Help Please!

rackyrane · Sep 3, 2007

I need help asap please.
Tonight my son (the nine year old marine aquarist to be) noticed that my purple tang has unilateral popeye.
He was fine yesterday, but today he has the popeye.
What can I do to help him? I immediately put some fresh garlic into the food tonight (read somewhere that this helps with the immune system).
I checked on Wetwebmedia.com and saw that Bob Fenner et al. recommend using epsom salts. One or two of the threads on there recommended putting the epsom salt directly into the DT at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. What do you guys think? I respect what you guys say, so let me know. I don't want to lose this guy. He is one of my favorites. I also don't want him to be disabled.

It would probably be extremely difficult to get him out of the DT because it is 110 gallon tall with about 150 pounds or so of live rock in it.

TIA.

Azurel · Sep 3, 2007

IF you need to remove him do it at night with a flashlight with a red lens.....The go into a sub-state of animation at night. They are not very alert so it should be easier to catch him if needed.....What the Epsom salt does is elevate the Mag and a elevated level of mag help reduce the pressure inside the eye wall.......The only other thing you could really do is QT with an antibacterial.....It also could be from injury like smacking a rock or something...

rackyrane · Sep 4, 2007

Thanks Azurel. Do you think I have to remove him from the DT or can I just treat the DT?

Azurel · Sep 4, 2007

With the epsome salt you could just treat the whole tank as a high PPM of Mag isn't gonna hurt to much. BUt I think it would be better off being pulled out this way you can make sure it is soing good in a QT tank. If you do go QT I would also use a bit of hyper salinity like 1.019-1.022 with the higher Mag, Hyposalinity is quite easy on fish and it will make the High level of Mag more productive. This way you can as well if needed dose what ever meds you find that you need to cure the pop eye......All the mag does is releive the pressure built up it won't cure the infection if that is what it is......