Does my picassa trigger have popeye? (movie file attached)

[jasony]

Hello All,
About 3 weeks ago i noticed that my picasso trigger's eyes are appearing to bulge out. I have a 150 fowlr up and running for 2 years. other inhabitants are (foxface, clown trigger, 3 damsels, 1 snowflake eel, a lunar wrasse and a false percula).
water levels are fine except for nitrates which are a little high (ive been doing 20% water changes, but not consistently).
my picassa is eating and behaving normally. I purchased some erythromycin but cant even net the picassa to put him in a hospital tank. For some reason, the "popeye" (or whatever it is) comes and goes... some days its bulging and some days its not..it bulges about 3 or 4 times a week and then reverts to normal.
please see the attached movie files of my picasso.
http://picasaweb.google.com/JasonCyn...61423610931554
http://picasaweb.google.com/JasonCyn...62282168305474

 

[beth]

Hard to see the eyes with the movie, but it does look like they are bulging. What are your water readings? Notice if the eyes are clouding?
Do you have a quarantine tank?

 

[jasony]

sorry for the blurry movie files.
im starting to think that it does have popeye.. the left eye is starting to get even larger than the right and seems slightly cloudy...
i really dont know what to do.. can someone advise? i never had a fish suffer from this before.
the thing is, i cant even capture it to remove it from the tank to treat it singularly.
also, can someone answer why it seems to come and go throughout the day?
one hour his eyes are retracted and look fine... 3 hours later, for ex, his eyes might be bulging again.

 

[sepulatian]

Pop eye can come from a variety of things. The main causes are an infection due to injury or poor water conditions. Do any of the fish pick at him? What are your exact water readings? How long have you had him? Have you added anything new? What does he eat? If you cannot remove him then you will have to boost his immune system and hope that he can heal himself. The best way to do that is by offering a high quality diet consisting of fresh or frozen foods. Beth has a recipe for making your own fish food in her Common Treatments FAQ at the top of this forum, or you can buy formula foods. Formula foods contain a variety of meats and greens. Adding vitamins to these foods will help speed up the healing process. Rotate a vitamin C supplement with Zoecon. Keep the water parameters ideal.

 

[jasony]

thanks..
its just confusing how it comes and goes so quickly
is that normal?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by JasonY
http:///forum/post/2687234
thanks..
its just confusing how it comes and goes so quickly
is that normal?
That shows that there is an infection, but that the fish is fighting it. Boost the fish's immune system. Offer quality foods, dosed with vitamins, and pristine water. Flakes, pellets, mysis, brine, things like that are no where near enough for SW fish. They sustain them for awhile, but not for long. They need a variety of foods to get the nutrition that they need. In the wild, they do not eat the same thing every day. It is the same with us. Broccoli is great for us. You can't eat it for every meal without your nutrition lacking. You have to provide supplements and a variety of foods. Your fish will thank you.

 

[jasony]

thanks, that sounds about right.
I have been only feeding my trigger a strict diet of mysis and prawns...
it seems like this infection only occurred once i purchased a lunar wrasse and started feeding the lunar wrasse silver sides.
the trigger would eat the silver sides.. soon after, i noticed the popeye.
could it be from the silver sides?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by JasonY
http:///forum/post/2689244
thanks, that sounds about right.
I have been only feeding my trigger a strict diet of mysis and prawns...
it seems like this infection only occurred once i purchased a lunar wrasse and started feeding the lunar wrasse silver sides.
the trigger would eat the silver sides.. soon after, i noticed the popeye.
could it be from the silver sides?
He wouldn't have gotten an infection from silversides. However, the addition of the new fish could have startled him causing him to scrape his eye on a rock, fouled the water quality, or any number of things.

 

[jasony]

it must of been the lunar wrasse.. ever since i purchased him is when the popeye appeared on the trigger.. the lunar wrasse digs up the sand bed alot... i wonder if that could of fouled the water.