Fish Docs - Pop eyed Clarkii needs your help

[snowbear]

Howdy - I have a clarkii clown with pop-eye. It was pretty nasty looking with the affected eye cloudy with a white fuzzy center (pupil?) The eye was ~ twice the size of the normal one I did searches on this board for recommended treatments.
My water tested as follows:
Temp 82F
SG 1.026
pH 8.4
Amm 0
Trites 0
Trates 40
Per recommendations to others here, I did small H2O changes over 3 days. Kept testing, only change was Trates down to 20.
Not sure how he got it, but it didn't get better in 3 days so I took the plunge, removed 80% of my 200 # of LR from my 75 so I could catch the sucker, moved him to a Hospital tank and started Maracyn 2 treatment at double dose (again, per recommendations here). Also, 4 days ago I added daily Melafix treatments. I have had to do daily water changes to keep the quality good since the maracyn must have killed all the bugs in the filter. I'm also running a Prizm on the H tank. I'm feeding once a day, just before I change the water. I've been adding the medication right after the water changes. He eats, but not with as much gusto as usual.
So anyhow, today is day 8 in the H tank and I used up the last double dose of Maracyn 2 (Yes, I treated for 8 days). The eye looks about 50% better than it did, but is still cloudy and popped, but not near as bad as before treatment. Also, the fuzzy center is gone.
Finally - my question - What now? Should I continue the Maracyn 2? What about the Melafix? It's herbal, so I figured it can't hurt? Should I switch to a different antibiotic? Should I wait and see if it gets worse or better before continuing treatment?

 

[beth]

Sounds like you did the right thing.
A pop eye may never go back to completely normal. The fact that the eye eye is clear, is a definate sign of healing. Keep the fish in the hospital for a week wo meds. Make sure water conditions are optimum. Feed at least 2x daily.
What are you feeding the fish?

 

[snowbear]

Thanks, Beth! I'm feeding Vibra Gro and Frozen Brine. I'll feed twice a day and watch him for another week. If he gets worse again, I'll re-post here. The eye isn't clear yet, but only a little cloudy compared to the toatal catarct and the fuzzy center he had before.
Again - Thanks

 

[beth]

Add a bit more variety into that diet. Also, soak the food for an hour in garlic prior to offering up.
If things get worse, you may want to be prepared for another round of antibiotics, this time furacyn. If you don't have access to this now, you may want to see if you can get it in the intruim.

 

[snowbear]

OK, got it - more variety, garlic, Stock up on Furacyn. I'll go to the lfs on Monday and see what they've got for different frozen stuff. I know they have furacyn 'cause I saw it when I bought the Maracyn 2. For furacyn - is the dose according to directions? I'll need to know so I can buy the right amt if I end up treating.
Thanks again for the assistance, Beth.

 

[beth]

Terry B's recomendation for this antibiotic is 30mg/gal, one dose on the first day only. Leave in treatment 3 to 5 days, but only use that 1 dose.

 

[snowbear]

OK. Thanks, Beth. He's actually looking better than yesterday!! WooHoo!! Hopefully I won't have to treat him any more, but I am going to get the furacyn and some more Maracyn 2 just to have it on hand. Are there any other meds that you would recommend I have around?

 

[beth]

Those are the best 2 antibiotics for SW fish. Don't combine using them. Also, don't stock up. Just have what you need available. Antibitics have a shelf life.

 

[snowbear]

What I meant by "stocking up" is having a course of each available if I need it. I'll check the expiration dates and if they're at least a year, I'll get 'em. If not, I'll hold off 'til I need 'em.

 

[snowbear]

Beth - just wanted to update you on this fish - I've been watching him in the H tank for a little over a week now. No meds at all since I started this thread and I started feeding him (and the other fish) a blendered diet of Nori seaweed, Omega1 marine flakes, frozen shrimp, mahi mahi, scallops, cod and garlic. They absolutely love it!! Anyhow, the clarkii's popeye is completely back to normal size but still hazy. I'm almost 100% sure he can't see out of that eye, but can see in front and to the other side. I acclimated him back to the main tank and he's back to hanging out in his old haunt behind the rocks near the heater.
Thanks so much for your help with this guy - I credit you and all the quality advice on this forum for saving him!

 

[beth]

That is so good to hear! I'm glad when members post back with the end results of their sick fish.
I would add some garlic soaked food to that fish's diet. Garlic has a mild antibiotic quality as well as being an immune boaster. If you use the hobby garlic, you can just add a few drops right in to your blendered preped food.
I feed my fish fresh seafoods blender preped too, and this is definately a better choice, IMO. Not only better for the fish, but it seems to me to be less polluting in the tank as well. Who wants a frozen seafood dinner when you can get it fresh from the seafood counter at your grocery store!
Thanks for posting back!

 

[snowbear]

Well, since it's been a couple months I wanted to update you on this fish. He is still completely blind in the affected eye, but he seems to have adapted quite well. He has also figured out to keep that side to the glass so no-one (except me ) can sneak up on him. Thanks again for the help saving this fish.

 

[snowbear]

It's possible it was from netting, but it had been 2-3 weeks after netting him (besides of course when I moved him to the Q tank, but that was after he had been sick for a while) that he started showing signs of a problem. Is it possible it took that long to show up? One of his favorite places to hide/hang out was (and still is) between the glass and some LR. I guess I assumed he probably scraped himself, but if I did it, I will most definitely need to change my capture procedure!! Thanks for the info, Terry.

 

[beth]

Its best to capture within the tank, get the fish into a tranfer container while still in tank, then move the fish.

 

[snowbear]

Waaaaa! This Clarkii was doing awesome, even though he remained blind in the one eye. 2 seeks ago both eyes started bulging and getting cloudy. I QTed him and started treatment. Poor guy had a hard time finding his food, but when a piece would touch him, he'd spin around and grab it, so I thought he would be OK. Well, on day 4 of treatment he went belly up and swam no more . He was several years old, so maybe that was part of it. He wasn't getting harassed and hasn't been netted or otherwise captured until I put him in the QT tank.
I just wanted to thank you guys for helping me save him the first time around.