Angel Coral Beauty with possible Popeye

[rwp101]

Hey all,

I recently bought this Angel Coral Beauty from a local fish store that does their own medicated quarantines. I have been watching this fish at the store for over a month now. It seemed fine with no issues. Within 24 hours of introduction to my Display tank it seems to have developed Popeye. First in one eye and then the other. There is no cloudy discoloration but the eyes are bulging. The fish has been visibly agitated for a couple days now. I have added Epsom salt to see if that would help. I am nervous about moving an already stressed fish who was recently moved into QT to treat with Kanaplex. Suggestions?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey all,

I recently bought this Angel Coral Beauty from a local fish store that does their own medicated quarantines. I have been watching this fish at the store for over a month now. It seemed fine with no issues. Within 24 hours of introduction to my Display tank it seems to have developed Popeye. First in one eye and then the other. There is no cloudy discoloration but the eyes are bulging. The fish has been visibly agitated for a couple days now. I have added Epsom salt to see if that would help. I am nervous about moving an already stressed fish who was recently moved into QT to treat with Kanaplex. Suggestions?

Please post a pic under white lighting for best assessment
The fish is already in salt and epsom salt rendered useless in a marine setting and is a treatment for goldfish. If both eyes infected - likely bacterial but need a pic to see what you are describing

 

[rwp101]

Here are some. Sorry about that. And thanks for the tips on epsom!

 

[MnFish1]

Agree with @vetteguy53081 - it could be a change in salinity, etc - but it points more to an infection, and antibiotics in a hospital tank IMHO would be the start. I guess flukes would be another possibility. Do you think it could have been injured during transfer

 

[rwp101]

Travel was smooth. While it's possible there was no indication of injury when added to the tank. And it was one eye that developed it and then the other a day later.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Travel was smooth. While it's possible there was no indication of injury when added to the tank. And it was one eye that developed it and then the other a day later.

Fish is very distant in pics but enough to get an idea. Looks like left eye started with possible injury/trauma but bacterial is a likelihood. With Popeye, exophthalmia gives the eyes appearance of air trapped in the eyes. Other causatives can be nutritional deficiency, contaminants in the tank introduced , gas embolism caused by sudden increase in tank temperature, , elevated nitrate or ammonia, stress,.

 

[rwp101]

Yeah I can't get around to get a good picture of it on the backside. Those were the best I could get. Nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels are all golden atm. I have been reading a lot of cases of this same thing when this particular fish is brought home and it clearing up. I have a QT tank ready to go but I am concerned about stressing it out further if it might come out of it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah I can't get around to get a good picture of it on the backside. Those were the best I could get. Nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels are all golden atm. I have been reading a lot of cases of this same thing when this particular fish is brought home and it clearing up. I have a QT tank ready to go but I am concerned about stressing it out further if it might come out of it.

You really don’t want to move a fish with eye trauma adding damage with a net
You can use ruby rally pro in the tank but it takes a couple days to start working and longer to act opposed to using seachem neoplex or kanaplex, even Maracyn 2

 

[rwp101]

I thought that might be the case. Thank you for confirming for me. I am still kind of new at this.

I don't have ruby rally but I'll add it to my list. I do have Kanoplex present. Is that fine to use in a display tank? I have read some about it helping make immune bacteria strains for the future.

 

[mxzx8004]

I thought that might be the case. Thank you for confirming for me. I am still kind of new at this.

I don't have ruby rally but I'll add it to my list. I do have Kanoplex present. Is that fine to use in a display tank? I have read some about it helping make immune bacteria strains for the future.

Hey!! My wife and I feel your pains LOL. We brought a CB home two weeks ago. She has not been eating like the clowns or the blue tang, been hiding etc, and we realized her pectoral fin is missing. The shop I get my stuff from is very thorough so thinking she might have rubbed it off on the rocks the first few nights? Someone suggested the clows may have attacked her, but we can't see it, they are so friendly with her and the blue tang. Anyways long story short, and I really trust my shop, they said not to treat the fleshly looking part as it will clear up...

 

[rwp101]

Hey!! My wife and I feel your pains LOL. We brought a CB home two weeks ago. She has not been eating like the clowns or the blue tang, been hiding etc, and we realized her pectoral fin is missing. The shop I get my stuff from is very thorough so thinking she might have rubbed it off on the rocks the first few nights? Someone suggested the clows may have attacked her, but we can't see it, they are so friendly with her and the blue tang. Anyways long story short, and I really trust my shop, they said not to treat the fleshly looking part as it will clear up...

I'm very sorry to hear that! It is definitely a frustration of the hobby to be excited about a new fish just to spend time worrying about it instead. I'm in a similar boat in that my CB hasn't been bullied either. I have spent a lot of time monitoring day and night. Possible bumps into live rock... but no bullying.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I'm very sorry to hear that! It is definitely a frustration of the hobby to be excited about a new fish just to spend time worrying about it instead. I'm in a similar boat in that my CB hasn't been bullied either. I have spent a lot of time monitoring day and night. Possible bumps into live rock... but no bullying.

If you want to take a deeper dive into fish eye health, I had written this article (it won't solve your issue for you, but it will give you background information):

Aquarium Fish: The ‘Eyes’ Have it: A Review of Eye Health in Aquarium Fishes

Aquarists need to inspect their fish closely every day, for signs of impending health problems. It is much easier to resolve a problem when it first starts, than to attempt a drastic emergency treatment when the fish is close to dying.

reefs.com

Jay

 

[rwp101]

If you want to take a deeper dive into fish eye health, I had written this article (it won't solve your issue for you, but it will give you background information):

Aquarium Fish: The ‘Eyes’ Have it: A Review of Eye Health in Aquarium Fishes

Aquarists need to inspect their fish closely every day, for signs of impending health problems. It is much easier to resolve a problem when it first starts, than to attempt a drastic emergency treatment when the fish is close to dying.

reefs.com

Jay

Awesome! I'll read that now. Thanks you.