Fish keep getting popeye?

Question

Hi I'm a fairly experienced fish owner who has a 29 gallon aquarium. I keep the temperature at a constant 75 degrees F and I have a good filter that I keep the filter cartridge changed consistently. I do monthly 25% water changes when i syphon. I also have an air bubbler for extra oxygen and I keep several healthy aquarium plants. All my levels are normal (nitrate, nitrite, PH, ammonia) but every few months I seem to lose a fish to popeye! It's only one fish that gets it (and eventually dies) ever 2 months or so and the medicine doesn't work even though I take out my carbon!! I don't know what else to do. Overall I've lost 2 german rams and now discovered my dalmatian platy has it so bad he looks like a telescope goldfish!

I'm at my wits end. My angel fish is my biggest and oldest fish and has never shown signs of illness, but he doesn't pick on my other fish so i don't think he's stressing them.

heeeeelp

Answer 1

Raise your temp. Fish kept at the higher end of their temperature range tend to suffer from less problems. Keep salt for freshwater aquariums in your tank at all times. The recommended dose is on tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water. Every time you medicate your tank your cause the water to start spiking again shortening the lifespan of the other fish and stressing them to the point that they get sick more easily.
A

Answer 2

As a preventative measure, raise your water temperature at least a couple degrees. 75 is a bit chilly for those fish and they will be a bit happier around 77. I would first recommend more water changes, in the neighborhood of 10% per week, but if what you are doing has worked, then donw necessarily change it because I say so.

As far as a medication, I recommend melafix. I used to work in an aquarium store, and we saw it bring fish almost back to life after they died. It is excellent for bacterial issues.
Another thing I recommend if you are not doing it is to keep a log of your tank parameters (pH, nitrate, ammonia, etc) that way when you go to your LFS, they have somethign that they can wrk from. If you take in a water sample, it is only a snapshot of what the situation in your tank is at that time and doesnt give the LFS a good idea of the history of the tank.

Something else to consider is what might be causing the popeye. In many cases I have found problems to be something outside the tank that is stressing the fish out. If there are children around they may be tapping on the tank, or creating loud noises. Look at the environment around your tank and consider what might be taking place that is not a part of their natural environment.

Also, look at how many fish you have in the aquarium. Your fish may have outgrown the aquarium. That being said, you also said that your parameters were looking good, so I dont think that is an issue.

I short, I would treat with melafix because you may have originally gotten the infection and it has been riding around in your tank and a good strong does of an anti-bacterial may kill it off, and look at potential stressors in the surrounding environment like noise, light, heat (such as an air conditioning vent blowing on the tank. Your temperature may read as stable, but there may be quite a few differences in temp from place to place especially if your thermometer is enat the heater or other equipment.), or impact.
Be sure to keep your LFS in the loop because if you are ahving a problem they will be the ones "on the ground" when you take your fish in to be looked at. The more they know the better.

Answer 3

Well - for starters I would change your water maintenance plan from 25% a month to only about 10-15% every 7 days. This will be less stressful on your fish, and will give them fresher/cleaner water to live in (so as to discourage your current situation a little).

I don't know what kind of filter you have - I am going to guess it's some kind of an HOB or Biowheel (as a canister filter on a 29g would almost be too much, but I suppose it's possible), and with that being said I would not go changing the cartridges as often as they recommend (like on my Emperor 400 Biowheels they recommend to change these out ever 2 to 4 weeks but I keep them in there for 4 to 6 months). Reason being is they become a great bacteria bed for good, beneficial bacteria that the ecosystem needs, and the Biowheels themselves retain. Changing them often is not really doing anything for you other than removing more of the bacteria from the water through the activated carbon in those cartridges.

If your water parameters are all good, and you still are having fish wind up with Popeye then I would recommend getting yourself another tank (10/15g) and use it as a hospital tank to medicate. Use Maracyn-2 from Virbac Animal Health (their Mardel line of products).

Good luck!

Answer 4

Popeye is a bacterial an infection in many circumstances brought about by making use of undesirable water situations. the interest swells and seems cloudy. you could deal with with Maracyn 2 yet you'll also desire to address the reason. **

Answer 5

Popeye is a bacterial contamination often precipitated via deficient water stipulations. The eye swells and appears cloudy. You can deal with with Maracyn two however you'll be able to additionally have got to manage the purpose. **

Answer 6

Popeye is a bacterial infection usually prompted by means of negative water conditions. The attention swells and looks cloudy. You could deal with with Maracyn 2 but you can additionally must care for the motive. **

Answer 7

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