Eye issue. Not popeye?

[Cinnebuns]

My first look at this male pseudomugil furcata made me think popeye. Then I put him in a container for a closer look. It's almost as if just the edges are popped out. Maybe injury somehow?  I also noticed his fins are clamped but he could also be frightened in the container.  The eye looks normal from side view. You can only see the raised part by looking front view. Looks to be some redness and a little more weirdness around the head to me but idk if I'm just seeing that

Haven't noticed anything else with any other fish in the tank. A little background though:  there is a history of 2x in the past 4 or so months of a fish turning up with its tail bit off. I suspect the male thick lipped gourami but idk for sure. 

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 20

Including a pic of the tank too. 

Edit to add:  More background I just thought of. I started with a school of about 12 furcata. Things and stuff happened and I was down to 4 (1f, 3m)  then I rescued 4 gerturdea and 4 luminatus. Now the furcata are down to 2 (1m, 1f).  To my knowledge mixing of the pseudomugil species is only an issue in terms of hybrids but I like to throw all info out there just in case.

@Colu

Edited June 30, 2023 by Cinnebuns

[Fish Folk]

Hard to say if this is a primary issue or a secondary injury-response infection. I'd guess there's a bacterial infection going on. My personal aquarist experience treating these is . . . 50-50 . . . You can try an API Product treatment as recommended. Maybe @Colu can offer more natural remedies.

Clean water is important. I'd cut back a bit on feeding, and offer the aquarium multiple small water changes. Looking at your setup, I'd guess it's been running little while. Perhaps there's some added issues involving what is sometimes referred to as "old tank syndrome." We could break the internet with speculations on whether or not to gravel vac substrate. But probably best advice is just protect the fish, and keep things clean. Lower the lighting to prevent stress. Make sure your food is high quality. If dry food, not the bottom of a bottle. I'd get a hanging net breeder basket rather than a specimen container.

Hopefully, the injury is not contagious.

[Cinnebuns]

On 6/29/2023 at 10:14 PM, Fish Folk said:

Hard to say if this is a primary issue or a secondary injury-response infection. I'd guess there's a bacterial infection going on. My personal aquarist experience treating these is . . . 50-50 . . . You can try an API Product treatment as recommended. Maybe @Colu can offer more natural remedies.

Clean water is important. I'd cut back a bit on feeding, and offer the aquarium multiple small water changes. Looking at your setup, I'd guess it's been running little while. Perhaps there's some added issues involving what is sometimes referred to as "old tank syndrome." We could break the internet with speculations on whether or not to gravel vac substrate. But probably best advice is just protect the fish, and keep things clean. Lower the lighting to prevent stress. Make sure your food is high quality. If dry food, not the bottom of a bottle. I'd get a hanging net breeder basket rather than a specimen container.

Hopefully, the injury is not contagious.

Oh the specimen container was purely for getting a closer look and better pictures. I didn't intend to keep him in it. 

Yes, the tank has been setup about 2 years now. I do gravel vac occasionally in most of the tank and regularly in the parts that don't have plants. I do not gravel vac much under the amazon sword. I guess I haven't checked the gh, kh in a looooooong time and the ph in awhile so that may be beneficial. 

[nabokovfan87]

If you can, try to give the gravel a good siphon.  Maybe there's just too many organics in there as well causing a bit of stress.

(For clarity, what I'm seeing could just be a shadow on the tank)

I would do the same thing mentioned above, add some botanicals, add some air+salt to try to perk up the fish (1/4 cup per 10G) and then go through the bacterial treatment.

What is the temp on this tank?

[Colu]

I agree with @Fish Folk@nabokovfan87  add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 2 gallons and do a course of kanaplex or maracyn2 just in case there's a bacterial component you can add some botanicals as well 

[MattyM]

I had the same type of thing in a female Platy. I quarantined and followed Colu's directions (basically what was said here), and no real change. She was still eating and active. I put her back in the main tank after a full round of treatment, and some weeks later the swelling finally went down and in place of her eye is a black spot. She often clamps her fins, and tends to hide down by the gravel - often against something with her good eye pointing towards the inside of the tank. Then when feeding time comes she goes bananas - prob b/c it's hard for her to hone in on the food w/ only 1 eye - but she manages. She's my oldest fish and a fav of mine - so when feeding I make sure to put some food right on top of her so she has an easier time getting it. I think maybe a male honey gourami in breeding mode nipped her eye, or she bumped into something fleeing from him. 

[Cinnebuns]

@Fish Folk @nabokovfan87 @Colu

I did a water change and gravel vac. There wasn't a ton of mulm and in some spots barely any. I tested the gh, kh and ph. All were constant with what the tank usually tests at with gh only slightly lower by about 2 dGH. I doubt old tank syndrome. 

I do have an idea I might consider. Someone is coming tomorrow to buy panda cories from me. He also breeds pseudomugil furcata. I might give him my 2 (1m, 1f) for free to add to his. Who knows if it's due to stress of there only being 2 of his species in there while being around other pseudomugil in greater number. I was debating ordering more furcata but maybe this is a better and more immediate option for him. I enjoy the species more than the other pseudomugil so I may have to think on it but it's probably what's best for this specific fish. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/30/2023 at 5:21 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I tested the gh, kh and ph. All were constant with what the tank usually tests at with gh only slightly lower by about 2 dGH. I doubt old tank syndrome. 

I don't think it's old tank syndrome at all, I was simply asking to verify parameters if it is causing some form of burn or external response on the fish.  i.e. low oxygenation (I understand the tank has two HoBs), temperature, and PH questions.  GH being lower.... I don't know what that value is.  I don't have a good source for rainbowfish parameters.
 

Quote

 

RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS: 

• Temperature:  75° - 79° F (24° - 26° C)
• pH:  6.0 - 8.0 (7.6 is most ideal but not required as this is a very adaptable fish)
• KH:  5 - 12 dKH
• Minimum tank size:  20 gallons

 

Here's another:
https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pseudomugil-furcatus/

Quote

Hardness: 268 – 536 ppm

I post those links and parameters simply because I personally want to understand the needs better of the fish!
 

On 6/30/2023 at 5:21 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Who knows if it's due to stress of there only being 2 of his species in there while being around other pseudomugil in greater number. I was debating ordering more furcata but maybe this is a better and more immediate option for him. I enjoy the species more than the other pseudomugil so I may have to think on it but it's probably what's best for this specific fish. 

I've heard of something like tank length as a major stress factor for species that like to move back and forth a lot.  Something like a RTBS in a tank that isn't long, but is tall for instance, could cause some stress response on that fish in question.  I don't know if that is what is going on here.  I see the clamped fin on top, which could just be a photo thing as well as the eye issue, which we've noted to treat with the meds.  There is a redness on the body which could purely be stress and water related or could be a sign of external discomfort.  It's difficult to say one specific reason here. 

If you enjoy the fish, let's get them healthy.  If you don't, then potentially sending that fish with your friend may be the best move.  It's entirely up to you.

I don't think only having 2-3 fish of the same species is the cause of stress here.  That is just what my gut tells me.