swam into a piece of cholla wood.and got stuck.   In the process of getting him out his fins were torn up a bit again. Its the eye I am concerned about.  The question really us how long to treat with medications. He was in some kind of medication for more than 2 1/2 months.   One eye got a bit better. The other didn't.  Then I think it was scratched in his cholla adventure.   My give up questions is about the meds not the fish.   Do I keep medicating indefinetely?   

[Hobbit]

My strategy would be to keep medicating only if the eye looks infected or swollen or something. It sounds like this eye is permanently injured, so you’ll have to figure out based on his behavior and symptoms what’s “normal” for his eye and what’s a sign of an infection. If there’s no infection I wouldn’t medicate because meds are stressful on the fish and on the ecosystem of their tanks. But you know your fish best—go with your gut about what he needs. Poor fishy seems like he’s been through a lot, but he’s lucky to be with you now!

[starsman20]

Update on Darth.  Getting at least every other day epsom salt baths for 15 minutes.  Running the UV sterilizer in the tank  8 hours a day. Eye swelling has gone down by more than half.   Fin rot seems to have stopped. At least not getting worse.  Only weekly water changes.  No meds other than the epsom salt which is in a different tank.   One eye is still clouded over but he's swimming around fine,  Eating as best as I have ever seen him and I came home tonight to a bunch of bubbles stuck to his Betta log.  Won't say it's a nest but it sure looks like one.  I am pretty excited he seems to be getting better.