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My angel fish has had a case of pop eye recently, I am wondering if pop eye can make your fish blind as it is now completely unaware of what is happening around it, it is bumping into plants i have put my fish net in front of it and it didn't even know it was there, and when I feed my fish it doesn't know that theres food around, if pop eye does make your fish blind is it temporary or is it permanent?

Thank you

Are you sure the infection is gone?

I wouldn't be surprised if it had some lasting affects like that, because we had a Paroon shark at work who was battling a whole bunch of yucky things, pop eye being one of them. Poor guy...crashed into things all the time, that didn't really help. This one didn't survive because of all the other complications he already had.

This sounds like a kinda silly question...but are you sure there's no film or anything over his eye? Are they perfectly clear?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Is it one eye or both? Is the eye still popped? Is it clouded as well as popped?

Have you checked your water lately for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

Do you use dechorinator/chloramine remover?

How big is the tank and what else is in it?

A single popped eye can be caused by several things including infection and parasites. If both eyes are popped, I'd suggest looking carefully at the angels profile and see if you notice the scales beginning to lift away from the body at an angle. If yes, then the fish is going into dropsy - a condition in which it cannot eliminate water from its system (kidney and/or heart). It is usually an end stage of something and rarely, if ever, curable.

Have you considered isolating the angel? If it is one eye and ammonia/nitrite are zero and nitrates below 40ppm with pH in range, then you may consider isolating and treating with antibiotic. Medicated food is the best if you can get it and Jungle has come out with a new one called Jungle Anti-Bacteria Medicated Food. It is currently only available at Petsmart, but will be more broadly available elsewhere within a few weeks or so according to Jungle. If the fish is not eating, then I would suggest something like Jungles Fungus Clear Tank Buddies, or Maracyn, or Maracyn-2, or any other antibiotic claiming to treat popeye that you can find.

Good procedure for isolating includes moving the fish with some of his own water. If you don't have a spare tank, a rubbermaid bin that has never had detergents or chemicals of any kind will do, provided it is at least 10 gallons or more. Use as much water from the main tank without depleting more than 30% of that tanks water. Transfer the fish at the same time so that there is no temp difference (really reduces transfer shock). Put a fake plant or two in there, an airstone, and keep in the warmest room you have if you don't have a spare heater. If you have a heater, make sure you stick it to something non-plastic if using a bin. Any replacement water in the main tank or the bin, should be within 1-1.5F of the water temp, using the same thermometer. Several degrees of drop can bring on ich or velvet; several degrees rise can exacerbate a bacterial infection.

By isolating, you save money on meds as you can use much less. YOu also eliminate the possibility of killing off the good bacteria in your main tank, giving rise to ammonia that could have lethal consequences for several fish. If you must medicate the main tank, or if several inhabitants are showing signs of infection, monitor ammonia daily up to 3-4 days after med has been completed. A minicycle can show up post treatment. Therefore, redose the tank with something like New and IMproved Cycle or BioSpira, STress Zyme or other bacterial starter within a few hours of putting your activated carbon back.

Monitor ammonia in the isolation bin and perform water changes as necessary, being aware of the temp change in the process.

Hope this helps.




Last edited by Cory_Di at 22-Jan-2005 10:34

Thanks for your help, but unfortunately the angelfish has died, i think it had a internal bacterial infection which finished it off.

With any death in the tank, I would not add any new fish for up to 4-6 weeks. Some things have a way of lingering. You need to be certain that whatever ailed this fish, is not ailing others in a low-level way. Time will tell.

Sorry you lost the angel.

Diane