pop eye after carpet surfing

[burnah]

hey there...

my percula clown jumped a few days ago, was discovered quite soon after and put back in the tank immediatly. it took her a few hours to behave normal again and seemed to have no injuries aside a small scratch on the first stripe where the gills are underneath.

she then behaved normal for a few days and the scratch started healing (from what i can say). after 3-4 days she developed a big eye on the side she lay on the ground, and this pop eye has yet not vanished but even got worse. its been 4 days since and today the eye is even worse.

she still eats and behaves rather normal and looks quite healthy except for the big eye, so no spots or miscolorations etc, fins are in good shape and she does not hide.

i am afraid of her turning blind on that eye but also do not want to risk any stress by catching her and treating her in a quarantine tank, as the net might harm her eye and wound even more.

ive stopped dosing vodka over the days to limit my bacteria in the tank to normal levels.

do you think it will eventually go away by itself after that period of time? what medicine would be appropriate for pop eye and do you recommend catching a fish after injury?

thanks for your advice, martin

 

[JHemdal]

This seems like a pretty clear cut case of exopthalmia due to mechanical trauma.

Since there is no bacterial infection involved, treatments would only serve to minimize secondary infections (which seem to have not happened)...

People have tried using a fine needle and syringe to reduce the gas/fluid build-up, but IMO this never seems to work, besides, each time you catch the fish up and restrain it, you are repeating the chance for injury that started the problem in the first place.

Public aquariums have used pressurized chambers to reduce these eye problems, then slowly decompress the fish. This works in a few cases.

Almost every case I've dealt with, the fish either gets better on its own, or not, despite what you can do for it.

If you can post a picture, I bet folks here can comment on the relative severity of the problem, and if they have seen fish get better from similar cases.

Jay

 

[burnah]

thanks for your comment, here are some pictures.

i think you're right as i treated the fish 2 days ago with an antibiotic and it has not gotten better. it bathed in high concentrated antibiotics for 20 minutes in a bucket.

she eats less than normal and is in the corner of the tank, i hope that this will pass!

 

[burnah]

anyone got experience with this? please help

 

[JHemdal]

I've seen cases at least as bad as this get better on their own - may take up to a month though.

Jay

 

[burnah]

thanks! at least she eats, but shes gotten thin and is not as colorful as before.. i hope she makes it

 

[JHemdal]

I looked at your photographs again - on the fish's left side, on the white head band, there seems to be a lesion. That might indicate an infection, or it could be residual damage from the original injury - I can't tell, but it bears watching.

Jay

 

[burnah]

it actually turned better, and the scratch you mentioned is healing too. there still is a small white spot under her eye but she eats very motivated and looks much better already! the size of the eye is the half of the most dramatic moments.

thanks to feeding lots so she gets her share i got an algae bloom , but there could be worse :/

thanks for your help, i hope the worst is over (knock on wood )