Sick Harlequin Rasbora?

[Sanctuary80808]

hello all,
one of my harlequin rasbora has one of it's eyes very nearly all the way popping out of its head? well actually its the fishes only remaining eye as it lost the other one mysteriously the first eye went about a month or two ago and now this happened. The sick harlequin does not swim with the other 6 harlequins and i have noticed today that he is having trouble swimming.

The current stocking is 1 betta, 7 harlequins, 5 ottos and some red cherry shrimp in a 15 gallon. the stats are ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate around 20-25.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with him? i thought when he lost the first one it was the betta being aggressive when i wasnt around but it seems now with this other eye bulging it could be pop-eye or something? any ideas on what i should do would be greatly appreciated

hello all,
one of my harlequin rasbora has one of it's eyes very nearly all the way popping out of its head? well actually its the fishes only remaining eye as it lost the other one mysteriously the first eye went about a month or two ago and now this happened. The sick harlequin does not swim with the other 6 harlequins and i have noticed today that he is having trouble swimming.

The current stocking is 1 betta, 7 harlequins, 5 ottos and some red cherry shrimp in a 15 gallon. the stats are ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate around 20-25.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with him? i thought when he lost the first one it was the betta being aggressive when i wasnt around but it seems now with this other eye bulging it could be pop-eye or something? any ideas on what i should do would be greatly appreciated

forgot to mention that he still has great colouration and still appears to be eating well

 

[HayzH]

does sound like pop eye...if you can i would seperate him/her asthey will start o pick on him when they find him/her flaling. x

 

[BETTY BOO]

yeah sounds like pop eye.There is no single cause of popeye. Usually only one fish in a tank will be affected. Fluid build-up in or behind the eye is responsible for this condition, but there can be many different causes for the fluid build-up. Popeye often comes on suddenly. The fish can appear perfectly fine and the next time you look in the tank your fish has popeye.Often, popeye stems from an injury to the eye. Bacterial infections may also be responsible, and often occur secondary to an injury. Poor water quality may also cause popeye, however, it seems that if poor water quality is to blame that you would see more fish in the same tank with this problem. Popeye can also be caused by ichthyosporidium, excess blood gases caused by nitrogen supersaturation (what divers get when they come up to the surface too quickly), eye parasites, fungal infections, viruses, and from a hormonal imbalance in the fish. If it is caused by excess blood gases you'll typically see gas bubbles in the eye and other fish may be having problems as well.

If your fish is still eating you can also try feeding him or her antibacterial fish food. In fact, this is probably the best option to try first before treating the entire tank. It is also a good idea to put the affected fish in it's own tank if possible. Sometimes tankmates will bully an ill fish because it can't defend itself. Also by putting the ill fish in its own tank you don't have to treat the entire tank, only the sick tank. This will also help to keep any disease the fish may have from spreading to the rest of your fish.
Because popeye is a bacterial infection, you'll want to treat it with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Recommended medications are: Ampicilex (Aquatronics), Penicillin, Maracyn 2, and Amoxycillin. Follow directions on the medication you choose, but keep the fish's water absolutely sparkling clean during treatment (and afterwards, of course).