Something wrong with my Blue Tang’s Eye

[newreef1]

Guys I need help! What’s wrong with my blue tangs eye. I see this slight bulging white silver stuff. It wasn’t prominent yesterday, I woke up and saw this today. It was in QT for 5 weeks after which it’s not in the DT, seems to eating normally, water quality is good. Did a 5 min freshwater dip with him last before transferring to DT. Can you help find what this is please!!

 

[newreef1]

Guys I need help! What’s wrong with my blue tangs eye. I see this slight bulging white silver stuff. It wasn’t prominent yesterday, I woke up and saw this today. It was in QT for 5 weeks after which it’s not in the DT, seems to eating normally, water quality is good. Did a 5 min freshwater dip with him last before transferring to DT. Can you help find what this is please!!

Sorry please see the attached pics

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like the start of popeye
Best remedy is to quarantine and use Maracyn/Maracyn 1 which is ethromyacin for 5 days

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry please see the attached pics

That looks like an entrained air bubble - is it silvery? If so, that can be caused by bacteria producing gas behind the eye, but also from a supersaturation event. Has the tank had a sump that got too low? Any air leaks on the suction side of a pump?
Jay

 

[MnFish1]

This seems like kind of a 'pimple' - which should not be there - whether air or infection - If it breaks - having the fish in an antibiotic seems like a smart decision - Neomycin/kanamycin/ or erythromycin

 

[newreef1]

That looks like an entrained air bubble - is it silvery? If so, that can be caused by bacteria producing gas behind the eye, but also from a supersaturation event. Has the tank had a sump that got too low? Any air leaks on the suction side of a pump?
Jay

Hello, thank you so much for your reply. It is silvery and it wasn’t there yesterday or atkeast this big. And yes the sump was low last night, I could hear the pump and I thought I filled it with RODI pretty quickly. Can that cause this? Do I need to quarantine it or should I wait?

 

[newreef1]

Looks like the start of popeye
Best remedy is to quarantine and use Maracyn/Maracyn 1 which is ethromyacin for 5 days

Thanks for your response. I have a Seachem medication I bought from my LFS, I have to see what it is. I think it’s Ethromycin, should I wait before transferring I don’t want to stress it out unnecessarily.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello, thank you so much for your reply. It is silvery and it wasn’t there yesterday or atkeast this big. And yes the sump was low last night, I could hear the pump and I thought I filled it with RODI pretty quickly. Can that cause this? Do I need to quarantine it or should I wait?

If it is supersaturation, it can't be treated and isn't contagious in the usual sense.

Here is a section from my fish disease book on the topic:

Acute supersaturation
This is known as the “gas bubble disease.” An aquarium that has a water pump malfunction of some sort may develop a dissolved gas saturation level of greater than 120%. The onset is sudden and the results devastating. Fish will develop severe bilateral exophthalmia (pop-eye involving both eyes), and their gills will show massive trauma with gas bubble aneurysms. In the worst cases, air bubbles will be present in the soft fin rays and in the gills. Death is rapid, and even if the still-living fish are moved to a new aquarium, they will usually not recover

Two common causes of acute supersaturation are a sump that is allowed to run dry, allowing the pump to suck in air, or a loose fitting that allows for a continuous air leak at the suction side of a pump. Despite best intentions, equipment sometimes does fail, allowing supersaturation to occur.

In these cases, the problem can be lessened by always having the return line from any aquarium pump return water to the aquarium above the water line. The agitation of the pumped water hitting the aquarium surface is akin to shaking up a can of soda pop and driving off the “fizz.”

Not every case of gas buildup in animal tissue is caused by supersaturation. Some bacteria produce gasses as they grow and multiply. A fish with a serious bacterial infection may develop gas pockets in the intestines, behind the eyes, in the air bladder, or even under the skin.

Jay

 

[newreef1]

Guys I need help! What’s wrong with my blue tangs eye. I see this slight bulging white silver stuff. It wasn’t prominent yesterday, I woke up and saw this today. It was in QT for 5 weeks after which it’s not in the DT, seems to eating normally, water quality is good. Did a 5 min freshwater dip with him last before transferring to DT. Can you help find what this is please!!

So the swelling hasn’t gotten any bigger or smaller really and the fish is still swimming fine. Should I go ahead and try to catch it and freshwater dip and then QT with the ethromycin?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So the swelling hasn’t gotten any bigger or smaller really and the fish is still swimming fine. Should I go ahead and try to catch it and freshwater dip and then QT with the ethromycin?

I don't see a FW dip being of any benefit here. Maracyn 1 is good for eye infections.

I'm still wondering if this is from supersaturation. In that case, only time will fix it, and then, not always.

Jay

 

[newreef1]

Hmm, because in the excerpt from your book, it mentions if it was due to supersaturation it would be both the eyes however this is just one. Also it’s not around the entire eye, it’s simply towards the top. That’s why I was wondering what to do. Any cons on treating it with the antibiotics?

I don't see a FW dip being of any benefit here. Maracyn 1 is good for eye infections.

I'm still wondering if this is from supersaturation. In that case, only time will fix it, and then, not always.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hmm, because in the excerpt from your book, it mentions if it was due to supersaturation it would be both the eyes however this is just one. Also it’s not around the entire eye, it’s simply towards the top. That’s why I was wondering what to do. Any cons on treating it with the antibiotics?

The second photo shows a gas bubble pulling up on the sclera of the eye. Yes, supersaturation usually involve both eye, but it could be microscopic in the other eye. The gas formation could also be from bacterial action. However, based on you describing it as "silvery" and knowing that the sump ran low, I still wonder if it is supersaturation.

It may resorb on its own. There is no harm in dosing it with Erythromycin in a treatment tank as long as you handle it properly and monitor the ammonia level.

Jay