Cure for Popeye

[jamesbuf]

I'm grabbing an extra 20gal and setting it up for tomorrow for a QT tank. Looks like one of my Heniochus has popeye. I've done a google search , but I'd like to also to know how some of the members have handled this in the past. Thanks for any help you can give.

[davelin315]

Depends... one thing that can clear it up is high quality water and a good varied diet. If that fails to work you may need to resort to medicating it (not sure which ones most use as it can be the result of many different factors so typically a wide spectrum antibiotic I would think) or, if it's really bad, you may need to lance it. I had a clown in school (no, not a class clown, but an actual fish!) that had popeye so I improved the water quality and fed it medicated food. The popeye went away but it got beat up badly when I transported it home in the bucket with another fish (my bad) and it died after being in my system where I was letting it finish healing for this school year.

[jamesbuf]

I've been feeding mysis and cycopeeze soaked in garlic extreme and selcon. I've also been feeding pellets and flakes as well. Its having a tough time eating. I don't think it can see out of the one eye and its messing up its coordination. I'm spot feeding with a small turkey baster, so thats helping a little. It seems healthy enough, but I'm not trying to take a chance and lose another one of these guys. I'm already down from 4 to 3. Thanks for the advice.

[flowerseller]

I thought everybody knew the cure for Popeye was Olive Oyl.

 

It can be caused by a bacterial infection but it could also be simply the result of an eye injury. Many times it simply clears up on it's own under good water conditions.

You could try feeding it food soaked in selcon to get more vitamins in it.

 

Maracyn or Maracyn II but not in the main tank as it can effect live rock or any biological filtering you have.

 

I'd wait it out if I were you because trying to catch it and then moving it can cause as much stress as the resuting popeye. It's typically not a contagious issue but the reason for it might allow others to also develop it unless it's from injury.

['Ric]

I have heard that the beneficial ingredient in garlic is very unstable and breaks down quickly. It's better to get some fresh garlic from the grocery store and press it yourself.

 

'Ric

[NRehman]

As mentioned earlier, popeye is bacterial. I have used amoxillin (spelling?), a broad spectrum antibiotic, which took care of it. I have tried others, but this worked well for me. Available in fish stores (I think I picked mine up from Wally's). Treated the fish when it came in so it was already in a quarantine tank. Good luck.

[jamesbuf]

Well its still swimming around and eating, so I guess I'll give it a little time. I have the 20gal QT already setup and ready if things start to go downhill. Hopefully the fish just had a little trauma to his eye during the move and it will clear up. If its not showing improvement by Thursday, I'm going to go get some medicine. Thanks for all your help guys.

[AndrewB]

We find that a combination of Kanamycin (most easily found in stores as Seachem's KanaPlex) and Melafix are the most reliable treatment for popeye related to bacterial infection. If it is related to injury, it may clear up on its own. As Chip mentioned, it's not particularly contagious, but an advancing infection can very rapidly destroy the afflicted fish.

 

Melafix by itself will not stop the infection but it will assist with regenerating damaged tissue.

[treesprite]

You can get some of the antibiotics at just Petco or Petsmart, if you decide to use those.