Mitratus With Popeye.

[IUfan]

Received a Mitratus butterfly yesterday, I already preset the salinity to match the shipping water level. So floated the bag for 30 mins and then transferred him to the QT.

Looked fine, but this morning he has Popeye in both eyes.... FML!!!

Ammonia reads 0. So thinking he bashed his eye in the shipping bag, he went into the bottom corner of the bag and thrashed a bit just before I transferred him so that could be the cause, do you think?

I've treated with Erythromycin Powder just now.

Just wondered, any other steps I should take?

Should I, can I also treat with Nitro Furacin Green Powder?

 

[IUfan]

Just fed live enriched brine and he's chowing down still, so taking that as a positive sign

 

[Dmorty217]

Epsom salt will help if it's from a injury. A teaspoon for every 10 gallons I believe. I got a Mitratus on Thursday came in looking great (not sure where you got yours)

 

[Dmorty217]

Can be repeated every 3 days if necessary

 

[IUfan]

Don't want to say the vendor just yet, but a very reputable one.

I was told to use Erythromycin to treat popeye? So I should use Epsom salt instead? Do you mix in a cup of tank water first? Or just pour it in?

Thanks

 

[IUfan]

NFP's Erythromycin, recommends dosing 1/4 tsp for 20 gallons, every day, with a water change before each dose, for 10 days.

I just don't like the sound of that dosage. Anyone else have experience with Erythromycin, or should I go with Epsom salt treatment?

 

[Dmorty217]

Being it's in both eyes it's probably a bacterial issue. Here is the recommendation for Epsom salt...You can use epsom salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gals) to relieve swelling if the "popeye" is due to trauma/injury. This is sometimes the case if it's just one eye... both eyes almost always means a bacterial infection has set in. And being epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate, it's reef safe. Just be sure the epsom salt is "food grade" i.e you'll see "USP" on the box. If it doesn't work, nothing lost... move on to antibiotic treatment.

 

[IUfan]

As I've already started with antibiotics I'm going to run the course with this treatment first.

Along with Erythromycin yesterday, I also added nitrofuracin green.

I noticed a bit of improvement today, the eyes don't seems as swolen. I did a 25% water change and did another dose of Erythromycin. I keep putting live brine in and he's still eating good so I'm hopeful he can recover.

I'm not going to repeat dose Nitrofuracin green at this time, the water is still green with it so I'll just stick with Erythromycin going forward.

 

[IUfan]

Wonder if I should dose Epsom salts as well as the Erythromycin?

Do you dissolve in a cup of tank water and then add? Or just add the Epsom salt straight to the tank?

 

[Paul B]

I would take a hypodermic and suck out the fluid from behind both eyes and he will be cured in 4 seconds. I know you won't do that, but I thought I would mention it anyway. :dance:

 

[IUfan]

Yeahhh I don't think I'm quite ready to do that, I fear I would do more harm than good if I were to do that myself.

 

[IUfan]

Wish there were such a thing as a fish-doctor

 

[Dmorty217]

Dissolve in water before hand and add. Traveling fish DRS would be nice

 

[IUfan]

The Mitratus is looking much much better today! The swelling in the eyes are hardly noticeable. Will keep the current treatment up for another day or so and then remove the meds.

 

[Dmorty217]

Good to hear, you could always follow it up with the Epsom salt treatment

 

[IUfan]

Yeah may do that once I take the meds out

 

[jmicky41]

Good luck with it. Mitratus are great fish. Mine is going on ten or twelve years old.

 

[IUfan]

I have CVS 100% national Mineral Epsom Salt.

It doesn't say food grade.

But in the active ingredient section it says magnesium sulfate USP.

Is this safe to use?

 

[IUfan]

Mitratus With Popeye.

His left eye still looks swollen, looks a bit cloudy today also.



I took the meds out on Wednesday night, after 5 days of treatment, the water quality was taking a dive so I had to make getting water quality back to normal the priority.



I also read that Kanamycin would be better than Erythromycin. Thoughts?



Main question I have now, I fed this morning, and the Mitratus shortly after looked like he took a poo, but it was like a yellowy cloud been vented from his behind, never seen that before, so does that give any more clues to what may be affecting him?



Pics coming:

 

[IUfan]