Cardinal Fish - one eye bulging

[VintageReefer]

Just noticed this today, I’ve had a trio of cardinal fish for about a year and the biggest in the group has one eye bulging. All three are swimming and eating fine. They used to chase but I don’t really see that anymore. Is this injury or sickness? Treatment steps or just give time to heal?

I added a bunch of pictures in white light to help diagnose.

Thank you

 

[Sharkbait19]

It looks like popeye as a result of injury (could happen from fighting or a scrape on a rock).
You can qt it and treat with an antibiotic, but it also can wind up healing on its own with no meds needed.
The one time I didn’t treat, the fish lost an eye, so I usually like to treat when I see it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just noticed this today, I’ve had a trio of cardinal fish for about a year and the biggest in the group has one eye bulging. All three are swimming and eating fine. They used to chase but I don’t really see that anymore. Is this injury or sickness? Treatment steps or just give time to heal?

I added a bunch of pictures in white light to help diagnose.

Thank you

Looks to be a result of injury or gas embolism but leaning towards injury. If it doesnt subside before weekend, treat in a separate tank using Ethromyacin which is maracyn as shown below for at least 5 days

 

[VintageReefer]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal
This guy has been hard to catch but I finally got him. He’s in a isolation box now so I can remove him easily to a qt tank for meds.

Unfortunately over the last few weeks this did not heal on its own. Good news is it’s just the one eye. I do not have Maracyn but can buy it.

I do have:
- methylene blue whixh I read can treat pop eye

- amoxicillin 500mg

- Ciprofloxacin 500mg

Would any of these help or should I buy the maracyn?
Here are some pics I just took to show current situation. One pic is the unaffected eye. My other two cardinals in the tank are also unaffected

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal
This guy has been hard to catch but I finally got him. He’s in a isolation box now so I can remove him easily to a qt tank for meds.

Unfortunately over the last few weeks this did not heal on its own. Good news is it’s just the one eye. I do not have Maracyn but can buy it.

I do have:
- methylene blue whixh I read can treat pop eye

- amoxicillin 500mg

- Ciprofloxacin 500mg

Would any of these help or should I buy the maracyn?
Here are some pics I just took to show current situation. One pic is the unaffected eye. My other two cardinals in the tank are also unaffected

Likely an eye injury and none of the meds listed will work
You will need ethromyacin for at least 5 days- in the form of Maracyn, not Maracyn oxy

 

[VintageReefer]

I am on day 6 of maracyn medicine. Day 1and 2 were 3 packs for 28g water volume. From then on it was 2 packs per day

The big guys whose eye is the worst…at some angles I see his black pupil and other times it’s…not visible. Like missing.. then he swims or changed angles and the pupil is back. What the heck ?!

I labelled the pics to identify each cardinal.
Large Cardinal = unlabeled
medium
And
small

I don’t know if I see any imporocement at all. Does it need more medicine. Or a different kind? I don’t even know how this happens to two fish both only having one eye affected. The big guy was isolated in acclimation bin and 2 weeks later the medium one gets same thing. Smallest one has been in same display tank and hospital tank as the other two, and he never got anything.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im curious on your ammonia level as i do not trust that badge especially after 2 weeks of use.

 

[VintageReefer]

Badge was delivered March 9 and installed night of March 9

 

[VintageReefer]

This shows center portion of badge

 

[VintageReefer]

It’s exact match for safe zone

The device detects less than 0.05 mg/L (ppm) free ammonia and is supposed to last a year. A year I question…but a 2 days it definitely should be ok