Clownfish with Popeye not improving

[unreefer]

Purchased a pair of very large black saddleback clownfish on Dec, 28. Put them immediately in copper QT. After two days the male clownfish had pop eye in one of his eyes causing it to bulge out pretty big. I ceased the copper treatment and put them in a different tank with antibiotics. I treated it with kanaplex and furan-2 for a few days since I was waiting for erythromycin + Maracyn 2 mail. Since then I have been dosing it and also with Epson salt (5TBS per gallon, x2 times). I have yet to see any improvement. Just ran out of Maracyn 2, now doing erythromycin and furan2. Any ideas what I can do? Can the eye be saved also?

 

[Humblefish]

You could try lancing the air out a la @Paul B method:

If you want to cure him "instantly" so he will love you for a long time. Take the fish out, hold him in a net, or have someone else hold him. Stick a hypodermic needle through the stretched tissue near the top of his eye, not in the eye itself and withdraw the plunger on the needle. The eye will immediately retreat and go back where it was last month and the fish will be very happy.
I have done that dozens of times and never lost or blinded a patient.

 

[unreefer]

I might be too nervous to try this. Is there any videos of it being performed?

 

[Humblefish]

I might be too nervous to try this. Is there any videos of it being performed?

I didn't see any videos about it on Dr. Loh's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJLoSfDy187XKu0Lml-oepg

This is not exactly how I would do it, but.....

 

[unreefer]

Still no improvement with epson and antibiotics. I'm still trying to gain courage to do this. I tried googling to find information or guide. I really can't find anything detailed.

I seen alot of like bubbles right outside the eye when searching however not much with just pure popeye with 'gas bubble'

I was able to find a 20 gauge needle but should I find something smaller?

How far should the needle go in? Am I at risk of hitting am optical nerve?

How much air do I draw out? Could I go over?


Also I will definitely need to do anesthesia with clove oil. Its way too hyper. How much? Any dosing guides for clownfish?


As you can tell I find this freaky

 

[unreefer]

Here is a quick video of how it still looks

 

[Humblefish]

I was able to find a 20 gauge needle but should I find something smaller?

How far should the needle go in? Am I at risk of hitting am optical nerve?

How much air do I draw out? Could I go over?


Also I will definitely need to do anesthesia with clove oil. Its way too hyper. How much? Any dosing guides for clownfish?

I wouldn't worry about anesthesia so long as you have someone else helping you to hold the fish in place.

I personally would use a 30 gauge insulin syringe. Just stick the needle in far enough to draw out the trapped air. Don't let the tip of the needle go anywhere near his eye.

 

[unreefer]

Phew, finally just did it! Thank you like always @Humblefish ! I ordered 30g insulin needles on amazon. Decided not to use clove oil to complicate it. Pulled out 3cc of pure air with one very tiny spec of puss(?). The eye size went down about 85-90% down. Should that be good enough and let the rest hopefully go away on its on? Also, I assume I just most likely took my clownfish out of danger of losing its eye too? Finally question, any aftercare advice to give to my little patient? I'm thinking one more round of antibiotics to prevent any new infections and epsom salt.

 

[Humblefish]

Phew, finally just did it! Thank you like always @Humblefish ! I ordered 30g insulin needles on amazon. Decided not to use clove oil to complicate it. Pulled out 3cc of pure air with one very tiny spec of puss(?). The eye size went down about 85-90% down. Should that be good enough and let the rest hopefully go away on its on? Also, I assume I just most likely took my clownfish out of danger of losing its eye too? Finally question, any aftercare advice to give to my little patient? I'm thinking one more round of antibiotics to prevent any new infections and epsom salt.

I would continue to dose erythromycin (and minocycline if you can find it) for at least 7 days. Also maintain excellent water quality; dirty water helps to fuel harmful bacteria.

 

[unreefer]

@Humblefish

Believe or not, the female has popeye too now. Happened a few days ago. One eye only. Looks just like the males before, just not as severe as the male once had it.

She has been in the antibiotics & epson salt with the male the entire time. I'm not sure why she would get it.

Any clues why? Pure coincidence or is there some parasite, superbug bacteria?

I'm guessing the antibiotics will do nothing for her since its started when she was in it. Should I take them out of QT and just throw them in my secondary DT to see if it just resolves on its on? Confused on how to proceed next.

 

[Jessican]

If it’s only one eye, that’s often due to injury. My hogfish tangled with a bristleworm recently and ended up with unilateral popeye and it cleared up on its own with no treatment. If you give her a few days, it should heal up.

 

[Humblefish]

If it’s only one eye, that’s often due to injury. My hogfish tangled with a bristleworm recently and ended up with unilateral popeye and it cleared up on its own with no treatment. If you give her a few days, it should heal up.

+1 Although sometimes poor water quality can be a contributing factor to popeye.

@unreefer Is the females popped out eye cloudy or clear?

 

[unreefer]

+1 Although sometimes poor water quality can be a contributing factor to popeye.

@unreefer Is the females popped out eye cloudy or clear?

Clear, just like the male. No glaze or cloudiness. Here are some bad photos

 

[Humblefish]

Clear, just like the male. No glaze or cloudiness. Here are some bad photos

Probably just injury then. Have you noticed the two clownfish fighting??

 

[unreefer]

Probably just injury then. Have you noticed the two clownfish fighting??

Nope, none at all. They are a close pair.