Otto With Pop Eye

[finalfantay85]

I've just noticed one of my ottos has pop eye in both eyes.
I've managed to get my ammonia levels down to 0.25ppm with lots of water changes but now today has developed pop eye.
Do you recommend leaving him where he is and hope that he'll get better now that the ammonia levels are falling? Thanks in advance for yet more help

Edit - I might have misunderstood about ammonia causing pop eye, sorry if that's the case
Edit 2 - pH is 7.6, NitrIte is 0ppm NitrAte is 5ppm and Ammonia is 0.25ppm

 

[WILDER]

Bad water quality can cause popeye.

How many gallons or litres is the tank.
How many fish and which type.

Bacterial med for popeye.

http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm

 

[finalfantay85]

Bad water quality can cause popeye.

How many gallons or litres is the tank.
How many fish and which type.

Bacterial med for popeye.

[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm[/URL]

It's a 57L with 5 guppies, one of which is now gasping and has wedged itself between the glass and the filter, so not looking good,
8 copper harlequins
6 flame tetra
2 otto

 

[finalfantay85]

You can ignore the bit about the gasping guppy. She's just died. It is normal for them to die so soon after symptoms of illness show up? I know they are sensitive fish but this was the space of a few hours.

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P.

Immediate water change.

 

[finalfantay85]

Will do, be 5th one of the day, all the stats are normal at the moment with the ammonia which was the original problem being between 0 and 0.25ppm. It doesn't drop below that ie all the way to zero no matter how many water changes are done. I think the guppy might have had a parasite as when i fished her out i noticed some signs of rubbing to one side of the body, a red patch by one of the fins.

 

[WILDER]

How long has the tank been set up.


Flicking and red patches can also be due to bad water quality.
Red patches and red streaking is septicemia.

 

[finalfantay85]

There was no streaking just one red patch behind one of the fins. I have had a major ammonia problem but seems to be under control.
Tanks been up 6 weeks now.
2 more of the tetra are now in one of the corners of the tank just swimming up and down with their noses pressed up against the glass

 

[WILDER]

For now I would do a water change.

Keep a look out for excess slime, spots, gold dustings on fish, greyish white film on fish, red pin prick marks.

 

[finalfantay85]

I'm starting to lose all hope here, i've just noticed one of the harlequins has a red enlarged/inflamed anus. Could it be an internal parasite or worm? I've not seen it go to the toilet so i can't comment on that.
I feel awful that so many of my fish have become ill/died over the last 5 days

 

[WILDER]

Red inflamed anus can be dropsy to internal parasites.
Popeye is closely related to dropsy because of the build up of fluids.

Internal parasite signs are
Long stringy white poo or clear mucas poo.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Enlarged anus, or red inflamed anus.
Fish will look skinny or bloated.
Sunken in belly sometimes.
Bent spine sometimes.
Fish will sometimes swim on its side or tilt to oneside.

 

[finalfantay85]

After a really close look i can see that several of the harlequins have red anus and are bloated. They are swimming fine and fed happily when i put some flakes in earlier.
With so many problems i don't know what to do for the best

 

[WILDER]

it could be dropsy to internal parasites.

I would see if the bacterial med help with treating for popeye. As popeye closely related to dropsy.
Epson salt baths help draw the fluids out.
Keep a look out for when the fish go to the toilet.

Improve the fish diet with more frozen foods and green veg.
Also constipation can caused enlarged inflamed anus.

 

[finalfantay85]

Should i try the cooked pea trick then?
Would it be safe to use Epsom Salts in the tank cos i have nowhere to isolate them

 

[WILDER]

Can't add salt to tank with oto's im afraid.

Yes try the pea trick.
Only feed peas for the next few days.