corys with 'popeye'

[x_LoUiSe_x]

as the title suggests ive got two corys with popeye.

the first one that got it has had his left eye bulging out for 4 days and doesnt seem to have gotten better or worse although today he has developed a red mark at the bottom also, his eye looks quite cloudy.

and the second one had its right eye bulging (quite badly) for about 24 hours but that ones gone right down now and theres just a red mark left at the bottom and the eye it self doesnt look cloudy. but since the right one went down the left one has bulged quite badly now.

the red mark make them look like they are crying, kinda like a tear drop shape at the bottom of their eyes.

ive been treating the tank with a anti internal bacteria, so far i cant see any improvments, i was wondering if other people have had experience of this and how long can it take to clear up?? is there anything else i shouldbe doing??
im going to do a water change tonight but im unsure whether or not that will stop the meds from working?? they are due for another dose tommorrow night.

also if it does clear up will my fish be left blind?? at the moment appart from the second one being a bit quieter than normal they both seem fine, moving about and eating as normal.

all my levels are normal, amonia 0 , nitrite 0 and nitrate 5 (but im due to do a water change)

just after some general advice please.
:huh:

 

[jigamac]

hello, i had 4 harlequin rasboras with popeye...i moved them to a 10g hospital tank, no carbon in filter, treated with maracyn 2 (i think thats the name) for the recommended time

2 got better and are fine not blind at all going on 1 month since.
2 had to be put down, they really got bad, they were kinda swimming in place slightly bent and the eye was noticably bigger and no color on them, then their fins started getting fungusy. it was horrible going through that.
*edit* they all still ate food though. not too much but some


i truly hope yours get better!

James

 

[x_LoUiSe_x]

yeah me too, so far they have no other symptoms just the eyes. i havent got a hospital tank though so im having to treat the whole thing and hope the others dont get it

this is what im using at the mo, havent been able to find melafix or maracyn in the shops here in the uk.
http://www.aquariumsuperstore.co.uk/mall/interpetantiinternalbacteria.asp

 

[liv2padl]

Popeye or exophthalmia is a symptom, not a disease in itself and it can have a large number of potential causes. some of these causes are incurable while others can potentially be cured on a sporadic basis.

the bulging or protruding eye(s), as the name 'popeye' implies, is symptomatic of this condition. potential causes include --- infrequent water changes which results in a buildup of dissolved waste products in the water, Ichthyosporidium -- a parasitic fungus, Ichthyophonus, 'worm cataract disease'-- a function of the invasion of parasitic trematodes or flukes, bacterial infection, parasite infestation -- eye flukes and internal metabolic disorders.

since the causes of popeye are so varied, the treatment is difficult. some success has been noted in treatment of Ichthyosporidium using one percent phenoxyethanol at about 50gm per gallon of water.

treatment for bacterial disease would best be accomplished using Tetracycline or Teramycin added to aquarium water every other day or mixing food at the rate of 100 mg of antibiotic to 4 oz. of food. Feeding should continue 10 days.

Fish tuberculosis can also be responsible for pop-eye. Since fish tuberculosis is a bacterial disease caused by a Mycobacterium, the same antibiotics can be used in the same manner for treatment if this is the suspected cause.

other 'potentially' effective treatments for bacterial exophthalia may include Chlortetracycline, Furazolidone, Nifurpirinol, Oxolinic acid, Oxytetracycline or potentiated sulphonamide. unfortunately these treatments are most effective when injected into the eye socket and less so when used as a bath.

if the fish has eye flukes, malachite green with formalin, metriphonate or copper are good, as are most of the commercial preps for flukes and external parasites.

this disease is rarely fatal and not particularly infectious. it often disappears on it's own in 2-3 weeks leaving no residual trace or may disappear leaving a cloudy eye and worst case, a missing eye.

i've rarely found that aquarists have 'cured' a case of 'popeye'. rather, some have gone from medication to medication and never found one that works. this is likely due to the fact that the cause was never differentiated.

bear in mind that many of these treatments will negatively impact your biological filter so treatment in an isolation tank is best.

 

[x_LoUiSe_x]

thanks for that liv2padl but id read that in other posts and basically dont understand a word of it, lol

is what im doing ok? do i need to be doing something else?

 

[liv2padl]

what exactly don't you understand ... i can try to clear it up for you. as to whether you're doing what you need to be doing, if you don't know the cause, you can't effectively use medication. the best thing you can do therefor is keep the water clean.

 

[x_LoUiSe_x]

how often do u suggest water changes? i do about 30% twice week normally
should i carry on with the meds?

 

[Star_Rider]

thanks for that liv2padl but id read that in other posts and basically dont understand a word of it, lol

is what im doing ok? do i need to be doing something else?

Popeye has resolved on it's own.
sometime adding an antibiotic may help or appear to help.

the problem is..there is no concrete solution to a Sx(symptom) that can be the result of many issues (some of which there is no treatment )

 

[x_LoUiSe_x]

how often should i do my water changes?? and how much to keep this under control
and should i carry on with the meds?