Angelfish Popeye Treatment Journal

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Jamepsss

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Noticed last night that my Angel's eye was bulging out of his head. This guy has always had a few issues with sores on his head which come and go, maybe even HITH not sure, so it could be connected to that. Anyway, tonight I decided to dig out the old 64L tank and use it as a hospital tank to treat him alone.

I'm treating with MYXAZIN by Waterlife and today is day 1 of the course. I've used filter media from another tank so hopefully I can complete the 5 day course without ammonia/nitrite issues and water changes.

Here's his temporary home. Bare tank with water, filter and heater.

img0509tk.jpg


And here's his bulging eye...

img0508q.jpg


If you have any tips/advice/help or anything please let me know, I'm desperate for this guy to make a full recovery. The good news is that he does still have an appetite and the other good news is that none of my other fish have any signs of disease.

I'll record his progress on this thread.
 
Wish I could give you words of wisdom but I don't have any in this case. Did want to say thank you for doing this though. I think if we had more "journals" like this it would be really helpful to all who post or who try to help. Thanks again and good luck.
 
Thanks Karin, hopefully it will be prove to be useful.

Day 2

I don't think there's been any improvement yet to be honest, early days I know.

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He didn't seem particularly interested in food tonight either.
 
Day 3

Still no real sign of improvement today. Was hoping to have seen some positive results by now...

img0519w.jpg


There's a kind of 'crack' which has developed in the growth between his eye and head, I don't know if this is a good thing or if he's going to lose his eye. :/

He picked up some food today and looked like he was eating it but eventually spat it out.
 
Fingers crossed he will make a full recovery. Its a shame Wilder is not around to give you some advice.

Keith.
 
Clean water will help a lot. Good food and I found medicated food can do wonders. I have had pop eye improve in a day. After a huge wc change and then I fed medicated food and it just got better and better.
 
Fingers crossed he will make a full recovery. Its a shame Wilder is not around to give you some advice.

Keith.

Cheers Keith. I agree - WHERE ARE YOU WILDER?!

Clean water will help a lot. Good food and I found medicated food can do wonders. I have had pop eye improve in a day. After a huge wc change and then I fed medicated food and it just got better and better.

Thanks, I think water changes and mediacted food will be my plan B after these 5 days.

Day 4

img0521wl.jpg


Still no good news. He won't eat, the crack in the growth is looking worse and I'm feeling pretty bad for him. Will complete the 5 day course and then move on to plan B I think. :/
 
awww im so sorry. i hate to see angels looking like that. omega makes some sort of food that supposedly stops the fish's loss of hunger, providing that they eat it. has really worked for me.
 
awww im so sorry. i hate to see angels looking like that. omega makes some sort of food that supposedly stops the fish's loss of hunger, providing that they eat it. has really worked for me.

Well he had a nibble on some blood worm and garlic brineshrimp tonight but wasn't over enthusiastic.

Day 5 & 6

Didn't get a chance to update this yesterday but still no real improvement. Don't think Myxazin has really helped to be honest.

For the next week I'm going to try and do a 50% water change daily. I'll update with pics again in a few days.
 
You might try epsom salt (Magnisuim sulfate-easy to find in any pharmacy and really cheap too). 1 teaspoon/gal if using as a dip (up to 30 mins 2X a day) or 1 tablespoon per 5 gal if adding to the tank. Epsom draws fluid out of the tissues so might get some positive results with it.
Clean water is generally the way to go. Popeye is a symptom and not an outright disease so treatment is sometimes difficult if you are unsure of the cause.
any other signs/symptoms? Does the fish flick or rub objects in the tank? any white stringy mucousy poo? Any bullying in the maintank or other chance of injury (which can also cause popeye)? Any sudden swings in temp?
Meds can knock the fish a bit so might be why he hasnt been too interested in food. Will be interesting to see if now that the waterlife treatment is over if he should be getting his appetite back. He may be "sulky" too in a "new house". In any case, keep up with the waterchanges and best of luck in a full recovery.
keep us posted!
cheers
 
You might try epsom salt (Magnisuim sulfate-easy to find in any pharmacy and really cheap too). 1 teaspoon/gal if using as a dip (up to 30 mins 2X a day) or 1 tablespoon per 5 gal if adding to the tank. Epsom draws fluid out of the tissues so might get some positive results with it.
Clean water is generally the way to go. Popeye is a symptom and not an outright disease so treatment is sometimes difficult if you are unsure of the cause.
any other signs/symptoms? Does the fish flick or rub objects in the tank? any white stringy mucousy poo? Any bullying in the maintank or other chance of injury (which can also cause popeye)? Any sudden swings in temp?
Meds can knock the fish a bit so might be why he hasnt been too interested in food. Will be interesting to see if now that the waterlife treatment is over if he should be getting his appetite back. He may be "sulky" too in a "new house". In any case, keep up with the waterchanges and best of luck in a full recovery.
keep us posted!
cheers


Thanks for the great post Loraxchick. Will try and get hold of some epsom salts, good suggestion.

The only other symptoms are the hole in the head dots he's been getting ever since I bought him. In fact, you can see one in all of the front-on pics in this thread, the white dot I believe is HITH. He never flicks or rubs and before I transferred him to the hospital tank his appetite was spot on, even with the pop-eye so I think the loss of appetite is a combination of the meds and him sulking over the move.

No sudden changes in temp or unusual looking poo but there has been a potential injury causer in my tank which I haven't mentioned until now. One of the reflectors slipped down off the lights and was hanging beneath the water surface for a while. I don't believe this has caused it but it's a possibility.
 
for hole in the head try some liquid baby vitamins (get them at the pharmacy) wet some fishfood with the vitamins and let dry, then feed to the fish. HITH is generally from lack of vitamins. Vary the fish's diet more with frozen, flake, pellets etc. Ive heard and read good things about those baby vitamins helping with HITH (not that ive owned ciclids myself but from hours of disease research anyway).
all the best. Hope you get it sorted. Awful when the fish are sick, eh?
cheers
 
for hole in the head try some liquid baby vitamins (get them at the pharmacy) wet some fishfood with the vitamins and let dry, then feed to the fish. HITH is generally from lack of vitamins. Vary the fish's diet more with frozen, flake, pellets etc. Ive heard and read good things about those baby vitamins helping with HITH (not that ive owned ciclids myself but from hours of disease research anyway).
all the best. Hope you get it sorted. Awful when the fish are sick, eh?
cheers

Thanks, never heard of that before, certainly something to think about.

You're right, it is awful.
 
I've not managed to get anything else yet so still just going with the 50% water changes.

His eye is looking worse than ever tonight and so is the HITH...

img0526m.jpg


Completed another water change just now. I'm starting to wonder if it's fair to keep this fish alive? He's obviously not happy but I'm wondering if he's suffering with it too?
 

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