# eye problem!



## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

hi guys! help please!

one of my 2 big reds, has an eye sticking out, an is white around. it is not cloudy, just white around the eye and sticking out. now, the other eye is starting to get white around it, and those little "nose" holes. any idea what it is? i was treating it with antibacterial meds for 5 days with no success. now i am treating it with salt, 5 table spoons per 5 gallons.

water parms are:
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 45 mg/l
ph: 8
20% water change weekly, now i change 20% every 3 days
125g with two 8" reds

please don't recommend meds like melafix or pimafix cause i cant buy them here, just what kind of meds i should use.









here is a pic, a bit crappy, it was taken with my cell:


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

Stay on top of the water changes maybe dim the lights a little if you can and mix the diet a little and it should start improving. What are you feeding him now?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Put him in a hospital tank and use Maracyn 2. You can get it at Petco.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

WHere is here? Hell doesnt help.


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

i feed them shrimp, fish fillets and squid. no feeders and no mammal meet. i am from croatia, so i can't get meds like yours, but i can get antibacterial, anti fungal, or anti parasite meds, mostly made in germany. i don't have a hospital tank.
the other red is fine. it's a 125g tank with 2 AC70 powerfilters (filled with sponges and biomax) and an eheim classic 2213 all filled up with bio media.


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

Try to feed him a good pellet if he will take it hikari cichlid pellets are good. If he wont eat the pellets by themselve stuff the fish or the shrimp with pellets. I am saying to do this because i feel a change in diet might help with this problem if you are not able to get some meds in him. Be careful which meds you use incase you find something at the store other then what people from this site recommend because P's have a hard time with certain meds and if the wrong thing is used you may have a bigger problem on your hands. Also make sure you keepup on your water changes lol i know you are but i just needed to say it again to keep it in your mind.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Since your water seems to be correct it has to be bacterial that is causing it or injury. Salt is great but you used way too much and may have shocked your filter. I would watch your params over the next couple weeks in case you killed some bacteria. Remember a tablespoon is equal to 3 teaspoons of salt. 15 teaspoons for every 5 gallons you threw in. You should for this instance use no more than 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons. Anyways the only thing I would recommend is salt with daily partial water changes. If it gets worse, than an antibiotic like Maracyn 2 should be attempted. Was your pH always 8 or did it rise alot recently.


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

oooops!! spelling mistake; i added *1* tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons. sorry.

ph is always 8. no fluctuation.

i'll treat just with salt for a week, and if it will not get better, then i'll use some antibacterial meds. i'll try to get some quality products.
thnx to all of u guys!


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

update:

day 5 of treating with antibacterial meds: the eye isn't sticking out that much anymore, but it both eyes and those little nose like holes are still white, and it seems to be a bit white on the pectoral fin. the other fish is still ok.


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

what is your water hardness? i have heard (someone else can back me up or tell me im wrong) that when water is either too basic, or too acidic, coupled with high temp and the presence of nitrates with hard water, it could be toxic. what is your temperature like?
I have recently had a similiar problem that was fixed with small daily water changes, but i believe my issue was different. 
again, im not sure about this though, i just think there is some mix of parameters similar to what i described that can be toxic.

My initial thinking was ammonia, but you say its zero.... have your water changes every three days brought the nitrate level down at all?


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

Nick G said:


> what is your water hardness? i have heard (someone else can back me up or tell me im wrong) that when water is either too basic, or too acidic, coupled with high temp and the presence of nitrates with hard water, it could be toxic. what is your temperature like?
> I have recently had a similiar problem that was fixed with small daily water changes, but i believe my issue was different.
> again, im not sure about this though, i just think there is some mix of parameters similar to what i described that can be toxic.
> 
> My initial thinking was ammonia, but you say its zero.... have your water changes every three days brought the nitrate level down at all?


it's pretty hard to keep nitrates low, since my tap water has about 25-30 mg/l, so i'm trying to beef up the plants in the tank.

gh is 22


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

thnx everyone for your replys, but she died.









i was treating her with antibacterial meds for a week or more, with no success. i took out old meds 3 days ago, introduced new and better meds 2 days ago, but it didn't help.


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

I would do a decent size water change and keep up the meds so that your other p isn't affected.


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## delegat (Mar 22, 2007)

Slytooth13 said:


> I would do a decent size water change and keep up the meds so that your other p isn't affected.


that's exactly what i'm doing.


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## samlab (Nov 1, 2007)

Popeye and that's supported by the PH or 8 which is Wow really high.........these fish like it acidic water....say 6.2 + 6.7 is ok..........anybody you bknow in Croatia have well water?? This would help.

You need to do a 50% water cahnge ASAP becuase the other fish can have problems too......a great antibacterial is Tetracycline which you can get from the doctors office and add these to the water if ever needed......just pill apart the capsule.....250mg cap per 10 gallons.

Next time if possible put the fish in a Hospital tank otherwise your other will eat the whole fish.


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

Even well water is somtetimes treated with chemicals that can possibly be harmful to fish such as fluoride. I have also hear that well water is extremely hard.


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