heniochus popeye question

[jill]

Hi Lee,
24 hours ago my ATO unit malfunctioned and 30 g of RO went into my 300 g system. My salinity went from 49.6 to 46.5 almost immediately. I'm sure my pH and temp went down a little too. I have since remedied the problem and am gradually bringing up the salinity. Now it is at 48.5, more than I wanted to bring it up so soon but its not so easy to be a reefkeeper. My pH is 8.05 and temp 79.2.

Everyone looks good in the tank except one of my heniochus. "Gracie" developed a popeye. She is eating and otherwise looks good.

Is there anything I can/should do?

Also, I have been meaning to ask you why Gracie is so much smaller than "George", the other heniochus in the tank. Is she a female or did I get the sexes wrong when I named them?

Thanks Lee.

 

[Red C Aquarium]

I find pop-eye seems to subside faster when the temp is lower.

Good luck

 

[jill]

I find pop-eye seems to subside faster when the temp is lower.

Good luck

I just changed the setting on the chiller.
Thank you

 

[Red C Aquarium]

With corals and live rock, take the temp down slowly.

corals dont like sudden change

 

[leebca]

If not an injury, then the condition of the eye is likely a bacterial infection from the stressors at work at time of the problem and the water quality recovery. Given proper nutrition and care and a stable environment, it should right itself. It can take a long time and if it does go on for more than a couple of weeks, I would treat with an antibiotic that goes through the skin of the fish.

Size of fishes of the same species has a lot to do with the interaction between the fish, how they 'started out' and genetics-physiology. One fish sometimes becomes dominant and keeps the other small. These are very subtle kinds of dominance acts. Sometimes it includes one fish getting the 'better' or 'larger quantity' of food at feeding time. Just be sure each is getting the same amount of food during feeding and watch their behavior after feeding to see if the smaller one is picking around for food or not. If the fish is picking about, without being disturbed by the larger one, then this isn't likely the cause of the size differentiation. If it is genetics or physiology then there isn't much you can do with that.

I don't believe that size differentiation is a sign of gender, just because one is larger/smaller than the other in this situation.

 

[jill]

If not an injury, then the condition of the eye is likely a bacterial infection from the stressors at work at time of the problem and the water quality recovery. Given proper nutrition and care and a stable environment, it should right itself. It can take a long time and if it does go on for more than a couple of weeks, I would treat with an antibiotic that goes through the skin of the fish.

I don't believe that size differentiation is a sign of gender, just because one is larger/smaller than the other in this situation.

Thanks. The pop eye seems to be getting worse so I will treat. What do you recommend and how should I do it?

On the size question thanks again. I have heard that the female clownfish will be larger than the male. Is this true?

 

[leebca]

Regarding Anemonefishes, Yes. The female is larger than the male. Each fish can be male or female. One becomes dominant to make the other one (smaller one) the male. Not common in the marine fish world.

I'd treat with Maracyn Two for saltwater fish. If you can't find it for saltwater fish, then use the one for freshwater fish. Treat the fish with double the recommended treatment quantity.

 

[jill]

Regarding Anemonefishes, Yes. The female is larger than the male. Each fish can be male or female. One becomes dominant to make the other one (smaller one) the male. Not common in the marine fish world.

I'd treat with Maracyn Two for saltwater fish. If you can't find it for saltwater fish, then use the one for freshwater fish. Treat the fish with double the recommended treatment quantity.

Hooray!!!
I am happy to report that Gracie's eye looks SO much better. I guess what I must have been seeing was the air coming to the surface. There were two more bubbles on the main eye bubble and I thought she was going to explode but one of the new bubbles is gone now and the other bubble is really little and the eye is almost back to normal. We are so relieved.
Thank you!

Also, thanks to A Red Sea.. I did lower the temp of the tank to around 78.5 and that may have helped too.