Pop-eye

[Saltie]

Hi,

I am in all new teritory here. I just added a couple fish that came down with a mean case of ich, a problem I can handle, but now one of my fish (without the ich) got pop-eye. I am not sure what to do. I have a lot of rock and will not be able to get him out very easy at all.

Any idea what caused this and how i can treat it?

[leebca]

Popeye has two primary origins. One is gas build up behind the eye (not that common) and the other is an inflammatory response to a bacterial infection, usually of or around the optic nerve.

The fish could overcome the infection with proper care and nutrition or it can die. Since an amazing number of people don't actually provide the proper nutrition, there are more deaths from this condition than there should be. An eating fish doesn't mean it is healthy nor getting the best nutrition. See: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

You have two choices. Get the fish out and treat with antibiotics or do nothing and hope for the best.

If you choose the latter and the fish is still eating, then try to get the best foods into the fish according to the above reference AND include immune boosters in the diet along with the vitamin and fat supplements. See: Fish Immune Boosters

Also, if the fish is still eating, there are food preparations that contain medications for infection. These are 'better than nothing' but the food itself is of dubious value.

After a stressful experience, such as with a disease outbreak, secondary bacterial infections are avoided by a nutritious diet, reducing stress on the fish, the best water quality, and the optimal environment. With these in the fish's arsenal, fighting off a bacterial infection is something they naturally do.

If your fish is one of the unlucky ones with gas being the cause of the Popeye, then a surgical procedure could relieve the pressure. Most hobbyists don't or won't do this.

[anthias]

hi
I have one clown fish with one big eye and the other eye is normal,
I bought it 10 days ago,I m not sure if it has this problem when I bought but I only note the next day.
the fish is in the QT ,it look like normal eating breathing ,the big eye is not cloudy .
if it is a bacterial then I think the case should go badly day after day,but for 10 days the fish behavior seems great I mean the first 3 days the fish didnt eat and only hidding but now the fish is eating and sweeming .

[leebca]

Saltie,

Any further news?

Holidays

[anthias]

hi ,
for my fish now she is ok the eye become cloudy then return to its normal size ,and become clear, I didnt use any medication for the case.
only some water change.

[leebca]

Thanks! Glad to hear of a happy ending.

[vaporize]

If your fish is one of the unlucky ones with gas being the cause of the Popeye, then a surgical procedure could relieve the pressure. Most hobbyists don't or won't do this.

Hi LEE,

At what point can I determine if the popeye is caused by gas or bacterial infection? And how does such a surgical procedure perform?

I have a clownfish female breeding for 5 years and its eye is pop since the time I first have her, but she's eating and breeding all along.

[leebca]

There are some subtleties associated with each malady. But honestly, even with my experience it's not possible to always be right by just looking at the fish.

With a gas build-up you'll find the eye exceptionally popped out of the fish, with a clear or semi-clear area behind it (it should be so popped out that you can see behind it!) The bacterial infections usually don't go to this extreme. But before the extreme is reached both conditions look similar.

Sometimes with a bacterial infection there are other clues -- one or more eyes may be or have been clouded over or are not properly clear.

The surgery is inserting a fine sterile syringe needle (without the syringe) behind the eye and then remove the gas by letting it escape through the needle. The fish should be anesthetized for this procedure. Very few fish have been saved by this surgery.

[anthias]

lee I have 2 questions :
1- what do you think about adding carbon to the fillter system (sump)?
2-I have very nice live rocks with macroalge(indogreen hair) do you think adding carbon will reduce this alge??
and what is the best way to maintain and growth of the macroalge??
thanx

[leebca]

Carbon doesn't interfere with the nutrients needed by macro algae. It can be used without affecting the algae culture.

Macro algae wants mostly light and nitrates. It needs a little phosphates, too. If you have fish in your system and you're feeding the fish, then there should be enough of everything the algae needs. You can boost its growth a little bit by adding trace elements once a month, dosing about half that recommended on the bottle's instructions and also adding some iron. These are not needed if you're doing frequent and reasonably sized water changes and the tank is below about 70 gallons in size.

[anthias]

thank you lee