popeye

[Ally001]

I moved my four goldfish into a larger tank a few weeks back, using their old water.

Right away my 2 year old fish hid, and wouldn't come out for days. I thought he was just spooked! When he did come out his eyes were popping right out.

I did a water test and it was fine but the third nitrate test was too high. I was told a 30% water change would be enough to correct this, which I did and then I started treating with interpet anti internal bacteria.

He's still not eating and after 3 treatments (12 days) he's no better, in fact today he was spinning round and round and going crazy. He's calmed down now but the other fish are hiding and not eating. Has he spooked them or are they getting sick too?

Any more advice on what more I can do to help my poor fish?

 

[ryan]

It does depend on the cause of the pop eye, if it was caused by tuberculosis or parasites it is uncurable. However, this is not normally the case. Treatment and recovery can be slow, have you tested the water again? How often do you test the water? Was the tank cycled before adding the fish?

 

[Ally001]

No I haven't tested the water again, I thought the results might be affected by the medication. And no it wasn't cycled, the tank was second hand and had been stored for a while, I was told it was ok to just give it a rinse out But I put the original water from the old tank in and also the filters.

Things have now deteriorated. Last night I did the 30% water change and added the next dose of anti internal bacteria. Later on that night the 3 healthy fish started to flick around and hiding. They were still the same this morning and one was jamming it self under the bogwood. I just moved it to discover he's dead! I don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do. I can only think the treatment is causing it, because they were all fine until I did this last dose. The one with popeye just hangs around the surface, but isn't flipping out anymore.

 

[ryan]

I'd advise you to test the water again to be sure as there must be a cause for the disease and once that is rectified treating the fish and tank becomes much easier. What symptoms are the other fish showing? Is there only one fish with Pop Eye?

 

[Ally001]

Yes only one is showing popeye. He has now been rolling over and over all day then hiding, then flipping like he's trying to get out.
The other 2 are just a bit skittish and not eating, hiding when I walk in (they are usually hanging about for food)
The one that died was just acting skittish like the other two and next thing I knew he was dead.
Do I just water test for ammonia, nitrate, nitrate or should I test for something else?
Should I put the fish with popeye that's flipping around out of his misery, and if so how is this done? I can't bear to seem him suffer like that.

 

[ryan]

I would get a general test kit that tests pH, GH, Ammonia.......and so on. However, GH and pH aren't as nesscary as long as extremes are avoided. Are any of the fish have trouble mantaining equilbrium, swimming in strange ways losing balance? If so this could be a sign of Swim Bladder.

 

[Ally001]

Well Ryan thanks for your replies, I think we have better news. Out of the 3 remaining fish 2 seem ok again and are feeding again. The one with popeye who was swimming around like mad, rolling over and over, flipping out of the water and bashing into the glass had calmed down, is swimming ok (has a little flip out every now and then) and his eyes are going back down now. I am cautiously optimistic.

 

[ryan]

Ok, thats good news keep us posted.