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FAQs on Eye Troubles, 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, |
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... |
CLOUDY EYE.. 6/24/09
Hi Bob,
How are you?
<A bit sleepy thus far, but fine otherwise, thanks>
Got a bit of a scenario..did a 25% water change last week and overnight
my angel and several fusiliers developed severe cloudy eye..
<Mmm... what brand salt-mix? Do you have any more of it/this? I would be
testing... Some brands have shown to be real trouble in recent times...
and check with your water municipality re what they may have been doing,
pulsing into the mains. Note to browsers, Thai is in Australia>
I'm assuming there's something in the water and was wondering if
activated carbon would remove the bad chemicals..
<Depends on what these might be>
If not can you please suggest something that would get rid of chemicals
in the water.
Thanks
Thai Pham
<Please review here: http://wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm
and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>
Blue Ring Copper Toxic
Levels, Pomacanthus hlth. - 06/05/09
Hi there,
<Thai>
I've been treating my blue ring angel for white spot and he seems to be
rid of the whitespot.
However he has developed a cloudy eye and it seems pretty severe. He
twitched a lot as well and am assuming this is due to long exposure of
copper.
<Could well be>
Am planning on doing massive water changes on the weekend and adding a
copper removing filter.
Am wondering if the cloudy eye will heal itself with good water quality
and also if there is such a point of no return for the eye.
<Likely will cure itself over time, good water quality, nutrition>
Thanks in advance
Thai Pham
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Fish Blindness 10/5/08
Hi Crew
Will try to make
this fast. Had a lionfish that was going blind. Took him out of the tank
he was living in and put him in a different tank. He didn't make it.
Just thought that it was bad luck because have had lionfish throughout
the years and found them very easy to care for. Well the tank that I put
him in, my bird wrasse has gone blind and has been for over 2 months
now. I cant believe he's still alive really. I do see him swishing the
sand back and forth and spitting it out so I guess he's surviving that
way because I cant get him to eat anything for over 2 months. I would
think that maybe bad luck struck twice but the 1st tank he was living in
I put a skunk grouper in and yes he went blind also?? I wrote Bob Fenner
about this awhile back and he said diet or parasites. After 3 in a row I
would have to say parasites. The grouper and bird wrasse look great
except they just lay hidden and even if I put my finger in front of them
in the tank they don't even know Im there. The grouper lives with a blue
face angel that is doing great and has been for over a year now. The
bird wrasse lives with a purple tang, maroon clown and a small passer
angel. No other fish has gone blind?
<?>
If this is a parasite
will freshwater dips and formalin dips cure this?
<Mmm, not likely...
If it were parasitic, would be almost certainly internal...>
That has
been my cure all for ich and velvet in the past. Knock on wood haven't
had that in along time. What is this parasite called that attacks the
eyes?
<There are a few... Protozoans, worms... none easily treated
for>
I have had salt tanks for over 20 years now and this is a first
for me. I cant believe diet because they were before the blindness
eating silver sides algae sheets and formula 2 flakes. I have read your
parasite section and cant find blindness treatment. Any help as always
is very much appreciated.
Thank You Crew!
<Mmm, I suspect still
that this is/was a case of nutritional deficiency, or other co-factors
in the system affecting nutrition. Bob Fenner>
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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