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I have a bluegill that was found in a creek when it was a baby it was like 6 inches now and i think it has popeye its eyes are the size of dimes and it was fliping around like it is stupid.I was just wandering if it was Contagious.And if it matters I have a 19inch albino catfish two 10\7 inch channels a 5" jackdemsey and a 8" flordia gar and the bluegill 55 gal. tank anything will help thanx.

Not contagious as such, but a reflection of the conditions it is kept in which is drastically overstocked.

Bluegill are too large to be kept in most home tanks especially a 55 gallon. It should have been left in the wild.

Please post your water quality numbers for

PH
Ammonia
NitrIte
NitrAte
Temp
Date and ammount of last water change

So we can better help you.

^_^

PH 7.1
Ammonia good
NitrIte not shure
NitrAte not shure
Temp 67
Date and ammount of last water change one week ago 40%

Last I checked "good" and "not sure" weren't numbers.

We need to know the numbers get test kits for the two tests you don't have results for.

In the meantime do another water change. Popeye is usually caused by poor water quality. Often combined with an injury to the eye.

^_^

I did realize I was oversocking the tank but the demsie the two channels and the bluegill came with the tank i bought the tank for soley the albino catfishn but the guy that I bought the tank off of was just gonna throw them on the ground and let them die and I wasnt shure if they would live in the wild after they have been kept indoors so long I just dident want it to seem like I was Torturing my fish they seem to be happy I guess Ive just got a stressful hobby and im in to deep lol

Ammonia says good below it im sorry above .5 you dident need to be mean about it

NitrIte 1.2
NitrAte 60 ppm

Babel aint being mean, we just get that sort of thing all the time, everyone goes "oh the tank perams are fine" then we get the real readings and they arent fine. Case in point- yours arent fine either!

If i may give you a little observed statistic from my time in the forums on average when people say perams ar "fine" they are actually fine about one time in 30. So perhaps a little jaded outlook on our part can be forgiven?

Nitrite and ammonia should read a big flat hairy zero
, and for most fish nitrate needs to be under 40ppm for good health.

Its really good and kind that you took the aforementioned fish on, rather than letting them die, but ultimately you have only delayed their death unless you get a really huge tank , get them a pond or pass them on to someone used to dealing with monster fish. About the only fish you have in that 55 which is of approprite size is the dempsey, all the others should really be in 200 gallon or more.


Now the fish have been kept in captivity and exposed to fish from other countries it is no longer safe to release them from an environmental point of view, in fact it will be illegal. I know its not your fault per se, but it is still very much your problem, and rehoming them is your responsibility. You have become critically overstocked. Not just a little overstocked.

It doesnt matter what filters you buy, what water changes you do, with those fish , and that setup, you will never be able to do enough weater changes or feed the fish as well as they should be fed without constant nitrite and ammonia spikes, even if you manage to do the water changes often enough, and in that amount required without killing the fish and the filter.

No filter designed for less than a 300 plus gallon tank will be able to handle the bioload of the fish you keep. It will always overload, always fail periodically, underperform, and be affected by OTT water changes.

Basic choice is, to scale up by four times or more on that tank, and all associated equipment, or give some fish away.

Try LFS 's , clubs, and even zoos and parks and see if they know of anyone who might be able to take such large fish of your hands...or start digging and planning on pond pumps .lol.

(no meaness in mmy voice BTW, thats just the way things are, you wont like it i know, but it doesnt mean that im being mean!)

Lose half the fish at least, get a tank that is much bigger, and add a little melafix and the problem will clear right up. I appreciate its all effort, cost and time, but if you dont there will be much worse in the pipeline than a simple case of popeye. Chances are that one day the tank will completely crash and youll lose all of your fish.

I worry about the bioload of my tanks when it gets to within one quater of yours, not being rude or anything fella, but you seriously need to get more realistic on the water perameters that fish can be expected to take, and get better acquainted with the limits of the equipment you have. There is only one solution, and that is to either spend a great deal of money, or pass the fish on and just keep the dempsey and a few more suitable, and much smaller species. You are in no way properly equipped for such monster fish. Its just the way things are.

thanks,its only lack of funds.

Yeah, I do sympathise, but that does make it simple. Youll need to start looking for homes for the bigger fish asap. The only other option is to sit there and watch them become sick and die over the coming months, and thats not something I would wish on anyone or their fish.

It really sorry I cant give you another realistic option, but those fish are just two damn big for the tank, and are set to get much bigger.

The sooner you are rid of them, the sooner they will be healthier for avoiding the inevitable developmental problems (which can be permanent if left too long) , and you can restock with fish you know you can take good care of and be proud of. Becomes less of a weight on the conscience and a whole lot more fun then.