Silver Dollar Bloated, Pop Eye! Help!

[digitalbabe]

Hi All,

About 4 days ago, I noticed one of our large Silver Dollars had popeye in both eyes, and is bloated (looks like there is a whole layer of water under his skin, all over). This has never happened before, so I am a bit off guard.

When reading about this, I saw it's probably an internal bacterial infection, and possibly 'Dropsy'. I was told by Pet store staff to try 'Maracyn 2', after I had been treating for a day or so with 'Melafix'. His eyes were also cloudy.That seems to have cleared up, but he's still bloated, and now it looks like parts of his scales are missing, and he has a sore on one side. He seems to be getting worse, not better.

I am not sure what else I can do-am I using the wrong medicine? He's in a 5 gallon hospital tank, for the last 4 days.

Thank you for your help!
DB

 

[Blubble37]

i dont know what it is... but I can say for sure that it is not dropsy... if it was he would look like a pinecone... it sounds like bacteria but could be a parasite... i wouldnt know really, but someone who does know will be along shortly

 

[digitalbabe]

Thanks Blubble-I hope someone can help. We definitely want to save him/her-the other is doing fine in the other tank (56 gallon), so hopefully it's not too late for this one

 

[ZoddyZod]

giving us the below infomration may help to identify the issue

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
3. How often you do water changes and how much.
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.
5. What tank mates are in the tank.
6. Tank size.
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

 

[Daynarita]

I'm having a similar problem - This is my first real fishtank - I have a 20 g tank. I had a few fish left most have died. I had ich. I'm not sure if this is what it still is, but my fish's eyes are starting to get gazed over and popped out. Two nights ago I separated my upside down catfish because he was still Ich ridden, bloated and his eyes were so bad. I hadn't really noticed because he liked to hide. The catfish died yesterday. He looked like he had fin rot too.

Prior to that I had changed the water several times like the ich medication suggested. It's the blue stuff. My spotted Mollie is on his way out I think, He lays on the gravel for a short while and his eyes all popped out and gazed over. He is eating... I turned the water up yesterday because I got something that I could regulate the temperature with FINALLY. The Pet Store suggested turning the temperature up to about 82. They were all laying on the gravel when the water was that warm... i think it was too hot for them. All that's left are 3 mollies and a female betta. They're all starting to get the gazed eyes. I put salt in tank yesterday to help because someone at the pet store suggested that.

I only have in is the bio filter in because I was told to remove my filter with carbon because it will destroy all the meds. Before I started with all the ich meds my water was perfect I've been vacuuming the gravel and doing 25% water changes every 48 hours like the medication suggests.

No new fish since I've fighting ich for a while. Here's what medication I have and have given them in the last 3 weeks. Ich guard, Super Ich Cure, - T.c. Teteracycline which is an anti-bacterial fish medication which helps with fin & tail rot, baterical fill disease, hemorrhagic septicemia, open red sores body slime and eye cloud. and melafix (I stopped this one when the ich guard ran out because the T.C. Stuff does the same and then some). & like I said, fish salt - they all say I should change the water tomorrow by order of what I've given them

I water has a green hue to it because of the medication - I plan on changing it.

Suggestions?

 

[digitalbabe]

Hi Zoddy, sure thing-some nore background-

The affected silver dollar was originally in a 56 Gallon tank with 3 Angel Fish and one bullhead cat fish. Although we usually change our water frequently (we've had fish for 25+ years, so we know the drill well), a very stressful, atypical few weeks unfortunately caused us to not do so in the 56 gallon tank.

Ultimately, we changed the water last week. But the one silver dollar was very sick. He looks like 'ET'. We set up a 5 gallon hospital tank, where he is now, and I started him on 'Melafix', because based on what he looked like and his symptons, I thought he may have an internal bacterial infection, caused by the poor water that was in the other tank,and a possible external injury (as they startle easily, I thought he may have run into a rock or ornament). Then about a day or so later, we started him on 'Maracyn 2' for Popeye, possible Septicimia and Dropsy (bloating).

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)-amonia fine in original tank, after change. I am at work, so I don't have specific measurements.

2. A full description of the fishes symptoms. He is bloated all over his body, has one sore (his body is 'broken?', with a fuzzy outline around a round injury, that is about 1/2 the size of a dime, or so? He stays on the bottom, upright, and tries to eat, but since he wobbles around, it's hard for him to catch flakes before they go into the filter. He is light gray, due to the bloating. Both eyes extremely protruded.

3. How often you do water changes and how much. We usually change our water once per month-at least half. The 56 gallon tank has been thriving, for several years.

4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water-for the original 56 gallon tank, we only add salt, when doing water changes, and every few months, and chemicals to remove chlorine, etc when changing water. If new fish are added, or there are some fish with ratty fins, we add Stress Zyme which has worked well. In the hospital tank, there are the chemicals with which he is being treated, and originally chemicals were added to condition the water before we placed him in there.

5. What tank mates are in the tank. Answered above.

6. Tank size-56 gallon.

7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish? No