yellow tang with cloudy white eye

I'm clearly freaking out. it appeared overnight and he doesn't eat. this would be my first disease I'm going to have to cure but i need to know what it is first. i don't think its from an injury, the eye is actually swollen.

ill try and post a pic asap





help!!!!!!

 

think it might be popeye, its only present on one of his eyes, anyone know how long it lasts?

 

It does look like pop eye.
Duration can range anywhere from days to weeks.
With good water quality, no stress factors and a good diet it should clear up on its own.
If it doesn't seem to be getting any better overtime, you can treat it in a quarantine tank with antibiotics.
Good luck!

 

my water chemistry is where it should be, I make my own fish food and there are no other fish that stress it, or at least from what iv witnessed. so the only explanation I can give myself is that he wounded itself somehow.

what's freaking me out though is that I added a few new coral frags yesterday and im scared the pathogen may have come on them, is this possible?

also if it comes to me having to treat it in a QT how do i administer the antibiotics and where/what do i get them?

 

As already mentioned pop eye is not a typically a disease unto its self but rather a secondary symptom of another issue. That issue is usually water chemistry namely nitrates. The other common cause is mechanical injury to the eye and bacteria setting as a secondary infection. You can use Melafix

 

Thx for the replies all, should i wait and see or bite the bullet?

Seeing as its only on one eye id rather avoid any unnecessary stress and let him be.

Thx corailline, think iv seen that product around here before so i should be able to get my hands on it

 

My LFS had a baby goldflake get popeye and he lost the use of the eye, but now hes in my tank. They treated with copper for various aliments but he is healthy. I would treat with melafix in a QT.

 

little update, its been day two since i noticed the popeye, was able to net him and put him in a small 40l hospital tank where ill start his treatment. i really hope i can save his eye. he already seems to be blind from that side though :S hopeing its only due to the cloudy white stuff but im not that confident.... really bummed. he was one of the main reason i upgraded back in the days and was one of the first fish i added to my "new" system, hope he pulls through.....

it would seem some people use freshwater dips to treat this infection as well, i fear causing more stress and harm than good, thoughts?

 

A fresh water dip kills parasites and other small inverts like flatworms via osmosis. Fresh water rushes into the cells to dilute the hypertonic solution to an isotonic solution, the result is a ruptured cell membrane and death of the cell.
I see no benefit in your current situation, heck I would not even have removed the fish as the condition is not contagious. I suppose you could use an antibiotic but you do not even know if it's bacterial vs mechanical injury.

 

Soaked mysis in garlic Vit-C for a couple weeks and cleared up my flames eye.