FAQs on Freshwater Popeye, aka Exophthalmia, Other Eye Issues Related Articles: Environmental Disease, FW Disease Troubleshooting, Freshwater Diseases, Choose Your Weapon: Freshwater Fish Disease Treatment Options by Neale Monks, Related FAQs: Environmental Disease 1, Environmental Disease 2, Popeye/Exophthalmia, Nutritional Disease, Aquarium Maintenance, Establishing Nutrient Cycling, African Cichlid Disease 1, Cichlid Disease,

Miracle Cure or Snake Oil? Mira/Mela-fix...   Eye maladies f' as well, FW   8/13/2009
Good day, I am a 2 month fish owner and I have a specific problem but also a more general question.
<Fire away.>
I have a 2 inch black moor and 2 inch fantail in a 20 gallon tank, and the black moor has pop-eye I can't seem to get rid of (good nitrate, nitrite, ammonia levels, Ph 7.5, 65 degree tank), and a day after adding a golden apple snail one of its popped eyes got cloudy (not sure if related to snail intro).
<Unlikely to be related to the snail. Pop-eye is typically associated with either water quality issues or physical damage, e.g., careless handling of the fish, or the use of coarse rather than soft netting. Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwpopeyefaqs.htm
In terms of water quality, if you don't have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, then that's likely the problem right there. Your tank should be big enough for juvenile Goldfish, but I will make the observation that adult Goldfish need 30 gallons upwards.>
Being relatively new to this, I consulted several pet stores and online forums and some recommended salt, and some Mirafix.
<Do you mean Melafix?>
I have tried both, and this has not seemed to do much other than upset the snail who is now doing poorly, but has not helped the eye on the moor. I am wondering if the snail is more of an added stress on the tank than the helper I was led to believe he would be in cleaning the tank.
<Melafix shouldn't harm invertebrates, but then, there's little testing either way. Apple snails do poorly with Goldfish for a variety of reasons, and the most common is that the Goldfish peck at them, thinking their
tentacles are edible. Eventually, the Apple snail is so stressed and unable to feed normally it dies.>
I am concerned I am not doing the right treatment however, because it seems that for so many problems the answer I get is to do a salt bath and or use Mirafix, no matter what the problem is. It is like if I went to my doctor and he gave me the same pill to treat the 10 different things I had wrong with me. Are these really good products (especially for fresh water goldfish), or are these the equivalent of the pet store placebo that earns them a little money but does no harm (or help).
<We get a lot of messages from people who have used Melafix, but without any improvements. It is, at best, a mild antiseptic that may well help prevent secondary infections. But as a cure for established disease, it's so unreliable as to be worthless compared to the other products on the market.>
I am also confused, because some prefer sea salt and some prefer Epsom salt, but can not tell me why or what the difference is, and in any case it seems like a LOT of salt by dosage for a fresh water fish.
<Now, salt (sodium chloride) and Epsom salt (Magnesium sulphate) are different things and used for different diseases. Salt is used to combat certain external parasites, particularly whitespot; at the low doses
recommended for treatment, it is sufficient saline in the aquarium that the free-living stages of the parasite cannot survive. Salt can also be used to treat velvet, flukes and lice. Epsom salt is used sometimes as a laxative, a muscle relaxant, and to reduce swelling. It's usually used when fish are bloated or have pop-eye. So, you pick one or the other depending on the situation.>
Also, I see that the Mirafix is listed by the State of CA as a carcinogen.
Is this just the case if ingested, or if it comes in contact with skin? I am always bare handing it when it comes to the tank after washing my hands first, and my young daughter helps, so I don't want to take chances.
<Do you drive? You're more likely to die in a motor accident than to get cancer from a bottle of Melafix. It's tea-tree oil, and on the scale of things, pretty harmless. I mention the driving thing because humans are
just hopeless at measuring risk. People worry about trivial risks while happily eating meat rather than vegetables, skipping exercise, smoking, drinking liquor, and any number of things that clearly and obviously reduce health. We're a funny species.>
In short, are salt and/or Mirafix helpful for cloudy eye,
<Likely not.>
and in general how do you think they are most beneficial (as opposed to the pet stores who claim the salt will cure my baldness and the Mirafix will help my liver).
<As ever, for medical advice, consult your doctor. The best I can offer here is advice about your fish.>
Thank you, Tessy
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Miracle Cure or Snake Oil?  8/13/2009
Thank-you, this is helpful. A couple follow-ups if I may, because I feel like I am trapped in several catch-22s.
<Ok.>
If the popeye is caused by the water quality or stress, I seemed a little darned if do and darned if I don't in several cases. For example, you suggest Epsom salt (not the aquarium salt my pet guy recommended!) could help with pop eye, but the guy also said that the salt in general, and the Melafix could also kill the good bacteria in my filter (which will result in poor water).
<The pet shop guy is clearly ignorant. For a start, bacteria are obviously fine in marine tanks, so salt in itself clearly doesn't kill them. Yes, it's true you shouldn't make dramatic changes, but adding a small amount won't harm the bacteria at all. There's no such thing as "salt in general".
Potassium cyanide is a salt, but clearly deadly poisonous. Sodium chloride is another salt, but one we can safely eat each day. A salt is merely a kind of chemical; what matters is which salt, and how much. Sodium chloride in small amounts is a useful nutrient and enhances the taste of food; sodium chloride in massive amounts will kill you very quickly. Again, as I said, you use different chemicals depending on the situation. There's no reason at all you should be using sodium chloride. But magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt), at a dose of around 1 teaspoon per 5 to 10 gallons, will relieve swelling and bloating, and this may help, in conjunction with antibiotics, the Pop-eye you're dealing with.>
How do I use these products without having to recycle the tank?
<See above.>
How much will they increase my nitrates, or do I just do a lot of water changes at the same time, knowing I am getting rid of product I just paid to put into the tank?
<Why would magnesium sulphate increase nitrate? There's no nitrate in the chemical. Just do your usual water changes, adding the right amount of magnesium sulphate per bucket of water to replace what you've taken out. If you remove a 3 gallon bucket of old water from the aquarium, then make sure each 3 gallon bucket of new water you draw from the tap has about half a teaspoon of Epsom salt in it.>
Another one, the same guy who sold me the big filter said the stress of the popeye may be caused by the current in the tank being too rapid for these little guys (2 inchers at most including tail, 20 gallon tank, mechanical filter is a Stage 3 size Fluval). Even when I have it on the lowest flow setting, and try to dig out a hollow in the gravel to settle in, they seem to find a hard time finding a spot to truly rest.
<Use a spray bar to spread out the water current. If necessary, angle the spray bar at the glass, so water pressure is diffused against the glass.>
My solution was to turn the filter off at night, to give them a true rest, but I was told this will kill all the good bacteria in the filter and send the nitrates through the roof.
<Turning the filter off at night is crazy. Yes, the bacteria will die.
Nitrate would be the least of your problems! Ammonia and nitrite will rapidly rise because the filter bacteria aren't getting a constant flow of water to clean.>
Is this true? I think the constant swimming is probably the most likely cause of stress for the pop eye.
<Unlikely.>
Will putting the filter on the ground and shoot it straight up, as opposed to on the side and across the tank, be helpful?
<Can help, but a spray bar is better.>
Or can I just turn it off at night like I have been?
<No.>
Based on what you wrote, I think maybe my netting caused one of his pop eyes to 'pop' or get abraded, making it cloudy (for three weeks now). I thought I had bough the best net they had at the store, but I could see how pop eyes are fragile things. Is there a specific super safe most gentle net you can recommend?
<The safest is a plastic carton, like an old ice cream carton. Use the net or your hands to drive the fish into the carton, and lift out. Otherwise, if you want a net, look for the finest ones you can buy, typically white nylon, rather than the coarser ones, often green nylon.>
One last newbie question, I do seem to have a testing quirk no one can answer. I sometimes have a situation with 0 ammonia, some nitrites (very low), but 0 nitrate (I laugh at this, because the strips have color ranges from say 0 to .125 to .25 to .50, etc., and most readings are never at exactly the exact color as pictured), but you have mentioned that ANY nitrite level is bad.
<Correct. My guess would be that the filter "dies back" at night, so you detect high levels of ammonia and nitrite, and then "recovers" somewhat during the day, and you detect lower levels of ammonia and nitrite.>
Well, I have never been able to get to total zero nitrite, it is always above a little light blue, but never gets truly purplish in any way, but my nitrates do appear to be true zero.
<Test kits can be faulty, and to be honest, I wouldn't worry about nitrate anyway. Nitrate is more of an issue with marines and certain freshwater fish like cichlids. Goldfish are largely indifferent to it. But ammonia and nitrite are issues.>
Some have said what I am saying is impossible, as you get nitrates from converting all the nitrites, and that they only convert back to nitrites when the nitrate level gets super high. Even my worst nitrate reading is still mostly yellow. So long story short, how can you still have any nitrite in your tank (long term) when you have no nitrates (long term).
<Nitrate can be consumed by things like plants, and anaerobic bacteria in a deep bed of gravel will also use some of it up. But as I say, I wouldn't worry too much.>
And if that is possible, but any level of nitrite is bad, how do I get rid of that nitrite if the normal cycling process does not seem to want to convert that list little bit?
<If you constantly detect trace levels of nitrite, it either means your filter is overwhelmed by the amount of fish being kept, or the fish are being overfed, or the filter hasn't cycled completely. All three could be issues in your case, so be open-minded. Review filter maintenance. In short, you don't need carbon in your type of tank, but you do need biological filtration. Make sure your filter contains lots of biological media (typically sponges and/or ceramic noodles). Wash the media once every 4-6 weeks in buckets of aquarium water, never under a hot tap. Never switch the filter off. Don't replace more than 50% of the biological media at any one time.>
Oh, and if the cloudy eye can not be helped by salt or Mirafix, what is the next attempt? Patience?
<No, use something like (in the US) Maracyn or (in the UK) eSHa 2000. Some medication designed for Finrot and bacterial infections. Don't expect a rapid recovery.>
Is cloudy eye painful, or does it really blind them?
<Painful? Difficult to say. Does it blind them? Yes, eventually. But the problem is that Pop-eye isn't a disease of the eye, but a sign fluid has built up behind the eyeball. This means there's a systemic bacterial infection. It's a step away from septicaemia, and yes, that kills pretty quickly.>
Or is it more a cosmetic thing that bothers us?
<No.>
Thanks again
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Miracle Cure or Snake Oil?– 08/14/09
Wow, amazingly helpful. The only comment for what it is worth is that the pet store guy said the salt would kill the fresh water "good" bacteria, and replace them with salt water "good" bacteria,
<This in only true if you raise the salinity above a certain point.
Freshwater contains 0 grammes/litre marine salt mix, whereas seawater contains 35 g/l marine salt mix. Freshwater bacteria are fine up to about 9 g/l. Since I'm suggesting you add much lower doses than that when treating whitespot (typically less than 3 g/l) and for Dropsy/Pop-eye you aren't using marine salt mix but Epsom salt, none of this matters.>
which helped tropical fish but not fresh water fish as much, particularly when Melafix is getting used at the same time as the salt.
<Melafix may work, but it just isn't reliable. If you have some, and the disease isn't life-threatening, then feel free to use it. But if you're shopping for a medication now, or your fish is clearly in distress (as is the case with Pop-eye) then you want to be using something much more reliable.>
At this point however I am more likely to trust your judgment on all this, this seems to be very good advice from your site overall, very helpful.
Not having to be anal about monitoring nitrate with goldfish saves me a lot of money alone!
<Indeed.>
Changing only one of the sponges in the filter at one time is also brilliant.
<Likely mentioned this in the instruction booklet that came with the filter, so can't really claim brilliance on this ones!>
Thanks again.
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>

Rainbow shark with Popeye 7/25/09
Hi Crew,
<Jenna>
8 days ago I noticed my rainbow shark swimming abnormally - hanging in one place rather than moving about the tank. On closer inspection I noticed that his left eye was popping, and that he had a small gash about 1cm behind the eye. I immediately removed him to a hospital tank in case the injury was caused by another fish, though I don't think anything in there would be likely to cause the damage.
<Just a physical trauma highly likely... Minnow sharks are very susceptible to jumping, damaging themselves. That the exophthalmia is unilateral/one-sided is strong evidence that the cause here is not biological>
I dosed the tank with Wunder Tonic
<... I would not do this... Not likely to help, and too likely to hurt... cause a check/loss of nitrification>
to prevent any fungal infection until I could get to the LFS the following day and get some furan 2, then removed the carbon, raised the temp in the tank, added an airstone, did a partial water change and dosed the furan 2 and aquarium salt.
<Nor this...>
Next thing I knew, poor Feargal Sharkey was swimming on his side at the top of the tank. He stayed there for a full day then when I awoke the next morning he was looking greatly improved. He was swimming normally, albeit at the bottom of the tank and acting far better, though the eye is another story.
The eye is obviously dead, and seems to be slowly working its way out of his body. It seems to be healing up behind itself and I was hoping it would work its way out and kind of fall off. The wound looks a little bigger and started to show a little red rather than being the white patch on his skin it was before.
I finished dosing him a full course of Furan 2 a couple of days ago, and when I got home tonight I checked him to find he looked different again.
The eye looks fungused and he seems to have developed a case of ich.
Having cleared the Furan 2 out of the tank already (via water changes and carbon), I decided to dose him with Wunder Tonic for the ich/fungus. An hour after I put the treatment in the tank, he was back to swimming on one side at the top of the tank!
I have no idea what to do now.
<I do... stop "treating" the system... and leave the temp. at what it usually is>
I did another partial water change have replaced the carbon in the filter to remove the wunder tonic as fast as possible, but he's not looking good.
I am at a loss and would love any suggestions you have.
Thanks, Jenna
<... Where to direct you... Here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwdis3setsfactors.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

sick Texas cichlid Old Texas Cichlid With Eye Problems  7/22/09 Hi I'm from Australia an I have a very large 35cm Texas cichlid who has an eye disease. I have been treating with Flagyl a very strong human antibiotic [penicillin] for the past 5 days. < This is actually treats Protozoans and not bacteria.> <<Mmmm; no... RMF>> The eye is healing but there is a lot of fungus forming around the eye. Its a very thick fury fungus. He is still very active an swimming around but not eating. He is over 10 years old he is healing except for this thick white fungus. His other eye is fine. I have sent some pics. Can you suggest anything that I could do as I don't want to put him to sleep... Thanks regards Jess <I think that your old Texas cichlid may be in trouble. The lack of appetite makes me think that he may have an internal infection as well. The Metronidazole will help. I would recommend a treatment of a combination of Metronidazole( Flagyl) and Nitrofuranace in a hospital tank. Do a 50% water change, clean the filters and vacuum the gravel. Use both medications on days 1,3 and 5. Do a 50% water change on days 2 ,4 and 6. Offer food on the 6th day and see if he will eat. The Nitro is an antibiotic that works well against fungus too.-Chuck>

Oscar With Eye Problems  7/3/09 I am writing in desperation for my 2 year old Oscar "Diesel". I awoke last Wednesday to find both his eyes covered in what appears to be fungus. I tested the water and the nitrate levels were 200ppm, all others normal, I did a 25% water change. Thursday, it spread to his fins, tail, and face. I did another water change, took out activated charcoal, added ammonia remover insert to filter, and treated with Pimafix, nitrate levels still 200ppm. By Sunday, fungus was no longer on his body but still on his eyes, nitrate levels still 200ppm. I did a water change, switched medication to API fungus cure and by Monday the majority of the fungus came off his eyes but now appears like his eyes are rotting. Wednesday did a water change and added activated charcoal, and still no improvement with eyes. Today, water is still green from medication, no improvement with eyes, the nitrate levels are still 200ppm. He hasn't eaten anything since last Wednesday, even if I try to hand feed him and his eyes look like their rotting. He doesn't appear blind and has been more active the last few days but I don't want to lose him. Please help! **the first two pictures are from today and the second two are from last Thursday. < The bacterial infections have taken their toll on your poor Oscar. It is difficult to cure infections with nitrate levels this high. I would recommend a 50% water change vacuum the gravel and clean the filters. The bacterial infections may have penetrated the lenses of the eyes and lifted them off. Treat with Nitrofuranace or Erythromycin as per the directions on the packages.-Chuck>

Oscar With Eye Problems II  - 7/6/09 I really appreciate your help. I did as you said although it was difficult to get the medication, but I have noticed he now has a brown discolouration all on his underside, should I be treating for parasites as well? < For now just go with the antibiotics. If you actually see parasites then they can be treated later with Fluke-Tabs.-Chuck>

Cloudy Eye ... Or?   5/1/09
Hi WWM team,
I have a question for you - I have 'inherited' a 250litre tank which houses African Cichlids, already in love with their antics, however straight after I got the tank (tank, filter, gravel etc had been running at my brother in laws place for a few months before I brought it off him) one of my Cichlids seemed to have developed
What I can guess at being cloudy eye.
Basically one eye appeared 'flat' and had a solid white 'pucker' mark over his eye, the other eye appeared to be the normal concave appearance (when viewed from the Front) but just clouded over - as a result I have been treating the tank with Melafix (which I have been told is a great idea anyway for when your essentially setting the tank Up for the first time)
The eye that had the normal appearance cleared up and he is now roaming the tank mostly happier (still doesn't come up to the top of the tank to feed though - but will eat if I get Food down to him), however after almost 2 weeks the 'flat' almost punctured looking eye is still clouded over (and well still flat).
Then this morning I woke up to find one of my other fish (different subspecies of Malawi Cichlids) to have the same appearance. Have I identified it being the wrong issue, is it something else?
I have been trying to take a photo - but both those fish appear shy.
Additionally in terms of aggression the first fish was never involved in any of the territory grabbing / random chasing that's going on in the tank.
I hope that its something that can be fixed and both can return to full vision.
Thanks!
<Hello Michael. When fish get Pop-eye on just one side, it's usually trauma, either fighting, or else damage caused by scratchy ornaments, careless netting, etc. In the case of Mbuna, fighting is a probable cause.
Now, I'm not a big fan of Melafix, largely because it doesn't work as advertised. It's more an antiseptic than a genuinely useful antibiotic. In any case, I'd be using 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt per US gallon (3.75 l) to
reduce the swelling, and after a couple of weeks, I'd add Maracyn as a more relevant antibiotic if things showed no signs of recovery. The bigger picture though is that 250 l (66 US gal.) is really not a lot of space for Mbuna, and some of the more aggressive species, such as Pseudotropheus zebra and Melanochromis auratus will simply own that tank, should they decide to. Cheers, Neale.>

Red Eye Tetra Swim Bladder / Pop eye Problems...Please help! 4/27/09
Hello,
<Hi,>
And thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide. I have a strange problem that I just don't know what to do about.
I have had a 55 gallon freshwater tank that has been completely stable and fine for about one year. It is stocked with tetras, Rasboras, and Corys.
I change about 10-15 gallons every 3 weeks.
<You could do bigger/more frequent water changes. The current recommendation in the hobby is 20-25% weekly. Very small water changes like the ones you're doing here won't dilute nitrates particularly quickly, and will allow organic acids to accumulate, messing up pH stability. Most fish do better the more the water is changed. An old joke is this: "Aquarium fish live in their toilet, and it's the fishkeeper who yanks the chain".
'Nuff said.>
Earlier this month, one of my red eye tetras (fish #1) started having trouble swimming. Eventually, she began resting upside down on the bottom of the tank, although she would still swim up to eat at feeding time. I
checked my levels and ammonia, nitrite were at 0, ph was 7.2. I did a water change anyway. I few days later, another red eye tetra (fish #2) got pop eye in the right eye, and fish #1 had not eaten in two days. I moved these two fish into a five gallon quarantine tank I had already set up. I also moved a third red eye tetra (fish #3) that seemed to be having trouble swimming as well (she flips up vertical, with her head facing down, but then quickly rights herself). Meanwhile, fish #1 did not look good, she had red sores/streaks on her body, she wasn't eating, and I really didn't think she would last.
<Pop-eye is usually a sign of a bacterial infection, particularly if both eyes are infected. If accompanied by sores on the fins and body, then you can be almost sure that's the diagnosis. Now, the problem is that very
small fish tend to have little resilience, so by the time you see such symptoms, they're too far gone to treat.>
On the recommendation of the folks at my LFS (who thought my fish were having swim bladder issues), I treated the quarantine tank with Maracyn Two (and removed the filter carbon). I have now completed two 5 day treatments (10 days). I also just did a water change (about 1.5-2 gallons) after the treatment (ammonia/nitrite levels were fine before this change). Fish #3 still seems to be having some trouble with swimming, fish #2 still has pop eye in the right eye. Both are eating normally. Fish #1 still spends
almost all of her time upside down, but she is still alive. She eats bits of food off the gravel when they come near her, but she really cannot actually swim after food. Her body sores/streaks have cleared up, but she
does however, have a bloody area at the base of her dorsal fin (I think, because she is resting this on the gravel).
<To be honest, I'd be surprised if these fish recover. Beyond doing what you're doing, there's not much you can do. One issue with Red Eye Tetras (Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae) is that they're "bullies", and if kept in insufficient numbers, sometimes turn on one another. Or more specifically, they have a very strong hierarchical instinct, and in the wild would live in groups of hundreds. In such groups, in-fighting is how each fish determines its status, and because of the size of the group, dominant fish can't bully weaker fish seriously. But in small groups, fewer than ten, this becomes short-circuited, and the dominant fish is able to bully weaker fish without mercy, to the degree he can damage their fins and eyes, both common symptoms of such bullying. Wounds become infected, and infections become Finrot and Pop-eye.>
This is just breaking my heart. I don't know what to do for her. The LFS folks said to keep treating with another round of Maracyn Two, and to add aquarium salt. However, I have read that aquarium salt is bad for tetras, so I am not sure if this is a good idea.
<At very low doses, salt can be used therapeutically, but you shouldn't add it on a permanent basis, no. That said, I can't imagine it's going to make a big difference here; salt is normally used to treat external parasites such as Ick.>
I also don't understand why these fish would be getting swim bladder issues at all (the others are all fine, and the ammonia/nitrite levels are fine in both tanks). The only thing that I can think of that has changed in my
routine is that my municipality is adding a lot of chlorine/chloramine to the tap water this month. I did not know this when they began (and these problems appeared shortly after I did a water change). I normally treat the tap water for water changes with the water conditioner Prime, and I have doubled the dose of Prime since I learned of this water treatment by my city.
<In which case you should be fine; you can get chlorine test kits just to be sure, or else, have your pet shop test some water from a bucket *after* you've added water conditioner to see if you've used enough.>
Do you have any idea what I can do for my red eye tetras?
<Difficult to say without some context, e.g., the number of Tetras in the main aquarium, in case we're looking at bullying rather than a chlorine issue. As for the sick fish, if you don't see them recovering, I'd
painlessly destroy them (see WWM re: Euthanasia for suitable methods).>
Should I add aquarium salt?
<Won't make any difference.>
Should I continue dosing the quarantine tank with Maracyn Two?
<If you want too. It rather depends on whether these fish are actually healing. If they are, and their wounds show sign of clearing up, then by all means continue. But if they're not actually getting better, then you
might decide further treatment to be pointless.>
Should I continue to double dose Prime in my water changes, or should I use distilled water instead?
<Don't use distilled water.>
Is there anything else I can/should do? Any help/advice would be most appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Kate
<Cheers, Neale.>

Black clown knife with pop eyes?   2/25/09
Hi!
Hopefully you can help me with a problem..within the last week. my black clown knife's eyes have been bulging and they are getting worse. I have done a 50% water change. but the BCK is now swimming by the top and I want
to help him. but don't know what meds to give him. Can you help?
Thanks!
Karen
<Hello Karen. With Popeye, there are usually two causes. If there's just one eye popped, it's likely physical damage or aggression, so you need to look at things from that angle, checking the tank is big enough for the fish, doesn't contain aggressive tankmates, and so on. If both eyes show a similar degree of swelling, it's usually an environmental issue, in which case you need to review water quality and water chemistry stability. Clowns are big, messy fish and need extremely generous filtration to stay in good health. For an adult specimen (at least 60 cm/24 inches in length) you'd be looking at a tank around 750+ litres (200+ gallons) in size and equipped with a filter rated at 8-10 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. 50% weekly water changes would surely be essential. I'm mentioning
all this because unless the environment is fixed, the eyes won't heal. So far as treatment goes, an antibiotic like Maracyn coupled with Epsom salt in the water at 1-3 teaspoons per gallon should do the trick.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm
Cheers, Neale.>
Thank you for your help! :0) I do appreciate it! :0)
-Karen
<Happy to help. Good luck, Neale.>

Questions re cichlid pop eye and tank KH level
Red Empress With Pop Eye 2/11/09
Dear Bob,
< You have Chuck here this time.>
I have read your cichlid disease FAQs through Google search and found they are very informative. But I could not find the answer for mine so I am thinking giving it a try by emailing you. Thank you very much in advance. I am a new cichlid lover. I have a red empress (female, 5'') whose right eye appears cloudy and protruding gradually for about one week now, and a red patch on the lower gill (same side). I checked on the internet and saw pop eyes' picture, looked very alike. Now I have put the fish in a 5 gal hospital tank. My questions are: 1) is the tank too small for her?
< I usually recommend at least a 10 gallon hospital tank. Most medications have dosages in 10 gallon increments.>
2) I have bought antibacterial (API Melafix) and I also have amoxicillin (for human) at home. I was wondering which one I should use? I heard antibiotics works better, if so, what dosage should I use?
< Melafix can be used as a tonic and has been found to be useful in some infections in wild Anabantoids. I would recommend getting some Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. The metronidazole is effective against Protozoans while the Nitrofuranace is effective against bacterial infections as well as an antifungal treatment.>
I tested my tank water (120gal), CH=180, KH=80, pH=7.0, Nitrite=0.2, nitrate=40, ammonia = 0. (My tap water has similar CH, KH and PH.) I have read from some websites that African cichlid need Alkaline water such as KH over 200, pH over 8.0. I was wondering if it is necessary to increase KH level artificially, if so, what product would your recommend? Can I use baking soda? Thank you very much
Jessica
< The nitrates should be under 20 ppm. This may be part of the problem. Do a 50% water change and treat as recommended. Your red empress is from Lake Malawi and the pH and hardness requirements are not as demanding as the Lake Tanganyikan cichlids. I would recommend a Lake Malawi buffer to slightly increase the pH and hardness. Make sure that you mix the buffer outside the tank and check it before placing it in the tank. I usually recommend adding the newly buffered water when doing small water changes.-Chuck>

Cloudy eye on fish 9/5/08
HI,
I have a large a (7 inches) gray/black catfish type thing and it started out 10 days ago with a cloudy eye. For the last 10 days I have been treating with Pimafix and now both eyes have gone cloudy and maybe a tiny tiny patch on his whisker.
<Pimafix/Melafix don't work reliably. That's why we don't recommend them. So, stop using them, and instead switch to a reliable combination Finrot/Fungus medication. In Europe I'd recommend eSHa 2000; in the US Maracyn is the drug of choice.>
Maybe I'm imagining that one. Anyway, both eyes are cloudy after 10 days on Pimafix so I put a dose of cooper safe in because I can't figure out what it is and nether can anyone else. SSSSSO, the ph is 7.0 and temperatures is around 72-74. What do you think?
<See above.>
Lisa
<Treat with suitable medication, following instructions carefully, in particular remembering to remove carbon from the filter. Your fish should recover. Do also try and figure out the source of the infection. When both eyes turn cloudy, it's usually a water quality issue, so review ammonia/nitrite levels and act accordingly. Extremes of pH, or sudden changes in water chemistry, can cause problems too. Finrot/Fungus almost never "come out of nowhere". Cheers, Neale.>

re: cloudy eye on fish  9/15/08
HI,
<Ave,>
I have already done a round (5 days) of the Maracyn and I'm 3 days into a second round. My fishes eyes are a little better but nowhere near cleared up.
<Rinse and repeat, as they say in the shampoo manufacturing industry. Or put it this way, if things are getting better, albeit slowly, that's the direction you want. Complete a course of medication, do a big (50%) water change, and then repeat. Keep doing this until it's better.>
I was the problem to begin with by not cleaning the tank as frequently as I should.
<Ah, well, now you know.>
Should I try a different medication like tetracycline?
<Can't comment on this; haven't used either antibiotic myself. So would tend to recommend you stick with what's working. Fundamentally, eye infections are reactions against physical damage and/or marginal water quality. As the skin tissues heal, the eye will "get better". The job of the antibiotic is to prevent the infection getting deeper into the eye tissues (which would cause blindness) and to prevent any other infections from becoming established.>
Lisa
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: cloudy eye on fish   9/16/08
Thanks,
Now I need a valium since I have been a neglectful mother sniff sniff.
<Oh?>
I will continue to take care of my fish and thank you for all your help. One more thing. Food. I have been feeding lately with frozen cubes of bloodworms, brine shrimp etc.. muti pack. How often do I do this and do you have a better idea.
<It's easier to overfeed than under-feed. I figure a single cube will be one meal for tanks in the 20-40 gallon range, and would tend to offer small meals this size maybe two or even three times per day depending on the number of fish and the size of the aquarium. Frozen food contains a lot of water, and is only about 5% protein; compare this with 30% or more protein in flake. Since protein is (ultimately) the stuff that makes ammonia, you're less likely to cause problems with frozen food than with flake food. In any event, the idea is to provide enough food the fish are obviously healthy, i.e., have gently rounded convex bellies. Overfeeding doesn't kill the fish by fattening them up to have coronary heart attacks, but by polluting the water; so provided ammonia and nitrite are zero, you're basically fine. Of course gross overfeeding can push the nitrates upwards, and that's bad for lots of reasons. But otherwise don't worry too much, and go by instinct.>
I heard that if I feed with feeder fish, my smaller zebras will go missing and once they get the taste of live food that's all they will want.
<Pretty much. You should never use live fish as food for any ornamental fish if at all possible. There are just to many costs/risks involved. Since catfish will eat just about anything, and in the wild even predatory catfish will be consuming stuff from fruit through to baby birds, coming up with a healthy diet for them isn't hard.>
Lisa
<Good luck, Neale.>

Fire eel with pop eye and cloudy eye – 10/30/2007
Hello All-
<Emily.>
I am so glad I have found WWM! I happened to stumble upon your page while doing research for my sick Eel. I'll try and keep this short. For the last 3 weeks my fire eel has had cloudy bulgy eyes. (almost looks like he's wearing goggles) Is this pop eye?
<Yes sounds like a bacterial infection of the eye.>
His appetite is a little decreased but he is still nibbling at his blood worms each day (not as much so in the last 2 days). He has also gone pale in color over the last week. I really don't want to loose him, I'm a novice fish owner! He's in a 75 gallon tank and I've had him for about 6 months. He has lots of hiding places and none of the other fish bother him. Last week I started treating him with Ampicillin
<...is for gram negative bacteria.>
every other day for 5 days since Erythromycin
<...is for gram positive bacteria.>
and tetracycline
<...treats gram negative as well negative bacteria of some types.>
has not helped. I have also done two 50% water changes within the last week. His color has improved a little but his eyes are still very cloudy. He just lays on his side hiding in his cave all day. He has always been a pretty mellow eel. I had my water
tested at a local fish store and everything seemed fine.
<Numbers would help, especially hardness and nitrates.>
What should I be doing for my eel?
<Although fire eels most commonly occur in soft water habitats like some streams, swamps and even flooded rice fields and only rarely are found near estuaries, they may do much better in hard to slightly brackish water in captivity. The exact reasons therefore are unknown and may be related to some interaction of ions (hardness, salinity, carbonate hardness) and the accumulation of possibly toxic compounds in the tank water (e.g. nitrates), that, due to dilution, does not occur in nature to such extent. Although adding salt to the standard fish tank can well be considered an antique technique from times when the need for partial water changes was unknown, I’d suggest to increase the salinity of the water to reach a specific gravity of 1.002 (roughly 3-4 grams marine salt from the pet store per litre). That should improve the constitution of the fish and won’t kill your filter bacteria. In addition I’d try to improve the diet by offering a variety of foods, because if he only ate bloodworms, he may also suffer from a lack of vitamins. Try earth worms, little shrimps and also soak the blood worms in vitamins from time to time prior to feeding. You have already used a lot of antibiotics, so I’d get a test kit and check if nitrites are 0 all the time. Nitrates should be below 20 ppm for good healing conditions. If another antibiotic has to be used (I hope not), try Maracyn.>
Thank you and warm regards! – Emily
<Also have a look at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/matacembelids.htm and the linked files above. Hope that helps and your eel gets well again. Marco.>

Betta Fish Popeye 3- Ampicillin Dose  10/19/07
Hi Crew: Neale answered my question last time, suggesting Ampicillin . I wrote a few weeks back about my betta with Popeye. Tank is 2 gal, filtered with BioWheel. Tank tests at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate ( this is the tap water) and 8 pH (also local) I age and dechlorinate the tap water. Temp is 80 degrees.
<All sounds good. Ageing water, by the way, is redundant now if you use a good dechlorinator. Though there's no harm doing it if you want!>
I began treatment with Epsom salt, moved to Furan and we are now on the second dose of Ampicillin.
<Very good.>
Poor Chip (we have had him for 18 months) cannot see, so I have been taking him out during tank changes (50% every other day since this started 6 weeks ago using a siphon) and giving brine shrimp, bloodworms initially. But the last 2 weeks, he misses them completely, even with me using an eye dropper, so I am using betta flakes so he can easily grab them. He has not eaten the last 3 days - he swims around blindly trying to grab them, but misses.
<Be persistent, but don't panic too much... fish can go days without food.>
Jungle antibiotic food did not work - he spit it out initially since it was so hard and he didn't like it.
<Common problem with small fish. Much medication is formulated for big, expensive fish like Koi that people are likely to spend effort on healing. Common attitude with small fish is they're "disposable". Shame.>
He has been sitting on the bottom completely since I started the second dose, moving every so often and coming up once in a while to grab some air. (Before he would often sit on his plant near the heater.) He now won't come up for food. His breathing is rapid since I started the Ampillicin. I stopped the Epsom salt and gave 1 1/2 tsps of sea salt to see if it would perk him up. It has in the past, but not this time.
<I'm not a fan of randomly adding salt to aquaria.>
I have 250 mg of Ampillicin dissolved in a gallon of water. With the help of the math teacher brother-in-law, we have calculated that it is about 13 oz of water per gallon to dose the tank safely. I have given him a dose every other day as instructed on the package, with the water change, I have not used a new Ampicillin pill each time, but just used the treated water which is sitting in a plastic milk jug. I am concerned that maybe I should be using a new pill each time to ensure it is fresh.
<Possibly, but I wouldn't worry too much. Store unused medicated water in a covered jar in the fridge though. Excess heat and light could certainly alter the drug.>
Should I not change the tank water, but just take out enough to replace it with the Ampicillin water? This would increase the dosage. There is no carbon in the filter.
<Hmm... in this instance I'd minimise water changes through the course of treatment. Though in practise, the medication is probably metabolised by the bacteria in the filter very soon after you pour it into the tank. But I've not used Ampicillin, since it isn't freely available in the UK, and my honest (and by UK standards, legally acceptable) advice has to be to consult with a vet. Not very helpful to you, I'm afraid. To be honest, it probably doesn't matter much either way, whether you change a bit of water or a lot, since I'm fairly sure the drug will be entirely metabolised by the bacteria within 24 hours.>
So, is there anything else to do?
<Pray to the Fish Gods.>
I have thought we were at the end several times already, but he is still hanging on. To review six weeks of care:
Water changes ( I am heating the water to 80 before returning him to the tank)
Meds tried: Epsom salt, Furan, Ampicillin
Feeding in small space to ensure he eats
Thanks, Asa
<You're doing everything you can. Stick with it, and hope for the best. As I say, treating small fish, especially in small tanks, is difficult and the results variable. The very nature of small fish that by the time we see a problem, the strain on their internal organs is often very severe. An adult Koi carp at least has some reserves of fat to draw on, and so various therapies can be tried out until you find one that works. But something as small as a Betta may only have a few days within which you can find the "silver bullet". Good luck, Neale>

Betta Popeye Not Responding to Epsom Salt  9/20/07
A week ago I noticed my male Betta, Chip had Popeye in his left eye. We have had him for 18 months. He lives in a 3 gallon Marineland Explorer tank with a filter and BioWheel. (We had gone away for a week and he got overfed - the nitrates were high, over 50.) I checked WWM and put in Epsom salt as required and I have been doing a 50% water change everyday, replacing the Epsom salt. He has been resting a lot, but comes to see me when I am near. He seems tired and the whole thing looks painful and it has not improved. When I have tried to feed him brine shrimp or bloodworms, he can't see them and they sink to the bottom. I have been giving him flake food instead and tuning off the filter so he can grab it more easily. The only things in the tank are a small decorative treasure chest, the filter tube and a silk plant for him to rest on. Any other suggestions? I am concerned about adding antibiotic to such a small tank, but I am also reluctant to let this drag on without him getting better.
Asa in DC
<Greetings. Pop-eye tends to be caused by two distinct things: mechanical damage (e.g., rough handling) or poor water quality. There are other things that can cause it, but not all that often. So, you need to zero out those two most likely issues. Is there anything in the aquarium that it could scratch itself on? Some people stick things like fake corals and plastic plants in tanks, and these can be fine, but in very small tanks it is so easy for a Betta to throw itself against one of these objects when alarmed. That's why I tend to prefer small tanks be decorated only with silk or real plants, and only very smooth rocks, such as water-worn pebbles. Second thing, check the water. A Betta needs water with moderate hardness, a pH around neutral, zero ammonia, and zero nitrite (with an "i"). The nitrate (with an "a") isn't such a big deal and I wouldn't worry about it. Temperature is a factor, but it isn't something I'd expect to cause pop-eye; pop-eye is really a reaction of the sensitive tissues of the eye to irritating water. Think of it as a bit like conjunctivitis on a human. Adding an appropriate antibacterial or antibiotic to the water may help to soothe the infection, and is certainly worth using. I hope this helps, Neale>

Re: Betta Fish Popeye Not Responding to Epsom Salt or Furan – 09/25/07
Hi Crew and thanks for the advice the other day.
<Hi Asa, Andrea with you today. Not sure who you talked to, but you are very welcome.>
It has been ten days since I discovered my betta had Popeye. I have him in a 2 gallon Marineland tank with a filter. Since I found out, I have been doing a 50% water change most every day, initially adding about 1 1/2 tsp of Epsom salt and, putting in 3/4-1 tsp with the water change (depends - it isn't always exactly 50%).
<This sounds good. I'd keep up with the water changes. Keep the water quality as stable as possible. Ease up a little on the Epsom salt. For two gallons, you want to have 1.5 tsp total in the water overall, including taking into account any evaporation. When the water evaporates, the salt does not, if that makes sense. So, since you are changing water every day, ok, adding another 3/4 tsp is probably ok. I'd say 1/2 tsp would be better.)
For 4 days, I treated with Furan (following those directions) and using the advice found on WWM, took a packet, diluted it by 10 cups of water and put in 2 cups as the ratio.
<This is fine.>
It looked kind of weak to me, but I was afraid to add more to such a small tank. Chip seems to perk up after the water changes with the salt. He can't see well, so I have been unplugging the aquarium to feed him - either flake food or brine shrimp.
<You might try some antibacterial food, such as Jungle antibacterial. Also, it is far better for the medication to seem too weak than to be too strong. You will help him heal much more with good water quality than anything else you can buy, including antibiotics. There is a time and place for medication, and this is one of them, but he needs good, clean water to have a fighting chance. You did the directions, and did just fine. The antibacterial food will help, as it will help him also from the inside out, especially since he is eating.>
Bloodworms are too small.
<Really?? The ones I buy frozen that my Bettas love are way larger than Brine shrimp.>
He is eating, but getting weaker as you can imagine.
<Very good that he is eating. Just keep up the clean, stable water.>
The swelling in his left eye is enormous and not going down.
<Patience. That is about all you can do at this point. Patience, and clean, stable water.>
He's resting a lot, but hanging in there. Was the Furan too weak?
<Most like, it was not too weak.>
Is there anything else I can do?
<Time and patience. Water changes. Epsom Salts. Try the antibacterial food. Other than that, you are doing great.>
Tank readings are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 5 nitrates and pH of 8, which is what it has always been since that's the local water source.
<Are you using a dechlorinator? You might try something like Prime if you aren't. It is really good stuff.>
Tank temperature is constant 75 degrees, but a usually wait an hour after the water change before returning him so the water warms up.
<You might try bringing the water up to about 78-80 degrees, slowly over 24 hours. Bettas like it a bit warmer than 75 degrees, and it will help him fight the infection.>
Thanks,
<Anytime. And get the spacebar on your keyboard looked at ;-). It seems to be sticking.>
Asa
<Andrea>

3 spot Gourami w/ pop-eye; not enough useful information, poor grammar, etc...  7/28/07
Hi crew
<Hello there, Jorie here today.>
i
<I>
...was looking at my fish today and I
<I>
saw my 3 spot Gourami as
<with?>
...pop eye with blood at the bottom of the eye.
is
<Is>
...there anything I
<I>
...can do?
What is happening none of my other fish are all fine
<I assume you mean none of your other fish are affected or ill, right?>
<OK, first off, when you write us, please take a few additional moments to use proper grammar, capitalization, sentence case, etc. Since your query was so short, I fixed it to make it readable (we do publish our responses to queries on the Daily FAQs site - see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs3.htm and in order to make the Q&As understandable to all, we do request that our writers comply with these requests: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm
More to the point, now: I need a lot more information to be able to help you here. Facts like how large your tank is, how long it has been setup, what type of filtration is used, what livestock you have, water temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings, water change schedule, etc. are all necessary information. Generally speaking, what I can tell you is that pop eye is caused by poor water quality, so do check your water parameters with a quality liquid reagent test kit. I suggest isolating the sick fish into its own hospital tank (filtered and cycled; as to the latter, use water from the main tank so as not to shock the ill fish's system) and treating with Epsom salt (1 tsp. per 5 gallons of H20) and pristine water conditions. I'm betting your tank has a harmful, if not lethal buildup of toxins which are causing your problems. The Gourami may just be the first fish to exhibit symptoms, but if the water quality's poor, the others will soon follow suit...
I can give you better/more specific suggestions if you give me the information I've requested above...
Best regards,
Jorie>
thankyou
<Thank you!>

Re: 3-spot Gourami w/ pop-eye; still not much useful info...recommend reading, increasing water changes - 08/05/07
Hi Jorie
<Hi again; sorry for the delay in responding, I've been traveling around a bit and haven't had much time to check in here...>
Ok, my tank is 5ft by 4ft
<In order to calculate the volume, I need the depth measurement as well; it does sound like this is a good sized aquarium, though.>
...and it has been set up for 4yrs now.
<Great.>
I have never had this problem before.
<Sometimes issues are cumulative...>
I have one catfish, 4 barbs and the others are all types of tetras.
<It would be helpful to know the species of each here.>
And I have fresh weeds in the tank
<Again, species?>
The water gets changed every 3 months
<Ideally, once a tank has established its nitrogen cycle, you should be performing a 10-20% water change every week or two (this depends on how heavily stocked the tank is, how good the filtration is, how messy the species of fish you have are, etc.; without more information, it's impossible for me to make a more specific recommendation.)>
...and the temperature is 82
<A bit high, but so long as it is stable, should be OK.>
...the pH and ammonia are good
<Useless info. I can't tell you what's an ideal pH for your tank, as I don't know really what you are keeping. As for ammonia, it should be at zero, as should nitrite levels.>
...nitrate is a bit low; could this be the problem and if so how do I change it?
<I think you are confused. As far as nitrates go, the lower the better; as high as 20 ppm is acceptable, but more towards zero is ideal. Do read here for info. on cycling a tank: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
Also, I recommend getting a copy of David E. Boruchowitz's "Simple Guide to the Freshwater Aquarium" - it's a very comprehensive, clear book geared towards beginners. I know you have had your tank for several years now, but you don't seem to have a good grasp on Fishkeeping 101, which you and your fish could very much benefit from.
Also browse here for many helpful articles on freshwater fishkeeping: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsetupindex.htm >
Thanks
<I don't know how much I've helped. Again, Popeye is generally caused by poor environmental conditions. As recommend before, I would isolate this fish into a cycled, heated, filtered aquarium and treat with clean water and Epsom salt. Aside from that, the best thing you can do for your critters is read and learn...
Best wishes, Jorie>

Cory With Popeye  - 03/20/07  
Please help me, My favorite fish is my Corydoras catfish. He recently came down with Popeye. I am not sure what type of treatment I can use for him. I've been reading online, but most of the advice is for other fish and not Cory's. I don't know their tolerance to meds. He's 7 years old. I did about a 30% water change last night. He's in a 150 gallon freshwater planted aquarium. The water is in good condition and I am not sure if he poked his eye, or what exactly happened. What would you suggest I do? I need help ASAP. I'm 25 and love fish. I know some people must think I'm nuts, but this little guy is my buddy and he needs to live.
Please, can you give me some advice? Thank you. Gina
<Place the sick fish in a clean hospital tank and treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace.-Chuck.>

Re: Cory Cat With Popeye II   3/21/07
Okay, Where do I get that?
< Local fish store or online.>
Is there a certain brand?
< Brand type is unimportant.>
My QT tank isn't cycled.
Should I take water from the main tank and place him in it with that? Please,
suggestions. Thank you.
< Take 50% of the water from the main tank and don't worry about the hospital tank being cycled.  All you need is a heater and an airstone. Place the fish in the hospital tank with 50% new treated water. Place the fish in the tank with the medication. Do a 50% water change every day and replace with new treated water. The medications would probably kill any biological filtration and that is why an airstone is needed. After three treatments you should start to see some results.-Chuck>

Re: Help help help. Corydoras with Popeye....this fish is 7 years old. Medication Not Recommended   3/22/07
Hi Chuck. This is concerning my Cory catfish. He has Popeye. You recommended this treatment Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. I was not able to find this at my LFS. I asked for a brand name because that is all they carry. I have Petsmart and Petco here. They do not, at least mine, do not carry that. I looked.
So, I opted out and bought Maracyn. Do you think that this will help? I hope so. I love my little Cory. Let me know. Thank you. Gina
<Your fish has a real problem. The medications I recommend are what work best for me. I don't think the medication you have purchased will be as effective.
I believe I said that you may need to look online for these medications. Drsfostersmith.com has both of these in stock and can ship out overnight if needed. Typically these large chain stores don't carry alot of medications.-Chuck.>

Betta and Popeye...  3/13/07
Hi there,
<Hello Megan, Brandon with you tonight.>
I've recently setup a 3 gallon eclipse system with a Betta and a couple live plants.  
<This is a very small volume, easy for things to get quickly out of hand.  I would opt for a larger system sometime in the near future.>
It's been going great for almost 3 weeks now, I've done water changes each week (1 gallon or so), and when I last tested the water (last week), there was virtually no ammonia or nitrites/nitrates.  
<Virtually is not quite the same as 0.  A healthy aquarium has NO ammonia or nitrites.>
I have a heater and keep the tank around 80 degrees (although the heater I added seems a bit wonky in this little tank, and it can vary from 75-80).  
<This is because of the size of the tank.  As I mentioned before, get a bigger tank.>
I just went out of town for 4 days, with the Betta being fed by a friend on day 1 and 2, no food on day 3, and I fed him when I got home on day 4.  When I got home, I immediately noticed he has what I'm assuming has to be pop eye (and temp was down to 75).  
<Likely related.>
It's worse in one eye than the other, but appears to be in both.  The eye is noticeably bulging out, and there are white rings around each eye.  Other than that, he seems fine and is eating.  
Researching your site, I see suggestions for Epsom salt, Nitrofurazone, and Metronidazole, and am not sure which to try.  I was going to try the Epsom salts first, since that seems like the least obtrusive and most natural approach (and although I think this is pop eye, I'm certainly no expert and maybe it's just really irritated).  My question is, if you recommend using the Epsom Salt first, how long should I let it try and work before resorting to something else?
<The Epsom Salt should work.  I would get the temp back up to, and CONSTANTLY in the mid eighties, and use the Epsom Salt.  A little less than the half teaspoon.   Give it about three weeks.>
Also, according to what I read here, it sounds like about a 1/2 tbsp would be the right amount to add for a 3 gallon tank?  
<A little less than this amount.>
And that won't harm my plants or bio filter, right?
<Nope.  Might actually help the plants as they require Manganese.>
Then, at what point should I then try one of the other medications?  
<You shouldn’t need to.  Stable environmental conditions, NO ammonia OR nitrite, and the Epsom Salt.>
And which of the two, between Nitrofurazone or Metronidazole?  
<Please see above.  These two medications are likely to harm your bio filter.>
I also do not have a quarantine tank, and don't want to harm my bio filter or plants.  How long is the usual treatment with those medications?  
<There should be a recommendation on the back of the bottle.  At a guess I would say two weeks.>
Would it be ok to put him in a bowl or jar for 1 or 2 days with the medication, and then move him back to his regular tank, or would I be better off just adding the medicine to his main tank?  
<Honestly, I would wait until the B. splendens was better, and then go to Wal-Mart, buy a 10 gallon tank with a florescent hood, and an appropriate power filter, as well as some water conditioner such as stress coat.  I would also ensure that I had an appropriate heater for this volume.  My next step would be to go home proceed to set up and fill the 10 gallon with conditioned water, and allow it to heat to an appropriate temperature.  The next day, I would cut a section out of the filter in the old tank, and place it in the new filter.  I would then transfer the three gallon’s occupants to the 10 gallon.  This is a rather inexpensive way to keep your fish happy and disease free.>
Thanks for the help!
<You are welcome, and good luck!  Brandon.>
Megan

Popeye  12/12/06
Hello Crew,
<<Hello, Geezer. Tom here.>>
I just noticed my female swordtail's left eye is almost "popping" out of her head. What could cause this?
<<Bacterial infection, typically, but there are a number of others…>>
There are no noticeable sharp edges on any of the rocks that are in the aquarium... could her male partner have hurt her? They chase each other quite a bit.
<<A possibility but the “bulging” is more likely the result of infection than due to the possible trauma (injury). Though they “chase” one another, it’s not likely, as it would be in other cases of more aggressive fish, that the eye was an actual target of attack. Does happen unfortunately, though.>>
What could I do to cure her problem? Her right eye is fine.
<<Isolate her, if possible, and treat with Furanace or Kanamycin. Please understand that this “assumes” a bacterial infection. “Popeye” falls into one of those very “gray” areas that’s very difficult to pinpoint in terms of the root problem. In human terms, it’s the equivalent of trying to treat someone because he/she sneezed. We start with a “premise” and go from there.>>
Thanks!
<<You’re welcome and, I hope this helps. Tom>>

Popeye, Goldfish - 07/26/06
Hi.  
<<Hello, Angie. Tom here.>>
We have a ten gallon tank with a filtration box and an oxygen pump fitted with two tubes.   In this tank we have three goldfish. Will give you their approx. sizes of their bodies, not including tails: a potbellied Ryukin 3.2"; black moor 3.2"; and telescope eyed probably Yosakin 2".  
<<First, the part you don't want to hear...your tank is far too small for these fish. The part you won't believe - or, at least, want to believe - is that they need to be in a tank in the 45+ gallon range. I'll, hopefully, clarify this as we continue.>>
After initial parasitic treatment for a white cyst on the black moor; the smaller Yosakin fish named Dean started to lay at the bottom. Tried aqua salt...nothing...then his eye began to swell.  After calling every major fish store in town, and trying all recommended products and their subsequent protocols i.e.; Maracyn; t.c. Tetracycline; melafix - then melafix/PimaFix cocktail (currently on day 2 of this treatment).  Dean's eye is bigger than ever.  
<<Did anyone discuss water conditions with you? Unless the eye has swollen due to trauma (injury), the very first culprits I'd suspect are poor water conditions and/or overcrowding. A 10-gallon tank isn't large enough to support even one of these fish from either a qualitative or, quantitative, standpoint. Goldfish produce relatively large amounts of ammonia either through waste products or breathing. (Yep, breathing!) They excrete ammonia through their gills in order to rid their bodies of this toxin. A double whammy, if you will. Tie this in with the fact that they are particularly sloppy eaters or, at least lousy scavengers, and you've got a "triple play" on your hands. Might sound like I'm being glib but I'm deadly serious. So, what to do? Large living quarters and heavier filtration. Come as close to, if not right on, the same level of dilution of toxins in their home as they would enjoy in nature.>>
Poor little guy, he eats well and grabs food like mad during feeding times.  I keep promising him we're going to do whatever we have to get him well.  Nothing is working. His eye has now even sprouted more blood vessels to keep up with the rapid growth.  It also appears the black moor still has parasitic feces.  I really don't want to add anything else to the tank until Dean is better.  Is there any hope of him recovering...how would I know if he's had enough and whether I should have him euthanized.
<<No way do I give up hope on a fish with a healthy appetite! Unfortunately, I can only supply you with my best advice which is to get your pets into an appropriate-sized aquarium with an equally appropriate filtering system. I won't blow smoke at you and tell you this will save Dean. I wish I could. I will tell you, however, that you will have done as much for them (and more) than medicating the bejeebers out of them has done thus far.>>
This has been real traumatic for us all as we suspect his suffering must be great; has been going on for almost two months.
<<I appreciate the efforts that you've made here, Angie. Many, sadly, wouldn't have given a fraction of the care that you've provided.>>
Thank you so much for your time and compassion.
Angie S.
<<If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to know how things turn out. My best to you all. Tom>>

Re: Popeye - 07/26/06
Tom,
<<Hi, again, Angie.>>
Thanks so much for your considerate and well thought out reply.  No, nobody seemed concerned with tank size when I mentioned it.  But was starting to suspect it by now.  We change the water at least once a week, due to the murky nature.  Finally took the substrate out for hoping that might help.
<<Then you've seen, firsthand, what I've described. For what it's worth, I'm glad. No doubt there are many who think we're concocting some type of hoax where this topic is concerned. I assure you, as you are now aware, we're in earnest.>>
A 45 gallon tank, though???... Oh boy.  I never wanted fish in the first place; however bought this tank after my daughter bought the orange Ryukin and a little bowl to take to college!  Oh...the fish never stepped foot in the dorm, daughter said it was too noisy.
<<The dorm or, the fish? :)>>
Holy Mackerel!  What if I buy this big ole' tank and it breaks??
<<Not trying to help you spend your money, Angie, but you might research acrylic aquariums if breakage is truly a concern. Acrylic is not without disadvantages, cost being one of them, but it does have distinct advantages over glass that may interest you.>>
Seriously, though - I guess I'll get it.  It'll be worth it to see Dean happy.  
<<If you have any further questions, we'll be here, Angie.>>
Angie
<<Tom>>

Flowerhorn With Stubborn Popeye   7/25/06
Hi.. a pleasant day once again to you. Its me again, I consulted you before about the problem of my Flowerhorn. If you still remember, my fish has an internal infection and pop left eye. Well, I followed your advice. I apply the proper medication for my fish. But it seems he's not feeling better. He even got worse because his right eye got infected too and now his eyes both popping out and both are turning white. I am really worried because he's also not eating for days already. I think I've done everything to help him but I still want to know and try if there is anything else I can do to save him. Aside from giving him Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole and water changes, is there any other ways to help him get well or make him eat again. I am afraid to ask this but .. will my fish die?
<This disease can be fatal.>
What do you think is the percent for his survival?
< The key to a complete recovery is early detection and early treatment. Something has stressed your fish to the point that he is susceptible to this disease. It could be food, sanitation, temperature and even tankmates. You need to find out what had changed before he got sick. You could try to add some rock salt to the tank too. About a teaspoon per 5 gallons would be worth a try.>
I hope he'll gets better,.. because he is my beloved pet.. hope you help me again. Thanks in advance and for your time going through my letter. good day. RHEA from Philippines.
< These medications are usually pretty effective if the disease is caught early. Keep the tank clean by vacuuming the gravel and cleaning the filter often.-Chuck>

Flowerhorn With Cloudy Popeyes   7/7/06
Hi, A pleasant day to you. Well I need your help once again. I wrote you about 2 weeks ago about my flower horn with a case of pop eye. My two year old flower horn has his left eye bulge out before. It really grew big and his eyes turn whitish outside. Well I followed your advice to do a water change and put Metronidazole in the water. My concern now, is that his right eye is now slowly turning whitish just like what happen to his left eye. I am really worried that his right eye will suffer like his left eye. What should I do to stop or prevent this from happening?
<When the fishes eyes protrude they seem to get in the way and bump into everything and get infected. A treatment of Kanamycin of Nitrofuranace should get rid of the whit cloudy eyes.>
Pls help him. Will my fish will lose his eyes?
< If not treated the infection could render him blind.>
I don't want him to lose both his eyes so please, please help me. What best medicine should I give him?
<The above medications should get rid of the white and may have some effect on the Popeye too.>
Before I forget, his appetite is still poor. He hardly eats. Again thank you for your time in going through my letter. I am hoping for your help and response again. Thanks and good day. Rhea- Manila
< When the eyes get better the appetite should bet better too. Don't over feed when the fish is not feeling well and hardly eating.-Chuck>

Oscar fish eye split open  - 06/22/2006
<<Hi. Tom here.>>
I have two Oscar fish in my tank, but only one developed pop eye disease.
<<"Pop eye" is not really a disease. It's a symptom, generally, of a bacterial infection that causes fluid to build up behind the eye. It can be caused by a variety of situations including poor water conditions or injury. Unfortunately, an internal infection is usually pretty advanced by the time the outward symptom - the swollen eyes - are discovered. (If it affects only one eye, I would be suspicious of an injury. Do your pets get along okay?)>>
I went to my local fish store and was told to buy Melafix and follow the instructions on the bottle.
<<Melafix is moderately effective on open sores/ulcers. Metronidazole, for example, would be more effective for bacterial infections as would Oxytetracycline, among others.>>
At first it looked as if it was working, but the last 2-3 days I've noticed that his eye looks to be split opened.
<<Yipes! Sorry to hear about that!>>
I was wondering if that was the medicine working or, is my fish's eye going to fall off?
<<No, that was a case of the medicine "not" working. Your fish may not "lose" its eye but will certainly be blind in it.>>
And if so, is it possible for my fish to live with only one eye?
<<Absolutely, your fish can live a long life with sight in only one eye. Do a Google search on Blind Cave Tetras. These fish are born with normal eyes but flesh grows over these early on and they spend their entire lives totally blind. I don't pretend to know what "Evolution" had in mind but these fish get along very well this way. Tom>>

Silver Dollar with one cloudy eye    6/6/06
Hello Crew
<Jasmine>
One of my Silver Dollars (I have 5 in total) has one cloudy eye. Water seems to be fine (ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate=10ppm).
Being on one eye only, what could be the cause? Is it bacterial or a result of an injury?
Thanks
Jasmine
<Most likely originally the latter, possibly secondarily the former... If this is just "new" I would hold off on actual "treatment"... In all likelihood it will cure of its own accord. Bob Fenner>

Community Tank With Bloat/Pop-Eye Issues   5/27/06
Hi there, You guys have been an awesome resource!  And, it's time for another question from me. I have a 35g that's been set up since February with a Penguin 300 bio filter.  
I have 1 White Tetra, 2 Pristella Tetras, 10 Harlequin Rasboras, 10 Neon Tetras, 3 Black Mollies (1M,2F), 3 Platies (1M,2F), 1 Pleco and 1 Gold Snail.
I do water changes every 2nd week of about 25-30%, but my last couple changes have been closer to 50% to try and combat my problem.  Ammonia is 0, Nitrites are 0.  I don't know the pH or Nitrates (no test kits yet...just ordered them).
1 female platy seems to have dropsy or some type of bacterial infection.  Her scales are sticking out a bit on one side, she doesn't seem to "poop" often, and I can see a white spot at her vent (constipated?).
1 female molly appears to have the same condition, but has a much larger belly.
1 rasbora has a little (white?) bump on his bottom lip and has been this way since Feb.
1 rasbora has a slightly bulging right eye.
With these different conditions, I don't know how I should treat the tank.  
Any ideas/suggestions are welcome! Please help a novice trying to get this right. Thanks. Donna
< Sounds like bloat on the livebearers and pop-eye on the rasboras. The white lower lip thing is probably a benign growth. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. As few ways to go here. The bloat/pop-eye may be caused by the same organism. If it is bacterial then it may respond to a double dose of Nitrofuranace. This will affect the biological filtration and you may need to get it restarted. If it is a protozoan infection then either Clout or Metronidazole may work. The trouble with small fish like this is you probably only get one guess. If you guess wrong the fish is rarely around long enough for a second try. If it was me I would place the infected fish in a hospital tank and treat them with he double dose of Nitrofurazone and with the Metronidazole. Add a teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons to help get the medication into the fish.-Chuck>

Stubborn Popeye... not the Sailorman, Betta  - 03/13/2006
        Hi, I am having a dilemma with my Betta and if you could give me some advice I would appreciate it greatly. I have a five gallon Eclipse tank with three African Dwarf frogs and one Betta. My levels all seemed to be perfect and I did regular gravel vacuuming and partial water changes. And I use conditioned tap water. Last week I found my Betta listless and very inactive only to wake up one morning to see that we was developing Popeye. I immediately went to the pet store and bought Maracyn-Two because he had also stopped eating. I put him in quarantine with frequent partial water changes and a heater.
<Didn't have the heater before?>
It has been eight days on the medication and Epsom salt and he still has a white ring around his eye and is protruding slightly, his right hand side of his face still is swollen and he just started eating yesterday. Should I do another round of Maracyn-Two?
<Mmm, I would not>
And through all this my fros are fine at least! Thanks for reading my letter and if you have any suggestions for me I would be grateful.
Thanks, Mary Ann
<Just time going by at this point will show whether this fish, eye will heal more completely. Bob Fenner>

Pop Eye on Tetra  2/18/06
I have a 100 gallon tank with 2 magnum filters going on. One of my tetras has a bubbled eye. What do I do? I need help. I have put him by himself in a small
tank 10 gallon with half water which is 5 gallon water & did put that tablet fungus clear tank buddies. Do I have to add Epsom salt with it.?. Kindly
respond. thanks. Godfrey
< Treat the tank with the sick tetra with Metronidazole. The original tank may have elevated nitrate readings and so check the levels. They should be under 25 ppm although some fish like them lower.-Chuck>

Ram Now Has Popeye  2/18/06
Thanks for your quick response last week. I QT'd the fish and followed your advice with the Furanace. Unfortunately on day 3 of the treatment I
noticed that the expiration date on the medication was 2 YEARS ago... the ram hadn't really eaten in 4 days and I didn't think he would
survive another 4 days with new meds so I put him back in the main tank where he was eating and happy to be with his mate. His nares got better,
I kept up with water changes and thought all was well. (My ammonia, nitrites are 0, less than 10 nitrates, water is RO with RO Right mixed
to keep a lower pH and softness...)
Yesterday he developed Popeye. I QT'd him again, added Stresscoat and Epsom salts to his tank.  (His QT tank water is all at 0 as above).  I
see no symptoms of anything wrong, just one eye bulging out.  The other eye may be swollen a bit, but not much I can tell. Is there anything I
can do to help this poor fish? I just can't figure out what is wrong with him... is there an all purpose antibiotic I should try on him?
Thanks again, Cathy G Oh, the expired meds all came out of a fresh shipment of meds to the
store - somebody needs to get a better supplier me thinks...
< The Popeye is an internal bacterial infection behind the eye socket. Treat with Metronidazole as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Guppy with Popeye   2/1/06
Dear wet web media,
<Leslie>  
  I have a Guppy that has had Popeye for approximately 2 weeks. We had some aggressive Serpae tetras at the time, and I assumed it was due to the nipping they were doing.
<Maybe>
Immediately upon noticing the condition, I moved him to a fish bowl I have. It was the best I could do for a QT tank.  I treated him with Epsom salts per your instruction in the FAQ section of your website.  The eye has improved some, and he has started to eat (he wouldn't eat at first).  There was a red ring under his eye for about a week, which has gone away, but  I have still left him in QT because the LFS told me that Popeye is sometimes caused by a parasite,
<Mmm, very rare actually. If one sided, a trauma or aggression almost always... if bilateral, typically environmental in cause>
which eventually comes out from behind the eye.  If it was a parasite, I did not want that released into my main tank.
     Basically, it has been two weeks and his eye is still bulging.  The swelling has not gone down much.  Should I treat him with something else, or should I just let him be.      
  Thanks,   
  Leslie
<Mmm, some expense involved, but antibiotics can be attempted... Covered on WWM... search under Popeye, Freshwater. Bob Fenner>

Betta With Pop Eye  12/24/05
Hello: A week and a half ago our Betta showed the first signs of Popeye. At the store I was told to use Melafix, but the problem just got worse. Now we are trying Maracyn Two in combination with Aquarium Salt and Cycle. We moved the fish into a hospital tank and changed the water every other day. The fish seems friskier and is eating again, but the eye condition didn't improve. Today is day four of Maracyn treatment; my question is for how long should I keep it on Maracyn and, eventually, what other medication would you recommend?
Thanks for your help! Roxanne B.
< The water changes are good. Treat with Nitrofurazone or Metronidazole instead. Both of these will work on anaerobic bacteria that are behind the eye pushing the eye out.-Chuck>

Kribs And Exophthalmia - 11/25/2005
One week ago, I noticed my female Kribensis eyes were popped out of her head. She lived for about 2 weeks and then died.  Two days ago, I noticed that my male Kribensis had the same problem. I need to understand what is happening.  Thank you,  -Sherry
<Thanks for correcting and re-sending your question, Sherry.  Exophthalmia, or "pop-eye", is usually caused by poor water conditions.  First, you need to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate; ammonia and nitrite should be ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm.  If any of these are higher, you'll need to do water changes to get them back to normal.  Also, please read here for more information:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwpopeyefaqs.htm .  One to two tablespoons of Epsom salt per ten gallons of water may help a great deal, once the water quality is back to good.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Tiger Barbs And Exophthalmia - 11/15/2005
Hey guys,
<And gals - Sabrina with you today.>
I have a question about what seems to be an eye infection in one of my tiger barbs.
<Alright.>
I have a lightly stocked 72 gallon planted community tank. My parameters are all good, pH 6.8-7, nitrites, ammonia all 0.
<Great. Nitrate?>
Recently one of tiger barbs developed a cloudy, popped out eye. Only one eye developed this. I've had them for a couple of years with no problems, and as no other fish, tigers or others, displayed this, I decided to watch and see if it was a sign of natural age related disease.
<It actually may be injury-related.>
I do weekly or biweekly water changes and since my parameters are fine I do not think it is a water quality issue.
<Check those nitrate readings. This can impact exophthalmia/pop-eye.>
If it was, then other fish would display signs of stress as well most likely. I just noticed that the barb died and a second one developed the same popped out, clouded eye (though it isn't as developed yet). Otherwise it also seems fine, as do all of the other fish. Does anyone have experience with this? How would I definitely diagnose and treat it?
<I would first suspect injury, here.... Fish have a natural tendency to bite at eyes. Tiger barbs are nippy animals. Try watching them for a bit and see if you see any aggressive behaviour among them, or if perhaps one fish specifically is causing the others extraordinary amounts of stress.>
All help is appreciated. At this point I wouldn't bother quarantining because if it has been transmitted than most likely it is in the water already, unless the treatments would kill the plants. 
<Mm, better to pull the affected fish.... Even if it is a bacterial infection of some sort, it may not have transmitted to other fish as yet. Furthermore, if the animal HAS been injured, it will give it time to recover.>
Thanks, -Eric
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Tiger Barbs And Exophthalmia - II - 11/16/2005
Thanks for the advice. I will watch and see if there is an overly aggressive behavior.
<Excellent.>
I haven't tested for nitrates because all of the test kits I have only include nitrite tests so I was under the impression that I can only infer my nitrates from my nitrites.
<The two are actually quite different. One can be quite low, the other quite high.... do please try to find a test kit for nitrate and check on it.>
Eric
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Popeye in an Older Betta - 11/14/2005
Good Evening...
I have been reading your chat forum.. Kudos on the GREAT JOB you do answering all who have questions!
<Thank you kindly for the kudos!>
I too have the "betta" obsession.... 8 at my worksite, and 7 at home. 
<Wow.>
Two days ago, however, my oldest, has developed a red spot at the right front lower jaw, and yesterday I noted he is developing "Popeye" (left side). "Rupert" has been with me for 22 months now, and has not grown much since I've had him (leading me to believe he was fairly close to adult at purchase). 
<Entirely possible. They don't exactly make 'em like they used to; a couple of years is about "right", unfortunately.>
All "the boys" have their tanks cleaned weekly -- their water is "well water" (brought from home). I have added one of the "Melaleuca" compounds to the tank,
<I generally avoid against such things.... really not of much use.>
along with some "slime coat", but don't seem to see any change in his afflictions. 
<I actually might not use this either; some of these sorts of products actually "work" by causing the fish irritation.>
Am I expecting to see change too early? Is "Rupert" perhaps too old to help? 
<Mm, not necessarily.... I would generally try to see to it that this fish has optimal water conditions, appropriate temperature....>
Since you haven't found the Melaleuca compounds to be of much use, should I change his tank again and try Epsom Salt ? 
<Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) may in fact help reduce the swelling of the "Popeye"/exophthalmia.>
I've not tried any of the "medicated" treatments offered at PetSmart or PetCo (locals here) as I did not see any mention of Popeye or red spot on the "usage" labels....
<If anything at all, you could consider a broad-spectrum antibiotic, but I'm not sure I would in this case; at least, perhaps not just yet.>
If I should be treating with OTC medications, should I use Epsom Salt as well? 
<I would start with this only, and see where that gets you.>
Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping my little buddy.... Best Regards from the "PhishPharm"..... ....Swim On!!!...
<Glad to (hopefully) be of some service.... Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Treating Popeye Without Olive Oil 11/4/05
Hi, I recently purchased these two medications. I have had several fish come down with pop-eye and I was advised from the folks at wetwebmedia.com to use Metronidazole and that I could combine it with Focus to better target the fish. I have a couple of questions that deal with the administration of these medications.
1. The directions on the Metronidazole say that you can add it to the tank water system to medicate the fish. I have an 800 gallon system, so it would take quite a bit to treat the whole system for the time suggested. So if I put the infected fish in a smaller tank, are they just going to get re-infected once they are returned to the big system?
< Popeye and bloat are internal bacterial infections caused by stress. It could be dirty water, water temp too high, a vitamin deficiency, etc... You need to find out what the problem is and correct it. Everybody keep their tanks differently so you will have to figure out what the problem is in the big tank and fix it. No matter how much medication you use on your fish, they will continue to become reinfected as long as the problem exists. A separate tank will help cure the fish because it makes it easier to treat them. But unless you have solved the tank problem you are right and they will continue to become infected.>
2. How do I combine the Metronidazole with the Focus and get the fish to eat it? I currently feed the fish thawed blood worms, brine, and Mysis shrimp. Thanks Nick
< Metronidazole quickly breaks down in the aquarium. The best way to medicate is to get the medication inside the fish with the food. I would crush the tablets into as powder and mix them with the food and Focus. Then feed it right away.-Chuck> 

Cichlid With Popeye  9/17/05
Hi, guys, I desperately need help with a Popeye.  My sajica has developed a Popeye within 2-3 hours.  I isolated him in the q-tank that had aquarium/Epsom salt 1 tablespoon/5 gal. with a dose of Maracyn plus.  A few days later I don't see any improvements in his condition. (Water is changed daily) Now his eye got cloudy as well.  He doesn't eat anything so medicated foods are out of the question.  I am not sure what else I can do.  Would you have any suggestions Thank you,
< Treat with Nitrofurazone and Metronidazole in a hospital tank. Change 30% of the water while vacuuming the gravel in the main tank. Clean the filters too.-Chuck>

Oscars and Exophthalmus - 09/16/2005
Hello,
<Hi.>
I have a question I hope someone can help me with.  
<Okay.>
I have a Tiger Oscar about 5-6 inches long, and it's left eye is pretty messed up.  It started last week with a white mass of some sort collecting right behind the left eye and ever since then it has gotten worse.  The white mass got larger and began pushing the left eye out.  Now, there is still a large collection of sort behind the eye and it is also red, like I can see flesh or muscle coming out.  
<Exophthalmus....  "pop-eye".  Can find more here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm >
I have been doing water changes, testing the parameter and treating with Melafix, I thought it may have been Popeye.  
<Melafix will not help/affect this ailment.>
I used this medicine before when my fish were acting very sickly and breathing very rapidly and it worked and brought it back around.  He is still pretty active although he is swimming a little on it's right side.  Does this sound like Popeye or could something else be wrong?  What else can be done?  Please help me!  I cringe every time I look at him.  
<Check your water quality.  Maintain ammonia and nitrite at ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm, and add Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to the water at a rate of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.  This should help with the swelling.  You can re-dose this in a few days after a large water change.>
Desperate in Texas
<Please do take a look at those FAQs.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>
 

Pop Eye on a Silver Dollar 8/3/05
Hi, I am Janet. I have a 55 gal fresh with 10 white clouds, 4 black tetra, 2 spotted Cory cats, 2 dwarf gouramis, 1 blue magic dwarf gourami (the other died in this heyday I have been having) , one goldfish, one black moor, 2 scissortail rasbora and 2 six or seven year old Silver Dollars that were given to me by a friend when his wife died. They were her babies.
Hi Oh Silver came down with Popeye then a god awful case of dropsy. I put in Melafix for the seven day prescribed and Hi Oh didn't really improve much. I changed out 25% of the tank, put in Stress Coat and Stress Zyme and some Methylene Blue. Hi Oh looked bad yet. I went searching on the internet and found your site with salt treatments for these diseases. I didn't have Aquarium Salts but another site said Kosher Salt would do too. So I mixed up the salt (one gal to 4 teasp Kosher salt) popped Hi in and watched him for distress. After 3 min.s (of the 5, unless distressed) I thought he looked like he wanted out. So I put him in the tank. Next morning HE LOST ALL THE POPEYE AND MOST OF THE SWELLING!!
I did a test and found my nitrates were 160 so I did another water change out of nearly 50%. Put in Stress Coat and Stress Zyme and Meth blue. My test today shows PH 6.0, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm and finally, Nitrate 0ppm. It seems Hi Oh is getting Popeye again and I think his pal, Long John Silver is too. Oh, I put in new carbon filters in case of something in the water affected the old new filters I had in.
Hi looks great other then that. A very small swelling on his cap (above his eyes/face), looks somewhat silver in most places, eating, swimming all about and with his buddy.
My question is should I start over and put the two in a hospital tank and treat with Melafix again or just do salt dips again? How many times can I salt dip a fish and at what frequency.... daily, every other day, ???? Salt seems to best work to bring down swelling. I have been fighting this for 3 weeks now and Hi is still here. He does sit stationary a bit crooked but he swims great. I think he can see yet out of his eyes. So far Long John is puffy in one eye.  
This whole mess started with fish from PetSmart and putting their water in my tank. I didn't know not too since I read to do it in a dumb book, only to find out NEVER put water in another tank. I have NEVER tested water before so that is all new to me too but I desperately want to save the boys. Please help me : (
< The high nitrates are stressing your silver dollars. Keeping them down to under 25 ppm will be very beneficial. I have found that salt dose reduce the swelling and some fish do recover enough to be cured from this internal bacterial infection but just don't seem to be cured. I would recommend Metronidazole to treat the infected fish in a hospital tank so it won't affect the good bacteria needed to break down the fish waste.-Chuck>

POPEYE IS NOT JUST A SAILOR
Hello,
I apologize in advance if the problems that I am about to describe have been addressed in previous inquires, and understand if you cannot respond to this email. I have been experiencing problems with my male Betta for over two months now. It appears that he has severe Popeye, and a greyish discoloration near his head. He also developed fin/tail rot, but luckily I was able to treat it and it is clearing up nicely. I have searched for Popeye on your site, as well as discolorations and fungal and bacterial diseases, but could not find any information that seemed helpful in this situation. 
Originally he was in a 1/2 gallon tank, with the temperature at an inconsistent temperature (it would fluctuate quite often and drastically, and I think the abrupt changes are what compromised his health.) After discovering that his eyes were blood red and protruding, along with the patchy spots near his head, I went and purchased a 2 1/2 gallon tank, have been doing full water changes weekly, and have been keeping the temperature constant at about 75 degrees. 
I have been also alternating medications, trying to find something to treat his eyes, and have tried Maroxy, Maracyn, and Maracyn 2. Nothing has seemed to work. He appears fine, his appetite is great, and he is very active, although he has not made any bubble nests at all since he has been sick. I have not tested his water for pH, nitrates, etc. and think that may be the next step to see if there is something wrong with the water. I'm not sure what to try at this point, but would really like to get my Betta back to normal! I hate seeing him suffer!
Thank you,
Jade
< The internal bacterial infection behind the eyes can cause permanent blindness if not treated. Popeye can be treated early with Metronidazole and consistently clean warm water. Avoid extremes in temp and water chemistry.-Chuck> 

Popeye--differentiating injury from bacteria
Hi Bob,
<Hello Angela>
You've given people lots of great advice and I think it's fantastic stuff. I've read through your FAQ's but am having a problem identifying the cause of my fish's pop-eye.
<Ahh!>
I have two fish (unidentified... my dad bought it) in a new 29 gallon tank. It has only been cycling for 8 days now. Ammonia is at 0, Nitrite at 0.25 ppm, and Nitrate at 5 ppm. pH is at 7.8 - 8.0 and temperature at 79 Fahrenheit.
<Okay... would have been better to not have the fish in a cycling system...>
One of the fish developed pop-eye slowly. The pop-eye is only on one eye, not both. I read in the FAQs that it's most likely injury related then. 
<Yes>
However, the fish is not eating. Furthermore, it's developed cottonmouth. My sister says a black spot developed in her abdomen. I am worrying it is bacteria related, although it is only one eye that developed pop-eye. Furthermore, her buddy is doing well. He eats all the time and loves to swim around...so I am hoping it's an isolated injury.
<Me too>
I am not medicating right now, but have added some bio-support to boost the filter's bacteria to improve water quality. I also added some Aquarium Pharmaceutical's Melafix to the tank as well. The next day, she was doing much better. But by nightfall, she resorted to hiding behind a rock again.
<I would discontinue, not use the "Fix"... it may forestall or eliminate your nitrifying bacteria... perhaps the root cause, but definitely a contributing factor here (the lack of biological filtration)... and perhaps add a bit of salt...>
Can you please help me identify if the pop-eye is injury or bacteria related? And what steps should I take to curing it?
<Can't tell the cause here... very likely environmental primarily, bacterial perhaps secondarily... to cure? A bit of Epsom is all I would try>
I've read that pop-eye is not contagious,
<Depending on its cause/s>
but if it is caused by bacteria infection, then what can I do to improve the water quality to prevent other fish from becoming sick? Please help as she hasn't eaten for days!
Thanks so much, Angela
<You can do what you can to "speed up" the establishment of nitrification. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm  and NOT do things that will cause more trouble... like adding "medicines", "herbal remedies"... DO feed sparingly, and NOT add more livestock... Do please learn what types of fish/es you have... as they have different needs, tolerances... Bob Fenner>

Oscar with Popeye
I Have an Oscar which appears to have Popeye. By the advise of the first Pet Store I treated the tank with a partial water change, aquarium salt and tetracycline tabs for six days....The fish still had Popeye. So by the advise of a second pet store I again treated the tank with a partial water change 50%, aquarium salt and penicillin every other day for three treatments. Still the fish has Popeye. what else can or should I do. I have had aquariums for 15 years or better and never had a fish with Popeye.
I would be appreciative of any advice. You can e-mail me at <Thank you for writing. Popeye (fancy name exophthalmia) is a hard condition to cure... when "one sided" (unilateral) the cause is typically "mechanical injury" (a bump in the night)... Treatments per se are not necessary... but does take a good long time for the bulging to subside (weeks to months). Keep the system clean, maintenance up and you should see improvement in a few weeks. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm and possibly the "Neotropical Cichlid FAQs" posted on WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner>
THANK YOU,
K. JACKSON

Re: Oscar with Popeye
Since I received your information on the subject of Popeye with my Oscar. I have kept a good watch on the tank and Oscar for any changes. My Oscar originally had her eye popping out and another bump on the upper back of the eye. Since I stopped treating the tank with antibiotics the bump has gone and another one has appeared her eye is still popping out and there is now blood in the eye chamber. What should I do if anything? And If there is no treatment will her eye eventually hemorrhage or will it go down. Any information you have will be helpful.
<Do your best to keep the system optimized and stable... and the fish fed with nutritious foods... This and patience is all that is needed, desired. The eye will improve or not otherwise. Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Kelly