need some info on PopEye

[Brian Bivens]

What is the best way to treat this?

My brichardi has his eyes bulging out in my cichlid tank.. I assume at this point I should treat the whole tank with Maracyn II or somthing...

Any info would be of great help.. .

 

[pinkertd]

I would suggest putting the fish in a hospital tank and treat with maracyn 2 ASAP.

 

[Brian Bivens]

you wouldn't treat the whole tank? Is it contageous?

 

[Lupin]

I don't think it's contagious. What are your water parameters?

 

[ScottoMacD]

As per the Manual of Fish Health

POP-EYE or EXOPHTHALMIA
In the occurance section
"This disease to rarely markedly infectious. Very often the condition persists for a short time and then may disappear. It is seldom fatal unless accompanied by dropsy. If a large number of fish suddenly begin showing symptoms of pop eye then you should suspect the water quality or perhaps the presence of an infectious agent."

Next in treatment and control section
It may be necessary to isolate and treat affected fish with a broad spectrum antibiotic (preferably by injection) (Note: Personally I mix it in with the food and it bit of water for absorption purposes)
although this will only be effective if the symptoms are related to a bacterial infection.
As an alternative approach and bearing in mind the usual low infectivity of pop eye it may be best to leave the affected fish in the set up aquarium and give them optimum conditions and a good varied diet.
Carefully monitor their general condition and if the disease appears to be spreading to previously uninfected stock isolate the diseases fish from the rest.
If the affected fish shows any signs of distress destroy them painlessly.

It then suggests using Sulfafurazole (Triple or Super Sulfa) with doxycycline hydrochloride (Tetracycline), or minocycline hydrochloride (Maracyn 2) as an injected treatment. As I said I have used it with the food mixture method. Worked well.

Remember that both of these meds are photosensitive. so it is better to do your treatments (feeding or other) in the night time preferably after the lights are off or just before they shut off.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brian Bivens]

thank you all for your help...

Last night I couldn't get out, so I took a 5 gallon bucket, filled it with some of the tank water (perams are fine 0 ammo, 0 nitrIte, 30 Nitrate (tap water is over 10), and treated my fishee with Pimafix and Melafix (all I had at home) and put an airstone in the bucket.... The fish was doing really bad, head down tail up, barely breathing, so I made the decision to throw him in a baggie in the freezer.

flying the flag at half staff today....