Neon Tetra has a popeye

[2weasel2]

hi all ,

I will start about telling you about my aqaurium:
I have a 280Litre/hour AquaOne hangon filter, 65Litre tank, 25watt light, 100Watt Heater and the fish in it are:

• 1 Red/blue discus (shiny blue colour)
• 2 Clown loaches
• 9 Neon tetra's
• 3 guppies

The tank is fully cycled and the nitrates right now are around 15, pH is 6.6.
I also have a 28litre tank which I have started to attempt breeding guppies in (or it could be a quarantine tank)

So anyway one of the neon's has popeye in one of it's eye's. He might have had it for a while because I'm always distracted by the Discus and clown loaches, the neons aren't very noticeable amongst the plants.
I have started adding melafix (this is day 4) yet I haven't removed the carbon in the filter...
The tetra eats fine and acts like all the others. Im just really worried about the popeye spreading and potentially getting to the discus i paid $80 for (and am really attached to).

So any ideas or comments would be great.

Thankyou - 2weasel2

 

[Lupin]

:welcome: to AC!

What are your ammonia and nitrites? Your case of popeye is probably due to poor water quality or an onset to dropsy (not all symptoms show up at the same time). What is your tank maintenance regimen?

Always remove your carbon when treating the tank. Do not use any more carbon. It is hardly necessary unless you are removing the meds, tannic acids, odors and other contaminants in the tank.

 

[2weasel2]

Ahh ok...

I said the tank was fully cycled, so ammonia and nitrites are 0 The tank has been set up since mid August.

I do 25% twice a week water changes. I have done a few 50% changes in quick succession recently to lower the nitrates, as it was 20.

The filter I have has the carbon in built... so will have to cut the plastic to get it out.

What are the chances of dropsy/popeye spreading to other fish, particularly clown loaches and the discus?

I'm also facing a real algae problem... the tank used to be in direct sunlight but isn't any more, I have to clean out lots of algae every time I do a water change...

 

[Lupin]

What are the chances of dropsy/popeye spreading to other fish, particularly clown loaches and the discus?

You seem doing well with the maintenance. I would suggest increasing the frequency of water changes by every other day to put this incident to a minimum. I doubt it'll ever happen to other fish with increased frequency of tank maintenance.

 

[2weasel2]

Thankyou, sounds good

It says with the melafix I'm using to do a 25% water change after 7 days... Should I hold out for a few more days or do water changes now? The algae in the tank is growing... Maybe the carbon in the filter has already taken out the meds anyway..

I also have to re-plan my tank a bit as the plants are taking over and there's not much room for them

 

[Lupin]

Oops...I failed to add that there is no need for Melafix. It'd be pointless considering your situation does not actually call for one. Water changes are better than simply continue using Melafix.

 

[2weasel2]

awesome

now to go to a water change and re-think what to do with the rocks and plants...

Is it possible for the neon's eye to go back to normal without meds? What's next for the him?

 

[Lupin]

Is it possible for the neon's eye to go back to normal without meds? What's next for the him?

Yes, it is, but the recovery is not very often although don't give up too easily. Hope that nothing worse will ever happen to him.

 

[2weasel2]

Just to note:
My LFS said it was also that my mr. Discus took a nip at the neon tetra, and therefore caused the eye to become inflamed. I hope this is the case, meaning it will probably survive.

 

[Lupin]

Just to note:
My LFS said it was also that my mr. Discus took a nip at the neon tetra, and therefore caused the eye to become inflamed. I hope this is the case, meaning it will probably survive.

I've never seen nor heard discus doing this particular thing.c: Any pictures of the neon's eye?