Popeye

[calvertc425]

Hi my potter angel has popeye on one eye and I’m trying to figure out what to do. I dosed epsom salt at 5 tbsp per five gallons but I added it to my sump not the display does that matter. I have had him for two or three weeks and he is eating great. Can I dose his food with meds even though he is in my reef tank.?

 

[Big G]

How long has it been since you dosed the epsom salts?

The med that works the best for eye infections is erythromycin. It can be very harsh on a biofilter. Best to use in a QT.

 

[calvertc425]

I dosed epsom salt Friday morning

 

[Big G]

I dosed epsom salt Friday morning

You can dose one more time today or tomorrow.

 

[calvertc425]

After I dose Epsom salt should I do water chnge bvefore doseing again??

 

[Big G]

No you want the mag levels to rise a bit. That's how we think it helps.

 

[calvertc425]

eye is looking worse today what can I do before I setup a qt tomorrow? I have metroplex and Focus on hand and some copper

 

[Big G]

Couple of "bath" options until you can get your QT setup.

A bath in a one gallon container for 60-90 minutes in methylene blue
A bath " " for 30 minutes at double the dosage of erythromycin.

 

[calvertc425]

Got qt setup here is a pic
dosed e.m. Erythromycin and epsom salt
5 gal qt

 

[calvertc425]

How long does it usually take to get better I have been doseing API E..M. Erythromycin and API Kanaplex for 3 or 4 days and I see no improvement
any other methods I can try o4 just keep doseing these meds?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Oh no - not potters.
As for treatment- Not in display but rather in QT tank and dosage is 1 tablespoon per 5 gals. That's way too much you used. Goal is to draw out fluid under socket of eye. keep in mind the causes which are Bacterial infections, injury and water quality are the most common problems as is Vitamin A deficiency. Pop eye can also be caused by gas bubble disease as a result of oxygen super saturation excess levels of the water with the gas, nitrogen. Super saturation occurs whenever the pressure of a gas in the water is higher than the pressure of the same gas in the surrounding atmosphere, whereby the difference in gas pressures causes the gas to get pulled too quickly out of the fish's bloodstream, leaving behind gas bubbles.
The eye sockets are the weakest part of the fishs' body. I have had great luck with maracyn 1 and maracyn 2 and also melafix. It is difficult to specify a specific treatment unless the main cause is definitely known. Large daily water changes should help, if not as mentioned epsom has good results to draw the fluid out. One tablespoon per 5 gallons of water for at least three days, longer if necessary. Epsom salts isn't really salt (sodium chloride) it is Magnesium Sulfate. If water quality is the problem, a 50 percent water change must be made as soon as possible.
If a new coral was added to the aquarium recently, it should be double checked that it is not poisoning the water or letting off chemicals.

 

[calvertc425]

I have him in a five gallon qt tank so should I stop the meds and just dose epsom salt and do water changes?

 

[calvertc425]

Ok guys with meds still not getting better in qt tank doseing Kanaplex and epsom salt but today his eye has more bubbles in it and looks worse started out with one bubble now there is one large and two little ones what am I doing wrong help

 

[calvertc425]

I’ve treated the fish for two weeks now with kanaplex and swelling has gone down but still not completely gone what else can I do?

 

[Birdbrains?]

You have put in a good fight for this fish so far. You are seeing improvements in the swelling? Does that mean the Popeye went away? Did the bubbles go away?
I saw a video of somebody using a syringe to gently drain the bubble without harming the eye.. I'll just see if I can find it again...
Epsom salt should help the muscles allow the eye to slide back in place, did you stop dosing it?

 

[Birdbrains?]

The video is called "clownfish eye gas bubble lancing" on yt.

 

[calvertc425]

There is no bubble anymore it’s just slightly still protruding from the eye socket but I guess I will start doseing erythromycin and see how it goes

 

[Birdbrains?]

That seem like very good news, great work

If nothing is left producing gasses, I would try just the epsom actually. I had my jaw pop out of the socket several times and if the muscles lock up it hurts badly but otherwise it is super easy to pop back in and from what I have seen, that is really what epsom does to the fish, helps the muscle relax enough for the eye to slide back in. I guess you could always go ahead with erythromycin if epsom doesn't work.