Figure 8 Puffer Eyeball Falling Out

Hello,

A few days ago I noticed my sweet Pufferoo was developing a fungus on only one of her eyeballs. I'm assuming she got a booboo and it became infected. I started with water changes and extra salt but there didnt seem to be any improvement so I moved to Pimafix and Melafix. I wake this morning and her eyeball is hanging out of her head by the optic nerve. She seems miserable. Do you think that I should euthanize her or do you think she will be ok once the optic nerve dies and it falls off completely? Attached are pics. Thanks!

Melon

 

Poor baby, but I wouldn't off her just yet. Fish can live perfectly fine in the home aquarium with one eye. The eye should fall off/out in the next 24 hours but if not then I’d grab some clove oil, sedate her and then remove it yourself. Just keep up with the extra water changes, if the tissue around the eye starts looking off then use antibiotics.

 

Thank you. I will continue to monitor her. She is my favorite fish so I'm relieved to hear you think she will be fine.

 

I have a bumblebee cichlid with only one eye, he had some sort of horrible encounter as a fry, and was missing a good chunk of forehead as well as his eye when I got him and he is now THRIVING in a large community mbuna cichlid tank.

Hang in there...your puffer will probably be fine!

D.

 

She actually died a few days after I posted. This post will forever be memorialized in Puffy Pufferoo McPuffersons memory.

 

She actually died a few days after I posted. This post will forever be memorialized in Puffy Pufferoo McPuffersons memory.

Oh no!!! I am so very sorry to hear this! I am sorry I brought it back up for you. As a fishmom to 3 green spotted puffers, I was rooting for yours to be fine!!

D.