I Think Fish Has Popeye?

I got a new batch of fish in my QT tank a week ago. This millenium Rainbowfish's eye looked weird to me when I got him. I was hoping I was just imagining things but today it looked like it really might be Popeye.

This QT tank was established as I had 4 3" clown Loaches and 5 Dority's rainbowfish in here before I moved them over a day before these fish arrived. The previous QT fish were quarantined for about 3 months and preemptively treated for internal parasites.

The other fish look fine. I haven't tesyed the water as I've been changing water everyday except for teice when I went two days. I added prime just everyday just in case the beneficial bacteria needed to multiply for this load.

Here are some pics. First is of the possible eye problem. Other pic is of the other eye for comparison.

I'm thinking about treating with erythromycin as I have from buying Aquarium Coop's QT trio. I wanted to give fish a week ton stabilize before I did any treatments. I was going to start a levamisole precebtaipre treatment for internal parasites but now I'm worried about the eye.

Thanks for any input.

 

I would think pop eye would affect both eyes but maybe it's just me. Maybe try salt. Sorry that I can't help much more

 

If it's just one eye, it was probably damaged in transit. Just continue with clean fresh water daily and it should clear up in a few days, perhaps with a teaspoon of salt added (assuming no salt-intolerant species).

 

Thank you for the input. My mom thinks the fish's eye looks better. I'm not so sure. I took additional pics. The first one shows the normal eye (fish facing left). Other pics show the damaged eye (fish facing right).

One of the other rainbowfish might have aggravated the eye as I saw one try to mouth his eye one time.

 

HI Cardeater -
I don't think it's a bacterial infection but an injury. If other fish are picking on the eye, they may need a time out in another container temporarily.

Epsom salts should help with the swelling. Pre-dissolve 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons in a cup of tank water, then add to tank. I think moving him might be stressful and risk further injury, but the other fish should be fine with the epsom salt. Not sure about the clown loach though. Water change often, replenishing new water with additional epsom. If no improvement after a few days, you can increase the amount of epsom salt to 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons. Good luck.

 

HI Cardeater -
I don't think it's a bacterial infection but an injury. If other fish are picking on the eye, they may need a time out in another container temporarily.

Epsom salts should help with the swelling. Pre-dissolve 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons in a cup of tank water, then add to tank. I think moving him might be stressful and risk further injury, but the other fish should be fine with the epsom salt. Not sure about the clown loach though. Water change often, replenishing new water with additional epsom. If no improvement after a few days, you can increase the amount of epsom salt to 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons. Good luck.

HI thanks for the detailed response.

I think the point about it being an injury versus an infection has merit. The fish in question, other than the eye issue, looks great . He has colored up nicely since I got him and today, he has the deepest red color I've ever seen him have.

He and the male albino millenium are actually displaying as I type this and the red guy is showing the forehead color that males display when sparring for the females.

Finally, he's eating normally.

I'm going to pick up Epson salts at the store tonight . The only fish in this 10 gallon tank are 7 rainbowfish (1 male albino millenium, 3 female albino milleniums, 2 female red milleniums, and the injured red male millenium in question) and 5 panda garra. The clown Loaches are in the display tank. I'm going to research if panda garra are sensitive to salts or not.

 

Sounds real good. I know you'll keep an eye on him

 

I forgot to update. Walmart had a 4lb bag of 100% magnesium sulfate for just under $3 . I did a big water change and added two tablespoons of the Epson salt to the water I used to refill.

My plan is to water change 5 gallons of water everyday. It will be easy to guage as I syphon into a 5 gallon water jug. I can easily redose 1 tablespoon of Epson salt when I refill the tank.

 

Here are some updated pics that I just took. I guess swelling went down. I'm not sure if I should stop adding Epson salt or continue. He might be blind in that eye but I've read that they should be able to live fine even if that's the case.

 

It does look better, sooner than I expected! Good work. Still a little fluid though, I would continue with the epsom salts until completely healed, as it's easily handled by most fish. Hopefully he's not blind, but you're right, they manage even when losing the whole eyeball.

 

Here's some updated pics. I wanted to say it looked better but not normal but seeing those pics in this thread, I'm now not sure if it's better. Any insight?

I was gone Aug 21-25 so I left instructions to feed basically three frozen cubes of food over those three days. I've been back 8 days since the trip. I changed the water at least 50% everyday and replaced the Epson salt.

I'm not sure if this is gonna get better or if this how his eye will permanently look. I guess I'll leave same instructions when I'm gone this week. After that I'll be home for at least a month so much I could try Erythromycin as I considered using that as a preventative treatment in my QT. Perhaps it could help this.

Updated pics I just took:
Good eye:



Bad eye:
Front view.Bad eye is to our left. Right side is good eye. (Bad eye looks deflated to me? )



Bad eye:
Side views:

 

Fish eye looks the same. I decided to try decreasing the Epson salt concentration gradually. I have about phased it out with only a quarter tablespoon in 10g. I did this because no one else had any ideas and eye looked deflated.

Over the weekend, it seems the eye looks more normal as it looks less deflated. It still doesn't look normal. There is still the red around the eye socket and there's some white in the eye as you can see it in contrast with the black part of the eye. Its like there's this cloudy layer over the black part of the eye.

The eye doesn't look like Popeye as it's not sticking out farther than thr other eye.

The fishs eye just might be permanelper damaged.

Trying erythromycin.
I read that this could help if there's a bacteria infection and it supposed won't kill the beneficial filter bacteria. Also Cory from Aquarium voop recommends this as part of a preventative QT med treatment.

I did an 80% water change and am starting the treatment now. I'll see if there's any improvement.

Fish seems fine otherwise:
Thanks fish has good color and is eating. He seems like he's not being bullied by thr other male Millenium . It's definitely not a water wualqua issue is I'm doing 50% water changes everyday as it's easier than testing the water everyday and pristine water is recommended.

No other fish have any symptoms of anything so I believe the person above was likely right that this was caused by an injury. Maybe a bacerbact infection crept in due to the injury.

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

There's one more day left for the erythromycin treatment. I swear that thebeye looks better even compared to yesterday. The white in the center of the eye has remained the same, though.

I couldn't get any non blurred pics yesterday and I tried for like 15 mins. He has kept still a few times today.

Yesterday:




Just now:
It seems like white part of the eye on out left side of the pic smoothed out a bit