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FAQs on
Exophthalmia/Pop-Eye, Eye Diseases by Causes, Etiologies
Related Articles: Exophthalmia/Pop-eye,
Environmental Disease,
Related FAQs: Pop-Eye
1, Pop-Eye
2, & FAQs on Popeye: Traumas/Mechanical Injuries,
Parasitic Involvements Suspected & Real,
Infectious Disease,
Cures, Case Histories,
& Environmental
Disease, Aggressive Behavior, Sources
of Bubbles,
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Popeye is a condition... not a specific disease: Mmm, mostly caused by traumatic
(bumping into things... common if one-sided/unilateral); environment... e.g. too
much dissolved gas, "poor water quality"... Nutritional... Pathogenic:
Infectious, parasitic disease...
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Gas Bubble Disease? Exophthalmia f' also
– 6/17/08
Hi crew,
I recently purchased a flame angel and placed him my 20 gallon quarantine tank.
I was using two Whisper 10 filters. The next morning i discovered what i
initially thought to be popeye. However after reading your site i found that if
it occurred only in one eye it was likely the result of trauma.
<Actually... can be bilateral... one-sided is often mechanical/damage in origin,
both-sides from environmental, pathogenic causes>
Therefore i added some Epsom salt and hoped for the swelling to go down.
However, the next day, i found the flame angel to have a clear (air bubble)
right above his eye (not on the eye, but more like the eyelid), It seems to
be gas bubble disease. However, I'm not sure what may have caused this and what
I need to do as far as treatment.
<Very likely this bubble is derived from collecting damage... being brought to
the surface too quickly...>
I replaced my two whisper 10 filters with a Emperor 280 hoping that the GBD was
a result of lack of aeration.
(Please note my emperor is a 280 gph and adds lots of surface agitation-not sure
if its too much because i am getting air bubbles-is this also harmful?
<Not likely at all>
I read about microbubbles causing bends in the fish-but not sure if this can be
caused by a hang on the back filter)
<Again... not the cause here>
Please let me know what i can do to help the little guy?
<Really, just time going by, good care. The area around fishes (and our) eyes is
highly-vascularized... The "trapped air" will be re-solubilized in time.>
Also please let me know if the Emperor 280 microbubbles will cause problems?
<Have... Not a problem. Microbubbles are much smaller, produced by mixing air
and water tog. at high/er pressures>
not sure if surface agitation bubbles from a hang on the back filter are
dangerous or that that microbubbles only apply to canister and return
pumps?
<No>
Thank you.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Actinic Lighting And Eye Damage? 2/9/08
Heya Crew!
<Hiya Grant>
I keep an actinic light on for a few hours after the regular lights turn off.
Purely for the aesthetic night-time effect of the glowing corals. I
understand that "black lights" are damaging to human eyes due to the UV light
they put out, and was curious as to whether or not actinics have the same or
similar damaging effect... not so much for my own health but for my Undulated
Moray (Gymnothorax undulatus) which, being nocturnal, is primarily out and about
when only the actinic light is on (and then of course all night when they're
off).
I couldn't find anything about it in the faq's and I do apologize if it has
already been asked and I over looked it.
Thank you all for your time and knowledge, it really makes things so much easier
and more enjoyable for us amateurs :-)
<No threat to eye damage here, just lighting in the 460nm range. James (Salty
Dog)>
-Grant-
Queen angel gone blind?
Reading, using WWM 11/21/07
Bob - I'm a first time user and need help with my 1 year old Queen. Our salt
got out of whack last month so we did a water change and treated the tank
w/copper and Melafix.
<... not in your main tank, please tell me>
Our niger trigger had ich and our queen angel started hiding in the reef,
although we did not see any ich on her. After we got the water stabilized (salt
is at 1.012),
<... also not a fan of hyposalinity...>
the queen never went back to normal. It's been about 2 weeks. She is not eating
well and although seems hungry, doesn't seem to "see" the food. She will venture
out of the reef and act like she is looking for food in the sand, but a Mysis
shrimp or piece of algae will float right by her and she won't eat it. I read a
posting about another queen doing a "shimmy", and she has what looks like a
twitch. Her eyes are clear, but she just acts like she can't see. She used to be
the boss of the tank and now she is very passive and hides. Can you possibly
know why? Thanks!
Kim Smith
<... the exposure to the copper... possibly the leaf extract, the lowered spg...
might all by themselves or in combination have brought about this condition.
Only time can/will tell whether it will be reversed. PLEASE, don't write w/o
having looked (the search tool in the process of contacting us... the indices)
re these materia medica... and hypo... You've over-stressed this fish, these
fishes... There are ameliorative actions you might try to restore their health.
Again, all posted on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Bubble in Tang's Eye...GBD? - 08/27/06
Hi,
<<Hello Deb>>
I have a tang who had tiny air bubbles in her eye, then the next day the tiny
bubbles became two larger one then the next day they merged into one big bubble.
<<Can't say I've ever seen this before...still, is possibly the result of an
injury or environmental condition>>
Is this the same as POPEYE, or is this something different?
<<Something different, as stated. Popeye infections generally affect BOTH
eyes>>
Also I see that Epsom salt is recommended for Popeye,
<<Mmm, not really...a true Popeye infection would require an antibiotic
treatment, but the Epsom Salt may prove beneficial in this case>>
if this is what she has can the Epsom salt be added to my tank with the other
fish or should she be put into a smaller tank.
<<Separation/quarantine would likely make it easier to observe/treat this fish,
but the Epsom Salt can be added to the display tank if you so wish (a level
teaspoon per ten gallons actual water volume is recommended)>>
Also how long can you use the Epsom salt?
<<As long as perceived necessary...will not need to be re-dosed until you
perform a water change>>
She is eating but her balance seems off and she looks like sometimes she bumps
into things.
<<Indeed...peripheral sight/field-of-view is affected, though the loss of
"balance" may indicate another problem...emphysematosis, Gas Bubble Disease>>
Can tiny micro-bubbles in tank cause this or is this just something that fish
just get?
<<Ahh, yes...is this an issue in your system? If so, definitely remove the tang
for treatment...and see here about rectifying the bubble situation in your
display:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bubtroubfaqs.htm >>
I thank you in advance for your help.
<<I'm happy to assist>>
I Love this fish and will try anything I can to help her.
Deb
<<Remove the tang and treat as described...and fix your bubble
problem. Regards, EricR>>
Bubble-Like Growth on Soldierfish - 09/08/06
Hi Crew,
<<Hello!>>
I have a Question a year ago I brought a small Big-eye Soldierfish
(Myripristis vittata) after Quarantine I add it to my tank, he/she
was doing fine until 5 months ago that he/she start getting a bubble
next to the eye, I went to my local fish store and they tell me it
was nothing to worry about it so I left like that and 5 days later
it disappear.
<<Mmm...likely an environmental/secondary issue>>
Now the fish has the same "disease" the bubble is again next to the
eye and now I am wondering if I need to take care of that, maybe put
it on a hospital tank or if It will disappear again, he is been like
that 4 days already and the bubble is growing and growing. Water
parameters are normal, he is eating normal and I always add
Vita-Chem to the food for vitamins. Can you help me I don't want to
see him like that anymore I'm adding some pictures of my fish.
Thank You
<<Separate the fish if you have the facilities to do so. This is
likely a bacterial infection caused by some aspect of your water
quality (do validate your test kits/possibly increase frequency of
water changes). Add some Epsom salts to the hospital tank (1
teaspoon per 10 gallons actual water volume) to start, and have a
search through our marine disease FAQs for further info and
treatments (if needed). Regards, EricR>>
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Emperor snapper with 1 big pop eye: need larger tank ASAP, not to mention
QT tank. 1/5/07
Hello, I have read several of the notes...on pop eye and Epsom salt.
<Hi Shanon, Jorie here. I'm thinking you are referring to FAQs on the subject?
These can be very helpful.>
I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank. I have 4 or 5 different types of soft coral,
the snapper, a coli tang...
<Not familiar with this "common" name, perhaps you mean Kole tang, Ctenochaetus
strigosus?>
, and 2 damsels (different species).
<The emperor snapper you refer to, or Lutjanus Sebae, can reach 30" as an adult,
and requires at least a 200 gal. tank. The tang will reach about 7" in length
and should be kept in at least a 90 gal. tank. Your tank is woefully too small
for these two beautiful fish, and they will very soon outgrow it, if they
haven't already.>
My snapper recently tried to escape and got out hit the floor (about 4 1/2 feet
from top of tank).
<Can often be signs of poor water conditions. Have you checked your ammonia,
nitrite and nitrate levels, along with pH, temp., salinity, etc.? How long has
this tank been established, and has the nitrogen cycle established itself? My
likely bet on the cause of your problems is environmental, and this is likely
compounded by keeping too many large fish in too small, stressful an
environment...>
About 3 or 4 days after the fall he started with a small bubble over one eye,
and the next morning it was the whole eye and tonight (same day) it is really
bulging. I understand this is from the trauma of the fall.
<Maybe, or maybe not. The fall could have stressed him out to the point that he
became more susceptible to disease. Many times Popeye is caused by bad water
conditions, so first thing to do is check the parameters...>
Is there anything I can do to help him out?
<First check water conditions and remedy as needed. Second, upgrade his tank
ASAP.>
I do not have a way to QT him..
<A QT/hospital tank is truly a necessity in the fishkeeping hobby...>
...he seems to be swimming fine, but not eating as much as he usually
does. Please help, I do not want to loose the leader of my tank. I was
wondering if the Epsom salt treatment that has been mentioned is a possibility
in the 55 gallon tank. I have also been told that he might loose the eye
altogether. PLEASE help what do I need to do?
<This fish is woefully stressed, and will likely not get better without better
care. You need to upgrade his tank very soon, keep the water clean, and read
and research all fish before acquiring them. You cannot use the Epsom salt, or
any treatment, in the main tank; you MUST get a QT tank for this fish ASAP. As
per the FAQs you've already read, the Epsom salt is truly the best way to treat
the Popeye, in conjunction with keeping toxins out of the water. You need to
start researching and planning for an upgrade, or you will likely loose both of
these beautiful fish. I can't comment on whether the damsels are appropriate
for the tank or not, but generally, damsels don't grow too large. They are
quite aggressive, however, and you must be careful what else you house with
them...
Regards, Jorie>
Thanks in advance
Shanon
PS I'm new to this hobby, what books have you written? I'm a 4th grade teacher
and really starting to get into this and want to learn as much as s I can.
<<Doh! Not HomerS, but BobF, who see's the Grahamster missed this.>>
Re: Emperor snapper with 1 big pop eye: need larger tank ASAP, not to
mention QT tank. 1/5/07
Thanks for the input.
<You're welcome.>
We did research the fish before we bought them, and they came highly
recommended from our local saltwater store. They
told us this was a good combination and the tank was a good size to start with
and gradually get bigger.
<You've got to remember that advice from even the best fish stores can be a bit
biased...they are, after all, trying to sell fish! I won't say they are
all/always wrong, but it is best to do independent research. Also, I'm not a
fan of the "buying a suitable tank for now, then will buy bigger later"
mentality, as even the best intentions can be thwarted by various
circumstances.>
The snapper jumped out because we were trying to get him to spit out the
smallest damsel he tried to eat (our fault) I know this was not the best
choice, but the fish was brand new (picked out by my children.
<Best not to let children decide such important issues, in my opinion. You are,
after all, the adult...
Also, you really should, for the health of all the fish in your main tank, be
quarantining any and all new fish/livestock purchases for at least a
month...many nasty diseases can be present on a new fish, and you can very
easily wipe out an entire tank w/o using proper QT methods...>
The last time I check my ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH it all checked out.
<Hopefully you are monitoring these regularly...>
We add calcium and ph balancer daily and iodine every other day.
<OK, hopefully you are monitoring these levels regularly, also...>
The only thing that seems to be wrong with our water is the cloudy look and the
tiny isopods, copepods... that I can barely see on the glass.
<You asked for my advice, I gave it. Popeye is 9/10 times due to poor
environmental conditions. If it were me, I'd double the frequency of the water
changes until the eye improves.>
So I should not put the Epson salt in the main tank?
<I wouldn't. I don't even put any treatments, medications into my main tank.>
I do have a small 20 gallon tank I could make into a QT tank, what do I need to
do to get this done properly?
<Heater, filter, decor for the fish to hide in/around, test kits, frequent water
changes. It's basically a mini-version of the main tank w/o the protein skimmer
(hopefully you are running one of those...)>
Thanks for all you help so far. I am looking forward to hear what else you have
to say.
<Shanon, I don't really know what else I can tell you that I haven't already
said. If it were my fish, I'd QT it, use the Epsom salt to treat the Popeye, in
conjunction with keeping the water uber-clean. Also, you may want to consider
soaking the fish food in vitamin supplement (something like Selcon) to help
boost its immune system during this time.
Shanon Parker
4th Grade Teacher
Tread way Elementary School
<Best of luck, Jorie>
Cloudy Eyes, Copper Use 4/30/07
I have a large centralized system (750 gallons) and I’m having
trouble with cloudy eyes in many of the fish. It is fish only and I do
use copper power. 1.26% copper sulfate.
Thank you,
Mike
<This is most likely due to long term copper exposure. Copper is quite
toxic over long periods or in too high of a concentration. It should
only be used to treat diseases, not as a long term preventative
treatment.>
<Chris>
Recurring Popeye with Angels
Dear Bob.
I have a 150 gallon tank and been having trouble keeping angelfish. They seem
keep having Popeye all other fishes (tangs, hogfish, damsel & butterflies)
are doing fine. please tell me the reason and how to prevent it . Thank you.
>>
Hmm, something is amiss here.... Either (and in order of likelihood) something
wrong with your water quality (I'd do the big review here, have a fishy friend
look over your set-up, maintenance practices... maybe the big clean out, water
change), AND/OR "bad" livestock choices in the way of species
(doubtful) or specimens (likely)... here, I'd chat up survival, choice of
suppliers... AND/OR physical traumas induced by... your other (current)
livestock... someone bullying newcomers...
Need to know more about specifics re your aquarium(s)... Do you have live rock?
how many, how large of these other fishes? What species of angels are you
trying? Where are they coming from? Your acclimation procedures?
Bob Fenner
Porcupine Puffer question
I have a porcupine puffer (about 7 in long) in a 35 gal long tank, shared
with a small lion fish (about 5 in long)...nothing else in the tank except
for a crab to clean up the substrate. My puffer has one eye that is the
translucent blue coloring which is normal...the other eye does not. and
reveals the large dark iris in the back of the eyeball. My water parameters
are fine, from what I can tell (salinity good, no ammonia). Both fish eat
well .... no hesitation. Behavior is fine (no change from when both eyes
were blue). Any ideas on what would cause this...and how it can be
corrected ?
thanks... Jeff McFadyen
<Hmm, could be nutritional in part... perhaps an internal parasite of some
sort... maybe the result of a mechanical injury that didn't quite heal... Other
than placing these fishes (and crab) into a larger system, I wouldn't do
anything else to try and "cure" the one dark eye... As far as I know,
there is little that COULD be done. One note re: I fully suspect that the Puffer
is fine, "happy" otherwise, and will live a good time, even if the one
eye should be inoperable.
Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Popeye related to environmental problems
I emailed you a couple of day regarding Popeye on my Sweetlips. I think I
have figured out that this was caused by bad water quality. My water started
getting cloudy 2 days after a water change. While doing the water change I
decided on cleaning some of my decor with some bleach I let it sit in the sun
for a day and then rinsed it of and put it back in my tank this was the problem
I believe that I did not clean the decor good enough and the bleach ruined my
tank. I came to this conclusion when I test the water and my ammonia and
nitrites starting climbing just like when you first setup a tank. I took out the
decor that I cleaned with bleach but the damage has already been done. Do you
think this is possible.
<Yes... not uncommon in service companies... where bleach sometimes
"gets away", accidentally spread into systems>
After reading the above statement if you think it is true, please
tell me is you think the steps I am taking or good. I have been doing some small
water changes about 10 gallons I have a 90 gallon tank. I have been feeding once
a day very small quantities 4 or 5 pieces of krill and a half a cube of brine
shrimp. I added some aqua plus to the tank water to get ride of any chlorine the
might still be in the water. Do you think I should add some type of Beneficial
Microbes to help speed things up and if so what should I use anything besides
live rock I know its the best but I don't have room or the money to do so. Thank
you for your input and help as always and hope 2003 is well for you.
<I would add the beneficial microbes (like Hagen's Cycle) here. All else you
are doing is fine. Do keep testing your water for ammonia, nitrite. Bob
Fenner>
Disease Medley
Hello, right now I want to say thanks for all the help you gave me.
<We're glad to be of service>
In my 240 gallon tank my annularis angel has Popeye. Besides adding vitamins to
water/food, and giving less stress as possible is there any medications I can
use for his Popeye?
<Popeye is essentially a condition resulting from sub-par environmental
conditions...either from the LFS, or, just maybe- from a water quality lapse in
your tank(?)...I'd use a broad spectrum antibiotic, like Maracyn, administered
in a separate tank>
Also I have a blue face angel and he has what I think is called a bacterial
infection. On his side there is a reddish coloration. Is this bacterial
infection? How do I go about curing it, any medications I can use? Thank you!
<Hard to say what the reddish discoloration is...It might simply be an
abrasion of some sort...I'd keep a very close eye on this fish, to verify if the
condition worsens...Let us know if you see a decline in his condition...Take
care! Regards, Scott F>
Re: bubble eye
my flame angel has developed a large clear bubble over one eye. It
still
swims and eats well. What is this and will it resolve or kill the
fish.
Thanks, Mark
<Due to it being "one-sided" this is likely a result of a
mechanical injury ("bump in the night") and not some overt
environmental or pathogenic result. Please see here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: bubble eye
Thanks for your quick response Bob. I looked over the FAQs and
saw
recommendations for Epsom salts ranging from 1 tsp per gallon to 1 Tbs per
10 gallons. I went with the latter. I'm not sure if this
is a one time
dose or should be continued?
<Can be continued. Often efficacious as a one-shot treatment>
Any water measurements I need to watch like pH
or salinity?
<All that you usually do>
I'm going to have to treat the whole 140 gallon tank. I'll
never get this guy out of the reef. BTW, I met you in Fort Worth at
MACNA
and really enjoyed speaking with you.
I'm looking forward to your new book.
Mark
<Me too! Bob Fenner>
Clownfish With Swollen Eye
Hi there. Just have a quick question. I have a Clarkii
that has one eye that has bulged out. Is still eating fine and
swimming about but the one eye is way out there. Have one coral
beauty, one yellow tang, the clarkii and six green Chromis in a 55 gallon. All
levels are great and nothing else seems amiss. Is this an infection
or maybe an injury? All seem to get along well. Thank you
in advance for the info. Sincerely, Linda C
<Well, Linda- you hit it on the head! When you see one eye bulging, it
generally means that your fish has suffered some kind of trauma to the eye. The
swelling can be reduced by isolating the fish in a separate tank, and treating
with Epsom salts. Alternatively, you could simply make sure that the tank water
quality is as high as possible, and the injury could heal with minimal
intervention on your part. Either way, just keep an eye on this fish (no pun
intended here!) to make sure that there is no secondary infection manifesting
itself. Good Luck! Regards, Scott F.>
- Red Herring -
Having lost my B&W Heniochus to Popeye after a thorough course of
Furacyn, I purchased some more fish another Heniochus and put it in the same
hospital tank without sterilizing and restarting it. I lost another to the same
cause, Popeye, as well as a Royal Gramma which just dies without Popeye. <My
friend, there is a very important clue here - it's very difficult for a fish to
be killed by Popeye, it can have fungal causes, but it's really more like a
bruise, or trauma to the eye itself, and will usually heal on it's own provided
a quiet place to recuperate. I think you may have a more serious parasitic
problem here, carried on because you didn't sterilize the quarantine tank
between fish.> Two fish remain showing no signs of disease, Percula Clowns.
They have been in the isolation for a month but I am afraid to move them into my
display tank for fear they might carry something with them. What precautions
should I take such as sterilizing the hospital tank and then keep in them in the
restarted isolation tank for another 3-4 weeks? <Take the system
down and run a weak bleach solution through the entire system, pumps, filters,
everything.> Or have you another suggestion? <In fact, I do... just give
the fish a pH-adjusted, freshwater dip and place them in the display - you can
do more harm than good by over-quarantining sometimes.> Thank You, Stephen
Pace
<Cheers, J -- >
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