Tom

Last night before I turned off my lights for the 36, I noticed that one of my harlequins was missing an eye. I have had it for a few weeks now and it had both eyes up until last night. What could have happened to make it lose an eye? I am worried about it since all it does now is hides in one of the corners.
Tom

COBettaCouple

No other damage on that harlequin? I think it was attacked, i don't know of any disease to make an eye fall off.

Bonochick

Aww, poor thing.

Tom

No other signs of damage. I feed my fish today and it was able to find the food very easily, so I'm not as worried. But what would have attacked it in my tank and taken a whole eye(no tissue hanging from it) and no other damage?
Tom

COBettaCouple

Researching it more, I find that Pop-Eye can in some cases cause an eye to fall off. If it's popeye the recommended action is: "OTC medication for bacterial infections and/or parasites. Check for other symptoms of bacterial or parasitic infections." Tetracycline is a recommended med. Some chance of fish TB being the cause of fish-eye exists. http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article26.html

Tom

I don't think it could have been popeye either. When I looked into the tank an hour before turning off the lights, the fish had both it's eyes. When I went back an hour later, it only had one eye. I don't think popeye works that quickly.
Tom

COBettaCouple

I'm not sure how long it takes an eye to fall off or if it just pops off all of the sudden. Maybe some of the more experienced members here have an answer to that question.

Tom

Okay, thanks, I will.
Tom

Tom

Does anybody know what happened?
Tom

COBettaCouple

has there been any change to that harlequin since the eye fell out?

Tom

No, not at all that I can notice. It eats fine, schools with the other fish, etc.
Tom

COBettaCouple

well, i guess the important thing is that he's living a regular life.. it's one of those mystery things, but i think with the way a fish eye is, that it somehow got knocked out by another fish, unless there is some disease that just pops eyes off, but then he's been fine since then.. so a mystery for sure.

poppet

My guess is it was another fish or a sharp object in the tank.

Beth191987

I had a gold fish that was missing an eye. But he was like that when I bought him. But he eventually started to swimming on his side and then he went to fishy heaven. But I am very sorry about your fishy whether he was attacked or has a parasite. I hope he is doing well now.

Tom

If you ever see a fish that has something wrong with it, take it back or don't buy it. I had a platy fry born with only one eye, he didn't last too long. But the harlequin is doing fine, I think he was just outcast at first because he had only one eye and couldn't see the rest of the school.
Tom

armadillo

Definitely a gradual thing for an eye to fall off from pop eye. If you look at your fish at least once every couple of days, there's no way pop eye could have caused this without you noticing the pop eye first. I unfortunately am having repeat experience with pop eye.

How's the wound? Clean? Might be worth dropping some disinfectant in there just in case. Mind you, judging by the date of the post, perhaps no longer necessary.

COBettaCouple

armadillo -- if you are experiencing pop eye, i'd see a doctor! !

armadillo

Now now. You're just being silly! I can joke about it this morning as my lady is feeling better it seems. Her eye is still swollen, but her spine is no longer bent. Anyway, don't want to hog this thread as I've posted this in my own update of her health.

indrpd

I also had mudskipper goby that lost one eye suddenly. It took one morning and the eye gone. In the afternoon it died. I was convinced that it was the other bigger goby that ate the eye. Incase you dont know what mudskipper goby looks like. They have eyes located almost outside their body and they are very territorial hunters. It was logical to conclude that the the bigger goby jumped on the smaller one and swallowed one eye. I still have 2 gobies left and another eye attack could happen anytime.

armadillo

I would say that's the most likely. A lot of people talk of fish eating pleco eyes too.

Oh, BettaCouple. On a slightly unrelated note (for a change): you said once that you had a preferred medication that you liked to try against pop eye. Which one was that? Was it the malachite?

COBettaCouple

i think it would be maracyn-2.

armadillo

Thanks! Adding it to my shopping list now.