Bubble eye goldfish had eye popped out-Please help!

**Somervell** · 02-20-2010, 11:45 AM

My bubble eye swam directly into my syphon tube. As a result, before I could release pressure, it completely tore the bubble and popped the eye partially out of the socket. There is no bleeding, and the fish is swimming and eating normally.

I am absolutely sick at my own carelessness. He is now isolated in a small tank and is swimming about. The bubble is completely ripped from the eye socket, but it doesn't look as if the eye itself is damaged. (Bubble is ripped, not just popped.)

Can this fish survive if infection doesn't set in, or should I euthanize? Any advice would be most appreciated.

**KarlTh** · 02-20-2010, 1:39 PM

It'll be fine, except blind on one side.

**Somervell** · 02-20-2010, 1:46 PM

Thank you. Karl. Since I have kept bubble eyes before and even cover my filters, I should have known better, so I feel doubly guilty.

What should I do about the "hanging bubble?" Will it simply fall off? Regenerate and reattach?

**mel_20_20** · 02-20-2010, 2:26 PM

I agree that the fish can heal and live with this. Pristine water is very important, and careful monitoring to make sure no signs of bacterial or fungal infection develops.

Please get a photo for us to look at. It's possible that, depending on the condition of the bubble, the area might heal and/or develop scar tissue that can help keep the globe stable and keep it from dangling down the side of his head.

It's possible that a surgical procedure might be needed to help prevent further trauma, if things are dangling and in danger of tearing away more tissue.

Please upload photos as soon as possible.

I wouldn't start antibiotics right away without signs of infection, but I have had good success with Melafix in preventing infections after physical trauma with open wounds.

It has a mildly anti-bacterial action and has soothing properties. I would do water changes, several times a day in a 5 gallon, and I would dose the full recommended dose after the first one, and then smaller amounts in subsequent water changes to try to stay with the daily recommended dose.

I don't know if you have a cycled filter in the hospital, but after a few days the Melafix put a dent in my biofilter. I had been doing daily changes for the injured fish for a week and then backed off to every other day until I started to have traces of ammonia, that's when I knew the biofilter had been affected by the Melafix.

I just went back to daily water changes, and felt encouraged, actually, by the fact that the Melafix did kill some of my bb. I felt that this mild anti-bacterial action was preventing my mangled Oto from developing an infection. He recovered completely.

You may remember the Paroon Shark that had horribly traumatic injuries that recovered with pristine water conditions.

Now, an injury to an eye and the tissue around it is a whole other kettle of fish, but depending on how bad it is... I think your fish can recover from this.

I'll monitor this thread and hope for photos ASAP.

**Somervell** · 02-20-2010, 3:03 PM

Not sure if these pictures will come out right, but here they are. The damage looks pretty gruesome, but at least the eye appears intact.

**BioHazard** · 02-20-2010, 3:20 PM

Originally Posted by mel_20_20

I agree that the fish can heal and live with this. Pristine water is very important, and careful monitoring to make sure no signs of bacterial or fungal infection develops.

Please get a photo for us to look at. It's possible that, depending on the condition of the bubble, the area might heal and/or develop scar tissue that can help keep the globe stable and keep it from dangling down the side of his head.

It's possible that a surgical procedure might be needed to help prevent further trauma, if things are dangling and in danger of tearing away more tissue.

Please upload photos as soon as possible.

I wouldn't start antibiotics right away without signs of infection, but I have had good success with Melafix in preventing infections after physical trauma with open wounds.

It has a mildly anti-bacterial action and has soothing properties. I would do water changes, several times a day in a 5 gallon, and I would dose the full recommended dose after the first one, and then smaller amounts in subsequent water changes to try to stay with the daily recommended dose.

I don't know if you have a cycled filter in the hospital, but after a few days the Melafix put a dent in my biofilter. I had been doing daily changes for the injured fish for a week and then backed off to every other day until I started to have traces of ammonia, that's when I knew the biofilter had been affected by the Melafix.

I just went back to daily water changes, and felt encouraged, actually, by the fact that the Melafix did kill some of my bb. I felt that this mild anti-bacterial action was preventing my mangled Oto from developing an infection. He recovered completely.

You may remember the Paroon Shark that had horribly traumatic injuries that recovered with pristine water conditions.

Now, an injury to an eye and the tissue around it is a whole other kettle of fish, but depending on how bad it is... I think your fish can recover from this.

I'll monitor this thread and hope for photos ASAP.

The Melafix affected your biofilter then? Very interesting. I know the bottle says it doesn't, but I was wondering how it could be both antimicrobial and not affect the biofilter.
Good to know.

Good luck Som! I know you love your goldy babies. It is really not your fault, you can't beat yourself up. At least it looks like a survivable accident.

**Somervell** · 02-20-2010, 3:24 PM

Thanks, Bio. You are a friend, indeed.

She was such a pretty little girl before she got curious. Should have known better. If she makes it, I won't love her any less; she will just have "character." If I can just find out what to do about the hanging bubble, we might be okay.

**mel_20_20** · 02-20-2010, 3:40 PM

Those are good pics, but see if you can get a full face frontal view. I know that might be difficult.

I think I would not try to cut anything off for now, just keep the water pristine, I would use Melafix and even Pimafix with it if you have it.

Watch for any signs of tissue darkening or any fuzz or film or anything that looks like bacterial or fungal infection developing.

**mel_20_20** · 02-20-2010, 3:50 PM

If any signs of necrotic tissue develop then trimming it off may be necessary. I think it would be similar to trimming the wen of an Oranda. Let me attach a link to an interesting thread that could prove helpful.

This link is page three in a thread about Ory, a precious little Oranda. Within the thread is another link, on the same page, that Lupin posted to help Corrieberry perform wen trimming surgery. I think this will be helpful if surgery proves to be necessary. I think you can use a tiny amount of clove oil as anesthesia in that case.

**Somervell** · 02-20-2010, 3:56 PM

These were the best shots I could get of her (I think this is a good sign, because she was swimming around looking for food like she usually does.)

You can see that the detachment is on the upper third of the bubble. I kind of wish that there were some way to take a stitch in the upper corner to preserve the bubble.

Sorry for the bad pictures. They are being taken with a Kodak C503.(I could probably have drawn her faster.)