Clownfish Popeye 10/20/2009
Kind Crew,
<Josh here.>
I have a pair of spawning clarkii clownfish and the female clown just developed popeye. I set up a hospital tank and was going to relocate and medicate this evening. She is still active, eating and spends the day with the male preparing the nest for the next batch of eggs. I suspect the popeye is due to water quality / high nitrates. About 2 months ago when they first were preparing to lay eggs they completely disturbed the sand bed. I went from having a 3" sand bed all around to a 6" sand bed across the front and almost bare glass in the back. They created themselves a hole to nest and lay their eggs.
My question is should I relocate the male with the female to the hospital tank? I wouldn't want to stress him any more than I need to but I think losing his mate would stress him more than the treatment. They would be paired in a 10 gallon tank for the duration of their treatment.
I have thought about keeping her in the main tank and just watching her to eliminate both the stress of the move and her missing her mate, but I fear if I wait to long it may develop into something more severe. Any
thoughts would be appreciated.
<I would not hesitate to separate and medicate. It would not be fair to medicate them both due to the stress it causes, nor would it be right to deny her a treatment you are capable of.>
(On a side note about the spawning, I currently have about 80 fry/baby clowns in different stages of development since they first started laying eggs. Since they just bonded I'd hate to lose one or both of them
now)
<I agree, but I suggest you separate them, and medicate.>
Thanks,
Dave
<Good luck and let us know how it goes,
Josh Solomon.>

Re: Clownfish Popeye  10/21/09
Dearest Crew,
<Jillian>
Thanks again for your dedication! Reading the dailies is one of the high points of my day (and I MUST stop doing it at work!!!!).
<Heeee! Like PaulS' "Wedding Song", "Is it work that brings you life, or life that brings you fish?">
After reading Josh's reply to the Clownfish with popeye questions I felt I must share my experience. I've had 2 Clarkii Clowns come down with this condition at two different times/systems, one of which went through several cases of it over the period of about a year. I'm not sure what medication would be suggested for popeye but I have noticed that with optimal water conditions (with careful and frequent testing) and a high quality and varied diet, this problem is easily resolved with this species. This is one of my favorite types of clownfish and mine are still doing very well! One is about 3 years old and the other being 5 years.
I have no experience with popeye for other marine species and the case may very well be quite different for other fish. In my experience, this is not a problem that needs to be treated with Clarkiis if tank conditions and diet are good.
Just my two cents.
Thanks again for your efforts and dedication!!
Jillian
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Yellow Tang eye problem - Question 12/28/08 Dear Wet Web Media, <Mark> I haven't posted here before, but I use your site a lot for advice and suggestions. You have produced an excellent resource here, so keep up the good work. <Trying> Now, naturally, I would like to ask you some advice if you have time: <Sure> I have a yellow tang that has developed a cloudy lens in one eye, with what appears to be a small white raised "mountain" in the centre of the lens. <I see this in your pix> I do not detect that the white "tick" on the eye is a living parasite, but it could be. <Mmm, no, not here> And that is my question really: Is this likely to be a parasite I should be treating, or is this likely to be just an injury that requires no treatment? <The latter> He (or she) appears to have gone off food a bit. He is usually picking on the rocks all the time, but now he appears listless and does not pick on the rocks. Although he did just come for some flake food. The yellow tang first developed this condition a few days ago, and then he appeared fine for a few days. Yesterday I had to rearrange the tank to extract a failed powerhead from behind the reef and add 5 anthias and some corals I had quarantined (for 5 weeks), and today his eye condition has returned, worse if anything. Could this be related to the stress of rearranging the tank he lives in? <Yes... and the other livestock addition, though it likely originated with a physical trauma> Could he have bumped something in the unfamiliar environment? In the exophthalmia and pop-eye FAQs on WWM, I see that much of the time similar problems appear to be an injury, <Yes> but the fact that this problem has reappeared again, makes me wonder if this could be something other than an injury? <Could be a recurrence> Or is he just silly enough to keep bumping the same eye? <Unfortunately, yes> More details: The yellow tang shares an approx 625 litre (165 US gallon) tank with: 5 Lyretail anthias 2 common clowns 2 cardinals 2 yellow neon gobies 1 orchid Dottyback 1 psychedelic mandarin 1 cleaner wrasse <Not easily kept> 1 yellow watchman goby 1 yellow pistol shrimp (paired with the goby) 1 fire/blood shrimp 5 blue leg hermit crabs about 15 snails various soft and hard corals about 80KG of live rock and about 35KG of live sand. Water parameters are: Ph 8.0 Ammonia 0 NO2 0.01 (if you look hard and you want to see some color) NO3 2 PO4 0 KH/Alk 8.48/3.03 Mg 1200 Ca 390 O2 8 Tank has a sump which incorporates: Mechanical filtration Deep sand bed Refugium Skimmer Fluidised Rowaphos in a reactor Fluidised aragonite sand in another reactor The usual heaters and a chiller Tank is lit by 3 400w metal halides and 2 80w T5 actinic tubes. Tank has been running for 9 months. I attach the best two pictures I could get. I cropped them. I hope they are not too big. Thank you, Mark <Sounds/reads as a very nice system. I do think this Zebrasoma "ran into something"... and will likely cure in time of its own accord. Bob Fenner>

Re: Yellow Tang eye problem - Question  1/5/09 > I do think this Zebrasoma "ran into something"... > and will likely cure in time of its own accord. Bob Fenner Thanks Bob. It seems you were right. He must have run into something. We now call him Bang Tang. <Heeee!> I took your advice and did not treat the problem. I thought I would send a follow up note for the benefit of others who might experience this problem in the future, to say that a week later the tang's eye seems to have returned to normal of its own accord, as you predicted. Thank you for your advice, Mark <Thank you for this follow-up... Know that you have saved many folks consternation, and preserved the health of their livestock. Bob Fenner>

Dwarf lion cloudy eye not swollen 5/27/2008
Hey crew,
I hope all is well at the wet web. Ok this is more of a need for confirmation.
I have a dwarf lion D. Brachypterus I have had him around 7 months. His right eye is cloudy not swollen. the left eye is perfectly normal. His behavior is business as usual eating to satiation. Current diet includes Enriched Krill, mysis shrimp, and silver sides (I do give on occasion Ghost shrimp loaded with Cyclopeeze). tank mates are a yellow tang, and a white ribbon eel. the tank is a 75 gallon mixed reef soft coral, clams , sps, LPSs, zoos, leathers, Shrooms, pectina, inverts, with a 30 gallon fuge. water needless to say is optimal. I am assuming that this is due to some type of trauma
<Very likely, yes>
since there are not
any obvious signs of stress or going off feed, and the other eye is perfect.
Am I right or am I putting him in Quarantine for antibiotics?
<I would not... better to leave the fish where it is>
also instead of putting him in quarantine would it be possible if necessary to put the meds into a silver side and feed him that he does hand feed after all?
Thanks a lot Crew God bless
Dan
<And I would not "treat" the fish per se... just time going by, good water quality, nutrition will see this eye condition heal. Bob Fenner>

Popeye in clownfish
Hate to bother you guys/gals with another question, but I am starting to get worried about a clownfish. We have a 100 gallon with a pair of
Sebae clowns, a yellow tang, and a Rabbitfish. All appear to get along and have been together for over a year with no new tank additions. Tank parameters are stable: Ammonia, rIte, rAte: 0, pH: 8.2, SG: 1.025, calcium: 450, alkalinity...eek, can't remember, but has not been an
issue in the past, and temperature: 79. About a week ago, the female clown (about 3 inches) developed a swollen eye. I assumed it was trauma since it was unilateral and no other fish were affected.
<We are in agreement>
She has started hosting a hairy mushroom since the eye issue started. Prior to that, she hung out in the water column with the tang, male clown, and Rabbitfish. She still eats and her body condition looks fine otherwise.
The eye itself looks ok...no opacity, etc. Today, the eye is HUGE....it's raised probably about one cm. off the side of her head.
<Yikes!>
Near the top of the swelling is a slight blood tinged area. It looks like it wants to rupture. My question is whether or not to remove her to a hospital tank. I hated to stress her out more for what I assume is trauma and not disease, but I am wondering if I will need antimicrobials for a secondary bacterial infection.
<Mmm, these would not "get into" the fish expediently to do much good. I would not move the fish...>
Do you recommend leaving her in the main tank for further observation or removing her to a hospital tank for treatment? I am a vet, so obtaining whatever antibiotic you recommend is not an issue. Thanks ahead of time and sorry for taking your time. Love the site as always!
Michele
<Mmmm... do please take a look in ref.s/the Net re dosage... am sure you have Chloramphenicol (prep., succinate) that would be efficacious... injectible, flank... subcutaneous. Bob Fenner>

Popeye (not the sailor-man, toot toot) 
This is just some information I wanted to share with Bob Fenner. I've been reading the faq's for a long time, mainly the ones on Popeye and wanted his input on something that was happening in my tanks quite a while ago. It seemed that every new fish I'd add to my tank would bring on a case of scratching and shuddering on a few of the inhabitants already in the tank and sometimes the new addition as well. There would be no obvious spots on the fish other than occasionally a cloudy eye. After killing a cream angel through stressing it with all sorts of treatments I decided to try freshwater dips on all new victims. What actually fell off the fish were flat transparent oval parasites like mini lenses ranging from 1.5mm to 4mm and totally invisible in the main aquarium but would immediately turn white in freshwater and fall to the bottom. They seemed to be mainly on the fishes eyes and the eye would only turn cloudy and swell plus possibly develop a bubble if there were 2 or 3 on it. I have just purchased a blue ring angel over the internet and had it delivered even though the vendor informed me about his Popeye, after leaving him in a tank on his own for over a week to recuperate I decided to give him a freshwater dip and guess what, three of these little contact lenses fell off his eye and the Popeye is gone. My question really is why is this such a common problem with me but in all the internet Popeye theories I've read I've never heard anyone mention these mainly eye parasites as a cause of Popeye with an easy treatment. 
<Mmm, don't know, or am not so sure this is such a common link... cause-symptomatically> 
for months in my main aquarium these little things would return and the fish would scratch and shudder occasionally and a little flat disc would just about be visible on the eye of one or more fishes, this happened on a monthly cycle and has now stopped altogether. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated as my local shops don't seem to know what they are even though I have taken the parasites that fell off the fishes with me in a small jar. 
best regards Archie 
<Thank you for sending your notes, observations along. I do suspect that the disks you saw were trematodes (flukes)... and that they might be linked to the symptoms you note. I am a BIG FAN of pH-adjusted freshwater dips for most all marine fish moves... as my long writing history will testify. Will archive your input for others edification. Bob Fenner>

Epsom salts and Pop-eye 6/17/04
I was reading some of the other questions re: pop eye, and am still left confused.  
<no worries... I spend most of my days like that... confused, that is... not with pop-eye <G>)>
I have a 10 gallon tank with a molly, a platy, a frog and a loach.  My silver molly has one eye that seems to have popped out tremendously!  
<usually caused by blunt force. A black-eye so to speak>
Other than the eye, he appears to be normal as do the others. The fish person at Petco recommended to treat with "quick Cure" for 5 days.
<Yikes!!!!! Very mistaken. Not harmful, but not even remotely useful for this ailment (a good med overall though for parasites)>
I've done that, and have not noticed any difference.  
<indeed... at worst, this is a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics. Usually, though, it is merely an accumulation of fluid behind the eye from getting a little bump. >
I saw you recommended isolating the fish to another tank and using Epson salt, but I only have a fish bowl I could use.  Will a molly survive in a bowl vs. tank  to administer the treatment?<Hmmm... in this case, since the symptom is suspected to be non-contagious, you can treat it in the main tank>
If so, how much Epson salt do I use?  
<one tablespoon per five gallons then repeat after three days with another half dose. A water change in between will be helpful>>
Also, my tank currently has a small amount of aquarium salt dissolving in a container to help maintain my water levels, will this do the same as Epson salt?
<they are unrelated... no. Sodium chloride versus Magnesium sulfate>
Please help me.  This is all rather new to me. Thanks. Wendy Dern
<no worries my dear... I suspect your fish will be fine very soon :) Anthony>

Help!  Green Water and Maracyn
Hi Folks,
<Valerie>
Thank you for all your work on answering our questions!
<Welcome>
I have a Queen Angel with one severe Popeye.  I have treated with Epsom salts (twice), and have done 3 days of Maracyn treatment (tonight/tomorrow will be the 4th and 5th days).   The Popeye is still bad and is now showing additional "bubbles" on the Popeye.
<Good observation, bad situation. Cases like this prove to be very persistent... months to forever/incurable>
  I understand that improvement of the Popeye may take a week or so.
<I hope you're right>
What I am worried about is that today the water in the tank is green!  Could the Maracyn be causing that?
<Yes... anti... biotic... Maracyn is a brand name for Erythromycin...>
  I had removed my charcoal and PhosGuard on the second day.  Should I add it back in?
<Nothing>
  the Maracyn package says that if the charcoal is more than 5 days old it can stay in the system.
<Yes... carbons are very rapidly exhausted... ones more than a few hours in use are almost entirely "used up">
I have keep the skimmer running although there is a lot of foam in the sump.
I turned the UV off but just put it back on after reading on your site that it can stay on.  All other fish are doing fine.
Thank you so much for your help!!!
Valerie
<Lots to say... I take it you're read through the FAQs on Popeye/Exophthalmia archived on WetWebMedia.com and if not, I would do so (you can use the Google search tool on the homepage)... other than stable, optimized conditions, good nutrition, there is not much else "to do" here. Bob Fenner>

Treatment for Popeye
Hi everyone, hope you are having a wonderful New Year 2005!   I have a somewhat urgent question, as it seems all questions to this site must be.
<Mmm, some definitely more so than others>
I have an algae blenny with Popeye, he has had it about 3 weeks, and it was not getting better in my main tank though my water parameters are good. (pH 8.0-8.2, nitrite = 0, nitrate =10ppm, ammonia = 0, alkalinity 32.meq/L, temp 79 F, salinity 1.024).  Last night I took him out of the main tank an put him in the bare bottom hospital tank.  I have a powerhead with venturi and a heater and thermometer.  I have a PVC tee in the bottom for hiding.
<Good>
I don't have biological filtration, and the water is newly made up.
<Will need such filtration, soon. Perhaps a seeded sponge filter>
  I did adjust for temp, salinity and pH.  He seems fine both in the main tank and now in the hospital tank.  Just the eye looks cloudy and swollen.  
I added Melafix as this has worked for me before for Popeye, with cloudiness.  Should I add Epsom salt as well (with the Melafix)?
<I would add it... and not any more Melafix>
how much for a 10 gal tank?
<Two level teaspoons>
If this doesn't work after a week, what should use? and should I remove all the water with Melafix before starting something else?
<Give the Epsom at least a month...>
Also, since I don't have biological (or other filtration) how much water change should I do per day?
<Monitor, test for ammonia, change out enough to keep below 1.0 ppm.... As stated, look for biological filtration... and do water changes with water from an established (your main) system. The cause of the Popeye is physical, environmental>
And should I add water from my main tank into the hospital tank for the changes, and just put the new water that I make up in the main tank?
<Ahh, the former>
I understand that I should have used the water from my main tank to begin with, but that just didn't work out.  Maybe using the main tank water for hospital tank changes will make up for it, and give my main tank a small refresher each day as a bonus!
<Good thinking. Bob Fenner>

Re: treatment for Popeye
I received the below email on 01/03 stating to use 1 teaspoon of Epsom per 5 gallons of water.  Someone submitted today a question regarding seeing many different amounts of Epsom prescribed for this condition, as I have also seen.
<Yes>
   I am only using the 2 teaspoons as stated below, and after 1.5 weeks in the hospital he is NO better.  Should I increase the amount all the way to 2 tablespoons?
<Up to you. Worth trying at this point>
I would like him to get better in the next 1.5 weeks as I am leaving for a few days, and I don't think my husband wants to handle the water changes required for this hospital tank.  Please let me know, and thanks in advance for any information you can provide to help my little friend.
<Understand... that discourse over the Net necessarily requires generalities, "rules of thumb"... and better to shy on the conservative end of any given treatment regimen. Bob Fenner>

Re: treatment for Popeye
OK.. thanks, I think I will increase the dosage incrementally and monitor him. I agree about being on the conservative end, I usually do that, and will continue to do so.  Keeps me out of trouble!  
<You are wise here... or at least we're both lost! Bob Fenner>

Re: treatment for Popeye
Thanks so much for your quick response. Is there some way I can get the biological filtration started quickly to reduce the number of water changes? BioSpira or other additive, as I currently don't have a seeded sponge filter? Can I add a small piece of live rock?
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm>
I really don't want to do water changes every day for a month.  I did it the first time just last night (about 2 gallons) and it was a real pain.  I have tested the ammonia 3 times since night before last, and it is staying below .25ppm at this point.  
Also, when I do the water change do I add more Epsom (25% change, 1/2 teaspoon Epsom)?  Will the Epsom help with the cloudiness and the swelling?  
<Yes and yes>
Thanks so much for your help, it has been invaluable to me.  Also.. because of my research on your website, I just upgraded my Prizm protein skimmer to an AquaC Remora Pro...is has been installed for 3+ days, and has done better in that time (not even broke in yet) than my Prizm ever did in that same time or longer!  I had that Prizm for 2.5 years and never knew that there was better... knowledge is power!
<Indeed and in action. Bob Fenner>

- Treating Pop-eye -
I have a coral beauty with pop eye. Having read up on this it seems to be an injury. He is eating well and behaving normally. 
<Ahh good, good signs.>
I have read your FAQ's and just want to ask some specific questions.  I do not have a separate tank and would like to treat in my main tank. its a 55gal. 
<Should be able to treat in place provided no one is hassling this fish. He needs peace and quiet.>
I do a 20% water change every 3 weeks and my water quality is good.
In my tank I have A bubble tip Anemone, several kinds of shrimp, flame scallop live rock, yellow tang, cinn clown, damsels, several varieties of star fish hermit crabs, feather dusters, snails, clams, will the Epsom salt harm any of these??? 
<No, should be safe to use in small amounts.>
Also would I add the Epsom salt right to the tank or do I need to dissolve it first???? 
<I would dissolve it first in a glass of tank water.>
Once added will it effect my Specific gravity much??? 
<I can if you add too much.> 
& Should I compensate for this??? 
<Not for now, but good to run the tests anyway.
Cheers, J -- >

Popeye/Invert. IDs/interested in helping/WWM  9/29/05
Hello to all.
I recently had to do a major move for my fish, a couple of days later I noticed one of my clown's eyes was bulging.  He had got caught in the net during the move and the water and sand was greatly stirred causing quite a mucky mess.  So I am guessing that the Popeye was due to an injury received, then being in the messy water for a minute didn't help.
<Well-stated>
I immediately removed the fish and placed him in QT.  It has now been near 2 months.  I started off using melafix (hahaha-what a waste!)
<Agreed>
since it indicated that it is helpful for Popeye.
<Scam!>
Then I got into the FAQ's on this site and started adding Epsom salt (no longer adding melafix), 1 tbls per 5 gal. Wow! What a tremendous help!  So now, I realize my fish can be in QT for quite some time, however.... when do I know that it is safe to put him back in his display tank? The eye started to look as if it was going to fall out, that was before the Epsom salt was added.  The swelling went down and it has been at an idle position for a few weeks now.  Will the eye go back into 'socket' or what should I expect in a general scenario?
<The eye may never fully "shrink" back... If the fish is otherwise healthy, I would go ahead and return it to the main tank>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Another thing if you have spare time.....  
Any locations (I am looking into books as well) recommended for ID of various growths?  I believe some of the growths to be sponges of some sort, but there are some worms that I am unfamiliar with and a creature of some sort that has grown out of a tube (I can not explain this one, too odd for my vocabulary. I'm hoping the fact that it has a tube may be helpful in guiding me, haha far fetched but I'm hopeful) But the worms.....maybe you know this one without seeing an image.   When looking at the rocks all you see is little thread like strings spread out. They sometimes reach from one rock to another.  There are a great deal of these little "strings" appearing to be a greenish color.  Upon further inspection, these strings are attached to the top of the body of a worm (like a mass of stringy hair)....the worms are orange in color ranging from small to quite large.  I have taken a syringe and squirted water in that area....when doing this, debris floats up.  It is like these worms gather uneaten food,  and gunk and just set in it.  Thanks for the patience in my attempt to explain.  I am looking in to a digital camera, maybe when I do this one of you will be interested in viewing the pictures.
<Mmm, we have a bunch of Invertebrate Identification files, and Ron Shimek has done a great job of writing up guides to such unknowns and his work is largely published, accessible on the Net... additionally, he, Anthony Calfo and I have printed ID works on invert.s, and there are many such scientific and popular diving references... many of which are cited at the ends of my articles posted on WWM, and available through SeaChallengers.com, Amazon...>
Ok.....one last thing! : )
I am throwing ideas around in my head.  I am interested in starting some sort of salt water research/business.  I don't want to jump into this, I am still young and have lots of things to learn.  However, it is very interesting and enticing.  I believe I could do great things with it and would like some input as to how feasible this would be to accomplish, especially not living near a coast.
<Many possibilities... and exciting!>
What would be the best way to go about learning what I need to know (i.e. the scientific names,
medications, etc.) other than trial and error.
<T and E... too long and costly... Reap the benefits of those who have come before... read, voraciously, widely... with a discerning mind... directed toward discovering "needs" in the trade... to exploit, develop>
I am not sure exactly how you go about choosing members to respond to e-mails, and I am sorry if I am bluntly butting in, but are you looking for any more help?  (I think that is one of the best ways for me to learn is by teaching others)....just thought I'd throw that in there while it was on my mind.
Thank you!!!!!
Codie
<Always looking for help. Please tell me/us a bit about yourself... your area/s of expertise, time availability (we have many young and not friends who have school, other commitments that they must focus on foremost)... It is obvious you have a good grasp of English, a desire to help. Bob Fenner>

Marine fish: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly... A Clint Eastwood spaghetti aquarium? Nope: Persistent Pop-eye...  - 05/13/2006
Hello Everyone,
    Love the site use it all the time for the good, the bad and the ugly side of keeping marine fish. I have been in the hobby for quite a few years now and can't say I have ever seen this one before. I can't seem to find the right information anywhere on the site so I thought I would email for the first time ever.
Well the situation is I have a sick Chalk Bass that I have had for at least 6 months. He was quarantined prior to adding him to my display tank (learned my lesson on quarantine a long time ago) showed no signs of anything for a month prior to being added to the established display. Now 2 months later boom March 15 POPEYE in 1 eye.
I thought it was an injury at first as it did fully heal within 1 week. then 4-6 weeks later boom Popeye again. He does not show any other signs of infection bacterial or viral. NO marks, no bumps, no sores nothing. Again he healed up. Well about three days ago I noticed his eye beginning to swell again!!! This is the third time and this time it is both eyes.
<Happens... initially this was likely due to a physical trauma... but does just keep getting "more susceptible"...>
By far the worst he has looked.
I put him in a quarantine tank and treated with Paraguard and Kanaplex in his food. He still acts quite normal swimming, breathing and eating. The problem is he basically acts normal but has huge swollen eyes (clear bubbles with blood in them). I don't think he has gone blind yet because he still sees me and comes out for food.
Since he got sick I tested all tank parameters once a day due to the treatments. He is in QT now and for the last 3 days. Everything is great no ammonia, no nitrates PH perfect nothing unusual. I keep up on water changes and feed a variety of foods. Brine & Mysis shrimp, Spirulina flake, Omega flake and saturate frozen food 2-3 times a week with Selcon. So far no other fish has shown any type of infection. In fact the opposite everyone else is thriving!! Now I am worried that he has something bad like TB or a sister bacteria to TB or an internal Tumor.
<Mmm... possibly, but doubtful... where would the Mycobacteria get in?>
I realize this is a pretty rare and severe diagnosis but he is not improving or getting worse just staying the same.
There was never any aggression in the display as it is a 75 bowfront with 2 clowns 1 Kole Tang and 1 chalk bass. Nothing was added prior to his affliction. So I am really at a loss and I don't want to lose my fish.
What do you think is going on? Do you think that all the fish are at risk? Should I "put him down" .  How long can this go on?
<I would not sacrifice this fish... can go on... for years>
My Process of elimination:
  not water quality or debris as I vacuum and water change regularly   I don't' think malnutrition he does eat   I don't think gas bubbles / microbubbles or excess gas   I use RO water and agitate it overnight before adding   so far seems to be non-infectious   no visible marks on body or fins doesn't seem to be parasitic   I don't' think he has been harassed   belly is not swollen  and fins in good shape   not overcrowded
<I agree/concur with your synopsis... as stated... tis likely blood/vascular in nature... some recurring semi-permanent damage to the circulation feeding the one eye... very hard to impossible to completely cure in some cases/circumstances... Providing the best conditions, nutrition... as you've done, is about the best shot for helping>
Thanks in advance for you help. Hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely
Nadeane
<Bob Fenner>

Question about Epsom Salt Treatment for Pop-eye - 10/15/06
Dear WWM Crew,
I have a sebae clown with one bulging eye (other eye is fine).  He's the only fish in a 40 gallon reef tank, 196W CF, deep sand bed, bioballs, AquaC remora, UV sterilizer, and carbon.  Tank has been running 3 years and all tank stats are reading fine.  The bulging eye is not cloudy or otherwise abnormal, except for the fact that it is bulging :)
Based on reading the pop-eye and Epsom FAQs and the chat forums on WWM, I diagnosed the pop-eye as the result of trauma and treated the tank with 8 tablespoons total of Epsom salt on day 0, and then another 4 tablespoons on day 3.  It is now day 8 and the bulging eye is still there.  The fish is eating great, very active, nuzzling in his anemone, etc.
Just wondering how long a response to the Epsom treatment typically takes in your experience? <Weeks... Epsom salts is not a silver arrow remedy, but rather something that will "help" ease the swelling. The underlying trauma that caused the initial swelling needs to heal in its own time.> I read in the FAQs that the Epsom treatment can be repeated, but I couldn't find any advice on how often to repeat (or what the half-life of the Epsom salt already in the tank is). <Would supplement the salts when you change water. Do keep an eye on specific gravity for the tank as you are still adding a salt.> Any advice you have to give would be appreciated.
Thanks so much! And best regards,
Preston
Portland, Oregon
<Cheers, J -- >

Pop Eye eats me's spinach! (a success story) 3/11/07
<Greetings, Jeff. GrahamT here.>
My tank is a 75 gallon reef.  Last Monday I noticed my Long Nose Hawk had a severe case of pop eye.  
<Bummer.>
After researching your site I decided to try the Epsom Salt.  
<Good call.>
Did a 20% water change and added 1 tbs of Epsom Salt per 5 gallons.  
<Actually, prefer 1 tablespoon to 10 gallons ( http://www.wetwebmedia.com/epsomfaqs.htm )To the main system? Not generally advised. Won't mal-affect any other inhabitants, but is a good practice to isolate any ailing animals into their own system.>
Did another water change on Thursday with a 1 tbs per gallon retreat of Epsom Salt.  
<Wah?!? 1:1??? >
Almost one week later Sunday the Long Nose Hawks eye is back to normal.  
<Ahh, good. Must be understood that Epsom is more of a relief/aide than a treatment in itself... also outlined on WWM, so you probably already knew.>
Just want to say thanks guys for providing us reefers with an extremely valuable site for our reefing problems.                                                                                                                               Jeff
<You are very welcome, Jeff! I am glad to hear from a fellow hobbyist that made such productive use of our archive. Furthermore, you are a hero to your little buddy! YAY!
-GrahamT>

Re: Metal Halide size and T5 question, Flagfin angel dis./recovery  3/1/07
Thanks Bob for the prompt reply,
<Welcome Larry>
I think I'm going to go with the 150 HQI due to heat issues. I just needed to make sure that I could keep SPS and clams.
<Ahh, this would be my choice as well>
I'd like to share a success story with you about a sick fish since you here so many failures by hobbyists.
<Please do>
I have had a beautiful Flag Fin angel for 3 years.  It became ill when one of my older fish died and I didn't find out till 2 days later.  The angel developed bilateral cloud eye, fin rot, hemorrhagic patches on both sides of its abdomen and mouth. I immediately place it in my QT tank. It progressed very rapidly and the fish just labored at the top of the tank. It was literally knocking at deaths door and I thought about euthanizing it. I started treatment right away with 2 antibiotics, penicillin and furan along with every other day FW and methylene blue dips and every other day water changes to my QT tank.  Well now I call the angel the miracle fish.  Its almost back to normal except for some residual damage to one eye. This fish did not eat for 12 days and now its swimming around the tank and just starting to peck at food.  Its not completely out of the woods yet, but if it starts to eat again I just may get lucky.
<Yes... your diligence has paid well>
By the way, I'm a emergency medicine physician and  my wife and friends are calling me the fish doctor.
Have a great day and thanks for the help.
Larry
<A good title. BobF>