# Would appreciate advice on eye problems



## Caitlin25 (Sep 28, 2012)

Hey everyone!

My name is Caitlin, I'm a junior in college and I've been keeping fish for about two years or so. I'd really appreciate some advice with my latest tank.

My tank is 12 gallons, freshwater. I have six Dalmatian mollies and one red-tailed shark. The shark and three of the mollies have been in the tank for about a week, and the other three mollies were used to originally cycle the tank and have been in it for about two weeks.

Tonight, I looked in the tank and was shocked to see that one of the mollies has popeye. The swelling is rather drastic, and yet I swear it wasn't there this morning, so it must be very recent (unless I'm just not perceptive.) It's only in one eye, and so at first I thought it was from physical trauma, but I observed the other fish and noticed that at least one other molly has an eye that is cloudy, appears to have tiny white spots, and is just starting to swell.

At this point I'm not sure what it could be. If it was a water quality issue, I would expect it to have an effect on both eyes. When I first brought the red-tailed shark home, he didn't seem to eat hardly ever and his color turned pale, so it's possible I overfed the tank at first in an attempt to get some food into the shark. He has since been eating regularly and his tail is red again, so I haven't been feeding as much. In any case, I'm going to try doing a water change tonight or tomorrow.

I just treated the tank with Aquari-Sol (the only medication I have at present) and I'm also considering buying Epsom salts. I would definitely appreciate any advice you guys could give as to the cause/treatment/keeping this from happening again!! I've never had a sick/unhealthy fish before now and it's really worrying me. :/ 

Thanks!!!
Caitlin


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

popeye is mostly attributed to physical damage / or poor water quality.Salt has been recommended in my readings.I would recommend water changes til nitrates are well below 20 ppm.Poor water quality comes from ; lack of maintenance to filter/water changes ,overcrowding and overfeeding.Seems like you closely met all the criteria.Mollies will like salt either way.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I feel like a real ray of sunshine answering as I will, but here's my depressing read on it. 

Aquarisol was a big mistake - never throw meds at a problem -that one is indicated only for external parasites. Use meds for what they are designed for, or you simply make it worse for the fish. Aquarisol is great for velvet although its main ingredient, copper, is bad for fertility in livebearers.

Popeye is internal - a bacterial infection brought on by dirty water. You are badly overstocked and suffering from new tank syndrome. An established and fully cycled 12 is good for two or three mollies or a red tailed shark - no more. The shark (a barb) will be about 6 inches long, and will terrorize the mollies as soon as it gets its bearings. If it has started, the stress could be a contributing factor in the outbreak.

Popeye from dirty water will cause an infection in a weak spot. One eye is more likely than two. If I fall in my local polluted lake, I'll likely get one ear infection, not two- Same principle - it isn't irritation from outside, it's bacteria gone wild inside. I can't suggest treatment as what is available varies from country to country. Even the perfect meds won't work in an overcrowded and uncycled tank though - look through this forum and look up info on "The Cycle".

Your first reflex (next time) should be to change water immediately and urgently, not tomorrow. Every hour you wait could be another fish dropping. Mollies are very pollution sensitive. If you are going to get any survivors through, you will have to change a lot of water over the next few weeks.

Epsom salts will harden soft water, but they do nothing to an internal infection.


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## Caitlin25 (Sep 28, 2012)

Ouch.  Well, I knew the Aquari-Sol wouldn't do anything for the popeye, but because I did see those white fuzzy bits on a couple of the mollies' eyes, I hoped it could help with that. I wouldn't throw a random med into my tank; I thought it could address at least part of the problem (the external fungus/parasite). 

I'm surprised that the tank may be overstocked. I consulted with the employees at my local fish store before buying the fish, and they have always been very helpful/knowledgeable in the past. They told me that this combination in a 12 gallon tank would be fine. On the same note, I have several different structures creating hiding spots in the tank (a hollow log, a cave, etc.) and so I figured that would alleviate aggression/stress. Also, the shark (I'm aware it's not an elasmobranch) is only three inches long and I'll only be having these fish until mid-December (when I'll return them to the store; I'm a college student and have to restart my tank every semester) so he won't have time to get huge. 

Anyway, though I'm a little dismayed at your assessment, I definitely appreciate it. I've only had three setups before this one, all of them singles-species tanks with deliberately easy-care fish, so this is my first attempt at a slightly more interesting tank. I'll definitely change the water frequently and monitor the water quality more closely. Is there any medication that _would_ help the internal infection, or is it just a wait-and-see?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

That is a neat approach I have never heard of before - the returning of the fish deal. it does make a fish like a red-tail easier to manage. Cool.
I'm in a province where antibiotics can only be bought by prescription. Someone in the US may be able to suggest over the counter meds, but I haven't messed with antibiotics and fish for a long time. Most of they time they don't work, and they do add to the evolution of resistance in bacteria if they are misused.

Mollies are really active. I haven't kept dalmations, but like all pet-shop mollies, they are hybrids, and they look to have some larger contributing ancestors than the usual sphenops molly (which would be fine at 4 in a 12). It's not just a question of bioload, it is also 'behavior load' - mollies are fish that like to 'run' and I find they get stressed in small tanks. I don't know the dimensions of your tank, but they like room to move. Likely it's only about 20 inches along the front and narrow front to back - pretty small.
The one inch per gallon rule is a fail, as most cut and dried rules are, because it leads to overstocking. Even if we take that rule as true, you have six (eventual) three inch mollies and a six inch red tail = 24. They are smaller than that now, but mollies grow fast and are herbivores. Plant eaters produce much more waste than other fish, and challenge filtration and water management more. Add to that the body shape of the 'shark' - like a thick cigar. That fish has some bulk, meaning more bioload.

We can all disagree, but the symptoms of your fish say that stress and bioload are a problem in your tank right now. I'm a light stocker with my beloved mollies - I have five red-finned wild sphenops in a 33, and six mexicanus in a 55. My smallest molly tank is a 30 inch 23 with five sphenops. With 30% weekly water changes, they do fine.
Not everyone will agree with my approach and I may be seen as understocked, but it works for me because I get to see more interesting behavior, and to breed the fish.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

antibiotics are the recommended treatment.Maracyn possibly with maracyn 2 would work.By the time(although quickly appearing) the eye has reached popeye stauts usually there is more than one bacteria attacking your fish.Maracyn alone is treatment for what you see and maracyn 2 is for internal bacteria(behind eye).I found this info searching fish disease/popeye.Good luck sorry if I sounded harsh in first post.Popeye is tough and can linger or"disappear".Not seeing it does not mean bacteria is gone.Follow treatment directions especially how long to treat for.


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