Gas bubble disease in foxface?

[DracoKat]

My foxface has bubbles in his eye. Just the one eye. Gas bubble disease? I’m not sure how to treat it or test oxygen saturation in my tank - which the internet suggests it’s the cause?

He's had issues with that eye a while ago, a few months ago. it was cloudy, but cleared up in a week on its own and seemed alright since. I noticed this issue today, and swelling yesterday.

None of my other fish has problems. He’s eating and swimming fine though he’s showing his age. all params is normal- help?

He’s approaching 7 years old. Getting to the end of his life I think. If he’s too old I may not want to stress him out by putting him in a 10 gal hospital tank.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Never seen this before.

#fishmedic

 

[DracoKat]

Never seen this before.

#fishmedic

Its new to me too. Internet doesn't tell me much- anything is freshwater fish mostly and not like this.

I should add, there's no airstones or anything that's creating bubbles in my tank that would "Get caught" in the eye either that I can see

 

[A Young Reefer]

Looks like the gas bubble disease to me. Any recent temperature changes? Or a micro bubble source?

 

[A Young Reefer]

In my experience (with fw fish) it heals on its own but you need to address the cause.

 

[DracoKat]

I don’t think there’s been any drastic temperature change out of the norm. No micro bubbles that I can find. I am baffled to the source

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My foxface has bubbles in his eye. Just the one eye. Gas bubble disease? I’m not sure how to treat it or test oxygen saturation in my tank - which the internet suggests it’s the cause?

He's had issues with that eye a while ago, a few months ago. it was cloudy, but cleared up in a week on its own and seemed alright since. I noticed this issue today, and swelling yesterday.

None of my other fish has problems. He’s eating and swimming fine though he’s showing his age. all params is normal- help?

He’s approaching 7 years old. Getting to the end of his life I think. If he’s too old I may not want to stress him out by putting him in a 10 gal hospital tank.

Gas bubble disease (from supersaturation) would affect both eyes equally, and you would also see tiny slivers of air bubbles in the fins.

What you are seeing is likely the result of some trauma. Nobody knows why, but after a trauma to the head, many fish develop air bubbles inside the eye. There is no real treatment for this other than time. Sometimes the air bubbles get reabsorbed, other times they get worse and the fish either loses its eye, or it died.

There is also a slight chance that these bubbles are produced by bacteria growing as a result of an infection in the eye, but that is rare, and I dodn't see the cloudiness that is usually associated with that.

Here is an article I wrote some time ago that discusses fish eye health:

Aquarium Fish: The ‘Eyes’ Have it: A Review of Eye Health in Aquarium Fishes

Aquarists need to inspect their fish closely every day, for signs of impending health problems. It is much easier to resolve a problem when it first starts, than to attempt a drastic emergency treatment when the fish is close to dying.

reefs.com

Jay