Your favorite Popeye Med?

[Gold Finger]

Have popeye on a fish. Started with a blood trace in one eye then swelling, all of which has dissipated in that eye. six weeks has passed and it has now manifested as a blood trace in the other eye and swelling again. I understand that an internal bacterial cause is likely and have researched the treatment options. I am leaning towards Kaneplex in food. Any opinions/experiences?

[LB79]

The freezer (best way to humanely kill them) for the fish and a quarantine tank (if you don't have one) for the future.

Popeye is dangerous, hard to treat (for me), and it always seems to come back. Kaneplex in food should do the job, though, but keep the stuff handy for any potential future re-appearances.

[Gold Finger]

Originally Posted by LB79

The freezer

He. Heh. Funny. A cleaver works for ich too!

[LB79]

Yeah, you can just use it to rip the ich right off the fish. And sandpaper works for velvet.

[Gold Finger]

Perhaps I wil freeze the whole tank solid and wait for future generations to find a cure.

[Gold Finger]

Another good tip... Mysterious ilnesses in a small aquarium can be cured by throwing the whole damned thing out the window and getting a nice houseplant instead.

[psalm18.2]

I have used API with success many times.

[Gold Finger]

Thanks. Marycin two should be appropriate too, right?

[wkndracer]

This a hard one to answer being honest. So while it seems a cold response the freezer is an option acceptable to many.

Popeye is symptomatic of the animals immune system shutting down similar to Septicemia. Protozoa infestation and a concurrent bacterial infection can often be combined to produce popeye. Most often the thought is that it starts with the bug and the bacterial infection follows. My success rate overall is 50/50 at best. If it's both eyes I've never saved a fish. I'm of the belief most of this does start with a parasite first and the infection being a secondary pushing the fish over the edge but honestly (idk).

If the fish is still willing to eat a medicated food treated with metronidazole is often recommended. Another method I've cross posted to TPT tank is treating bacteria both gram negative and positive with Maracyn/Maracyn 2 in combination for "IDK" problems.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...61&postcount=5

good luck with the fish

[Gold Finger]

I think you're right on the money. The bug was ich and I believe the bacteria made it through the membrane and went directly into the eye where the infection remain localized. I am not considering the freezer since the fish seems to be in perfect health otherwise. I will feed some Metro since I have it around... IF I can figure out the dosing. Any thoughts there?

I think my question should have been phrased better in the first place. I was looking for opinions on which antibiotic seems to be the most failsafe. My very limited conception is that, even with a known bacteria, there is no surefire antibiotic even when properly administered.

Thanks for the help.

[@marko@]

sulfathiozole (seachem, or API's triple sulfa) is super broad spectrum and should do damage to whatever is hurting the fish. its not so much an antibiotic as an antimicrobial, it attacks gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, protozoans, and even fungi (though not as much). however, its not all that strong.
if you need a serious punch, kanamycin is the way to go, BUT its really not gonna be of much help for anything but a gram negative bacterial infection.

[Gold Finger]

Thanks Marko; That's exactly what I was wondering about the sulpha and the Kanamycin. I have just fed "some??" Metro (hopefully not too much)but can see now how sulpha would be a good first step. I would rather start weak and broad spectrum and hope the fish's immune system gains enough of a foothold to recover than go in with big guns right off the bat. In fact I did nothing for the first eye and the fish did recover (not really,I guess since the second eye got hit). I also didn't realize gram positive bacteria could be harmful. I'm no expert. I had only heard of gram negative infections and jumped to a conclusion. Since researching this I have learned about combining marcyn 1 and 2,etc. Any thoughts on recolonizing the good gut bacteria after the treatment?

[Gold Finger]

Upon reviewing some old photos I have decided that my fish may not have popeye in its second eye. It is a telescope (and I am an idiot) and the eye has always been that size, it just looks bigger in comparison to the other eye which shrunk after the first infection or injury. I am going to assume the blood spot in the eye is the result of injury and am gonna stop medicating with Metro after today. I know that Metro is only effective against anaerobic bacteria and parasites. If I ever get the popeye symptom I will start with feeding sulfa drugs and if they fail go on to prophilactic Kanamycin or another antibiotic in feed. Thanks again to all who answered.

[flesxruoyxllik]

ive only had it twice, both times used melafix. first time i had to wait a day coase lfs was closed, that 1 day was to long a wait the fish lost use of that eye. second time in a complete different tank caught it and dosed imidietly with success. so i trust it

[Gold Finger]

I am surprised a simple antiseptic got inside the eye and worked, and wonder if coincidence may have played a role but do like the idea of mild treatments which merely bolster the immune system rather than take its place completely. I might start with something like this in a mild non communicative case. I feel like fish should be able to survive without strong meds unless we have done something really wrong. Thanks. Anyone else succeed with antiseptics over antibiotics? How about untreated? Better yet anyone ever identify the specific bacteria responsible (you never know) or find success of one strong antibiotic where another failed or have good reason to think one has near 100% success? So far Sulpha drugs seem to me to be the only guaranteed weapon against a strong internal unidentified bacterial infection.