saddle back

[truck0000]

My saddle back has an eye popped out. Its really bulged out alot. Its only one eye. I have heard of pop eye but never seen it. What should i do?

[CD]

Rob - I'll quote this right out of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist:
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"Popeye - This is a symptom, not an actual disease. The scientific name, exophthalmia, refers to swelling behind or in the eye. The swelling may be brought on by many factors but is most commonly caused by bacteria or, rarely, by parasites. If unilateral (only one eye involved), the cause may be mechanical injury, such as the fish bumping into something or getting thwacked by a net. Popeye is difficult to treat, but the most effective procedure seems to be the passing of time in a good environment, and receiving medicated food. Prepared mixes are available or you may make your own. Popeye may signal the need for a massive water change and better attention to water quality."
**********
IMO I would check your water params first - maybe a good water change will be the first step, then go from there. I wouldn't recommend moving the fish to QT as this is rarely infectious, and will probably cause the fish stress (more harm than good). It can take anywhere from a week to almost three weeks to clear up...in the meantime, soak the food in a liquid vitamin like Selcon, and to prevent further infection, also add some antibiotic to the vitamin soaked food like tetracycline or chloramphenicol.
Best of luck, and keep us posted with your fish's progress. ;)

W. :)

[truck0000]

I woke up this morning and checked water para:
Amonia-.25
nitrate-10
Nitrite-0
Ph-8.0
CAl.-500
He ate like normal today and doesnt appered to be stressed out. Ill give it a few days see how he is doing. :(
thanks for the reply

[Reef69]

Do a water change, your ammonia should be 0..your PH is a bit "low" ( 8.3 would be perfect)..

[JimD]

A Ph of 8.0 in the AM is perfectly normal. Ammonia is elevated, do a water change or two as advised.

[truck0000]

I due weekly 10 gal changes on my 55. I can never seem to get amonia below .25. I have cut down feeding almost to the point of starving my lawnmower blenny added another 50 lbs. of live rock (100 lbs.) and taken most of my cc out of the tank. I have aseio 820 and rio 600 for circulation. CPR bak skimmer and HOB for filtration. I run phos X in the HOB with carbon cartrigdes. If I had any hair I swear I would pull it out.

Im getting a massive clean up crew teusday, and I just put another skimmer on the tank (coralife super skimmer 125). Im thinking about taking the HOB OFF ALL TOGETHER. Im thinking this might be hurting mre than helping. Anymore suggestions would be helpful.

[Reef69]

The live rock must be the problem...all that stirring you are doing is hurting the tank and raising the ammonia level. If the live rock wasnt cured, the tank is going to go through a small cycle..id leave it alone for a bit..

[SaltyJim]

You may also want to make sure it is not a problem with your test kit for ammonia. How old is the kit? Does it have an expiration?

[truck0000]

Well I think im about o lose him. He hasnt eaten in to days a refuses to come out of his Seabea. I wish I could take a picture and show you guys the size of his eyes. I wouldnt think they could get that big.

Came home from work and found my coral beaty dead also. Looked like something took a chuck out of his neck. **** I am having some bad luck this week. :( :( :( :( :(

[CD]

Sorry to hear that, Rob :(

You mentioned above that you took "most" of the crushed coral out of your tank...how much is still there? IMO CC is horrid for collecting detritus...like a little ammonia factory >_<

Do you have a QT tank set up? (hopefully BB) Is there anywhere you can put this fish (even at a LFSs QT tank) somewhere other than your display until you can get the ammonia readings to zero? :unsure

W.

[truck0000]

I got most of it. It got to the ponit i couldnt see anymore so I left a little in.I can see the bottome in various spots. I didnt have anywhere else to put fish so I did this while the fish were in the tank. They where all fine for a couple of weeks now this happens.

I was suppose get get a loaner tank but that fell through. I read on reef central that i could take apin and relievs the pressure on his eyes but I am afraid i would blind him.

[CD]

It got to the ponit i couldnt see anymore so I left a little in.


What got to the point you couldn't see any more...the water clarity? :blink



I didnt have anywhere else to put fish so I did this while the fish were in the tank.


Oh geeze...OK - net your fish, put them in a bucket with tank water...you will have to do the following quickly, as your fish need to spend as LITTLE time as possible in that bucket: Get the crushed coral out of your tank completely (all of it), get as MUCH of the floating detritus out of the tank as possible, after you do that blow as much of the settling detritus off the LR as you can with a pwrhead or baster (don't move the LR while doing any of this) and do about a 50% total water volume change (hopefully the new SW will have been mixing for at least 24hrs, as SUPER freshly made SW is "harsh" on your fish) making sure you suck out as much detritus as possible in the process, clean your skimmer and anything else that needs attention...after everything has pretty much settled start drip acclimating your fish to the newly changed water in your tank. As long as your LR is very "live" and well cured, you shouldn't experience much if any of an elevated cycle. I would leave this tank BB for awhile (or even permanently) until all your water params are good. Continue doing about 15% water changes per week. If you decide to add a DSB later, come back and ask questions.

BTW - about how many pounds of LR would you say you have in your 55G system? Is it well cured?

NOTE: If anybody disagrees with the above, please pipe in here...It just sounds as if some drastic action is needed - in a hurry!



that i could take apin and relievs the pressure on his eyes but I am afraid i would blind him.


:o Do NOT do this - please!!!! Better water quality and possibly some anitbiotics will be your best bet. ;)

W. :)

[Reef69]

Where on RC did you read that??..thats just wrong and not true, its not a preasure problem, but ..to this point, probably an infection..dude, if you dont want it, believe me, i can probably save him..

[truck0000]

Wendy thank you for your help. Yes it was the water clarity that was stopping me from finishing. I took the clown out and have him in my sump that I was getting ready to put on a 75 Gal.

I cant get the rest of the CC out without moving the live rock b/c i have a hundred pounds in there. Its well cured 59 lbs. fiji The rest hiatian (SP?) from Polkster.

I have 30 gal. of water curing in the garage right now to do another big water change. I did 20 Gal. on Thursday. Im taking the HOB off tommorow.

I running a CSS 125 and a CPR skimmer on the tank right now. The CSS is pulling alot out and the CPR has alomst stop producing.

There was alot of dust that settled on the live rock and I took a power head and blew it off last time.

This tank is not going to be up That much longer 2 weeks maybe till I get the 75 plumbed.

Whats a good medicince to get for my Saddleback that will help him? What kind of temp filter should i put in the sump to keep it clean and should i do hyposalinity?

Thanks for the help guys. And yes i want to save this fish. He was my first.

[hammondegge]

here, check this out rob. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm

[truck0000]

Thanks Robert, Do you know what LFS will have Maracyn?

[hammondegge]

aquadome has most of the common meds

[CD]

Rob - how is you fish doing? Any better?

W. :)

[truck0000]

Wendy,
He is hanging in there. One eye went down but im not sure if it popped or is just getting better.
A funny thig happened last night when i went to check on him he jumped out of the tank i have him in. I guess the light statled him when i turned it on.
Thanks for the advice on the book. I have read a good portion of it. I think b/c i took the CC out of the tank without putting sand in i might have caused it to cycle. I did a 30 gal. water change thursday and i checked amonia today. It was at 1.00. It was .25 before i did the change :huh . It has never been that high before. Im taking everything out and putting it into tubs with half the old water tomorrow and cleaning evrything. Ill do a half water change and see what happens. According to the book my live rock should have prevented a cycle if i read it correctly.

[CD]

Yeah - I'm sure it was just the light startling him that caused the jump.
As far as your ammonia spike - it doesn't really surprise me, but I was hoping for less of a spike with all your LR. I'm sure that CC was the culprit, but now that it's out you should start to see a drop in the levels soon. I don't think I would take everything out and clean it though...you will just be starting another cycle all over again. IMO - leave the rock in there and do another 30% water change (I'm thinking all of the CC is out now? ...I hope?). Taking any remaining living creatures out in the process would be a good idea though - if you have room in the holding tank that the clown is in, this would be good. It sounds as if the improved water quality in the holding tank is what's causing his eye to get better - have you taken readings on the holding tank water? As far as what the book said about LR and cycling - it should reduce the cycle time and the higher spikes, BUT the CC was harboring so much ammonia, that it negated the effectiveness of the LR. If the clown is comfortable in the holding tank, I would just step back and let the display go through it's cycle, keep up with your water changes (30% is fine), and keep testing the params about every four days. You should start noticing a drop soon. ;)

BTW - glad you are enjoying the book ^_^

W. :)

[truck0000]

Well im sad to say that hedied today. :( I have learned a lesson and hope this doesnt happen again. ;) Thanks everyone for the advice and help. That you gave me.

[CD]

Rob-
Just now seeing your 8/15 post...I'm so sorry you lost your clown :(


W.