Krib's eye's bulging out today, possible popeye?

[Colin_BC]

I came home from work today to find my male Krib hiding in my plants instead of playing with the new girl in town (new girl is less than 1/2 his size). I noticed that his eye's are bulging out. The best way I can describe it is that a "blister" has formed around the kribs eyes. It looks like those weird looking goldfish eyes... I think this is popeye, but I am not certain. My tank was due for a water change as it had been about 10 days, but my nitrates were still between 5-10. I don't have a nitrite test kit (yet). I had just picked up Tropical Fishlopaedia from the library. It says the biggest factor in popeye is poor water conditions. I immediately did a +30% water change, as well as uprooted half my plants to really get in there with the gravel vacuum. If it's any help dignosing or fixing the Krib, I have noticed occasionally that a few of my fish "flash" against the substrate or plants, but I've never been able to spot anything on them. I've had ich before many months ago, but I haven't seen any white-spots this time.

Now that I've done a big water change and hoovered the crap out of the tank, what else can I do to help my poor Krib? Can I help/treat it with anything like salt? I have Melafix, salt, and Clout (clout will be here in 2 days). This has developed overnight, whatever it is affecting the eye of my male krib. I had a 10G I used for quarantine, but I've currently got 2 angels housed in there being treated for a fungal infection with erythromycin (or E.M.). I don't want tp toss the krib in with those two and their medication. I did, however, just buy another 10G yesterday. I cleaned it and filled it yesterday so the water could dechlorinate, and there is a heater in there (but not turned on yet). I have a sponge filter on its way, but it won't be here until wednesday at the soonest. I do have a little box filter I could toss in there for now. I just hate how huge the bubbles are on this and how loud it is (in comparison to my Eheim).

Please note that the camera made the Krib's eyes appear milky white whereas the retina is actually still black.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Colin

 

[cometcattle]

That's popeye.

I'm wondering why your other fish are scratching themelves on substrate and decorations. I thought that was a sign of external parasites.

Normally, for popeye I would suggest removing the fish to a hospital tank, and treating with Maracyn or Tetracycline. I would also add some aquarium salt.

 

[lizard]

Agreed - that is popeye. Treat with Maracyn.

Good luck!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Colin_BC]

... another trip to empty my bank at the fish pharmacy...woo....hoo....

I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I can find some. There are 2 big LPS and 1 small LFS within a couple blocks of my work....

I should also point one other thing out. I got this Krib a 10 days ago from the LFS with a much larger dominant female. I noticed while acclimating the female to my tank that she had a white growth at the base of her pec fin (thread about it here) similar to one effecting my angels. When I saw this, I started treating with melafix for a week. The female died after a week, although she hid from the first day she was in the tank (not to mention had a HUGE belly on her). She occasionally came out for a brief pick at my glossostigma or to chase the male away, but other than that she stayed in her flower pot and never ate. I did about a 20% water change when female krib died, but there still would have been melafix in the water. My LFS replaced the Female for me, but they only had 2 girls left so I got one that is only 1-2". She and my male hit it off within 12 hours... No eggs, but definate pairing... I also added carbon to my cannister filter immediately after the first huge female krib died.

Colin

 

[Colin_BC]

If both are available, what do I grab; Maracyn or Marcyn II?

As well, my 10G hospital tankisn't cycled. I could take one of the two sponge filters from my HOB on my other 10G and cram it into my box filter. My only concern there is that I have been treating that tank as well (melafix before for a couple weeks, now EM for 2 days (of a 5 day treatment) and I don't know if that will have any negative impacts on the old sponge and beneficial bacteria.

Colin

 

[lizard]

If both are available, what do I grab; Maracyn or Marcyn II?

As well, my 10G hospital tankisn't cycled. I could take one of the two sponge filters from my HOB on my other 10G and cram it into my box filter. My only concern there is that I have been treating that tank as well (melafix before for a couple weeks, now EM for 2 days (of a 5 day treatment) and I don't know if that will have any negative impacts on the old sponge and beneficial bacteria.

You want Maracyn.

According to the package, Maracyn has not been shown to affect the bacteria that keep the tank cycled.

I don't know much about Melafix, so I can't comment about if/how that would alter the effectiveness of the Maracyn. Just did some research and it looks like Melafix is tea tree oil. I wouldn't think that would interfere with the antibiotics in Maracyn, but I don't *know* that for certain, one way or the other. Melafix isn't supposed to harm the beneficial bacter that cycle the tank either.

You could take a handful of gravel or a pot or something from the fish's usual tank and toss it in the hospital tank (put the gravel in a sock if you'd like). Just make sure you put it in *after* you dechlorinate the water, or the chlorinated water will kill all the bacteria on there.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Colin_BC]

Well, I picked up some Maracyn on the way home from work so I could quarantine and treat the Krib, but unfortunately he passed away before I got home. I'll keep the Meracyn incase it is needed again. Meanwhile, I'm quite frustrated with my tank (but not discouraged). I've lost 2 new Kribs in the last week. A few weeks before that I pikced up 3 baby albino cory's, and they all kicked it within a few days. I'm working with my LFS owner to get to the root of these problems. I could handle when a couple of my killie's (my avatar) committed sushicide by taking a flying leap, but these environmental (if it is the case) problems really wear on my patience...

Thanks for all who posted to help out with the initial problem. Hopefully it won't happen again, but if I do get a case of pop-eye in my tank again, I'm prepared...

Colin

 

[lizard]

Sorry to hear about your Krib. Popeye seems to take 'em fast...did with my Panda Cory.

sushicide

Great term (for a not so great thing )

Good luck getting things all figured out Problems like that are most frustrating.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Narayan]

OOoooooh Nooooo, it looks like one of my female guppies has that.

Awwwww nuts!

Do you really recommend removing her to a hospital tank??

 

[Colin_BC]

It would make treating easier in an H tank, not to mention you avoid medicating other healthy fish. However if an H tank isn't an option for you, from what I understand pop-eye is not contagious. It is most commonly caused by poor conditions and in some cases can be rectified by doing daily water changes for several days. If you have the appropriate med's handy, do a good water change, REMOVE CARBON FROM YOUR FILTER, and start treatment as per package instructions. From what I read on the inside pamphlet for the Maracyn that I picked up, it is actually erythromycin (or E.M.). I didn't realize Maracyn was EM until it was too late, but I had EM here I could have treated with a day sooner. In my case, I'm not sure that it would have helped, but I could have tried. Good luck with yours!

Colin

 

[Sasha]

A couple weeks ago my female guppy had popeye. Both of her eyes were very enlarged and I knew that I had to do something fast. I treated her with Jungle Fungus Clear (it treats popeye) in my hospital tank and she healed overnight!!

Good luck!