Hi everyone,
This will be my first time posting on a forum, but I'm at a loss and facebook groups have been of no help.
Little background. The tank in question is a 55 gal with 1 (used to be 2) juvenile EBJDs (1-1.5"), 3 adult EB crawfish, 2 juvenile EB crawfish, a single tetra, a BN pleco, and a random fry. Everything besides the EBJDs came with the tank when I inherited it. I run a tetra whisper 30-60 HOB, a Marineland Biowheel Penguin 200 with additional bio media (lava rock) in the HOB, and a sponge filter. The tank has slightly larger than pea sized gravel for the substrate with a light layer of sand beneath. Everything came with the tank when I inherited it except for the EBJDs. Originally, I had plants in there. About a month ago, the EBJD that's no longer with us, began to show symptoms for what I thought was Popeye. He had a clear, not cloudy, bubble over his eye. Now let me stress this, his eye was not protruding, the eye looked normal, it just looked like an air bubble over his eye. You couldn't even tell when looking straight at him and had to get at the perfect angle to be able to see this bubble. Note, he was not eating.
Naturally, I did a bit of research and started treating with kanaplex. Dosing tank every 2 days for a total of 6 days, max. After 3 treatments, no change in his eye, however, he did start to develop bloat.
After even more research, I found out that the reason that kanaplex can only be used for 3 treatments MAX is because it stresses the liver.. and liver dysfunction just happens to be a cause of bloat. I tried an epsom salt bath then returned him to the tank and placed him in a breeder box since he was having trouble getting around and keeping himself stable. He did not make it, lasted 2 days in there. So I believe I inadvertently killed my EBJD trying to treat for Popeye. After he died, I removed all plants because since the crawfish were eating them; I kept coming home to pieces of plant floating around in my tank every day, and I wasn't sure if decomposing plant matter could cause any issues. The other EBJD has been otherwise healthy, and was unaffected by the treatments, but is now alone, and still eating. I'm not sure if they get lonely, or mourn fallen friends (they came together, probably born together), but now my remaining EBJD, who has had a bubble over her eye as well, just hangs out in a little nook that one of the little crawfish created in a corner of the tank.. almost like she's hiding (fyi, I call it a she because the one who died was the same size but much more vibrantly blue, so I assumed the duller one is a female). I should mention that she doesn't stay there ALL the time, she does go out and swim around every so often. I'm super worried about losing her too. Am I overthinking this, or do these fish typically like to hide and she's just found her favorite spot?.. My parameters were 0/0/30 before a WC today, a PH of 8.2, and a temp of 78. I know EBJDs are genetically prone to issues, but am I doing something incorrect?
Do you think it could be something in the substrate? The gravel has been in there since before I got the tank. I did a gravel vac back when the first one was still alive, but didn't want to be too thorough and stress the sick fish more than It already was. The gravel vac was pulling out a decent amount of junk from the gravel. Could this stuff be an influence, even though my parameters have been good?
Side note, remaining EBJD's poop looks normal, not clear, so no signs of parasites.
Looking for any and all ideas as to what could be going on or what this clear bubble over the eye(s) are.
This will be my first time posting on a forum, but I'm at a loss and facebook groups have been of no help.
Little background. The tank in question is a 55 gal with 1 (used to be 2) juvenile EBJDs (1-1.5"), 3 adult EB crawfish, 2 juvenile EB crawfish, a single tetra, a BN pleco, and a random fry. Everything besides the EBJDs came with the tank when I inherited it. I run a tetra whisper 30-60 HOB, a Marineland Biowheel Penguin 200 with additional bio media (lava rock) in the HOB, and a sponge filter. The tank has slightly larger than pea sized gravel for the substrate with a light layer of sand beneath. Everything came with the tank when I inherited it except for the EBJDs. Originally, I had plants in there. About a month ago, the EBJD that's no longer with us, began to show symptoms for what I thought was Popeye. He had a clear, not cloudy, bubble over his eye. Now let me stress this, his eye was not protruding, the eye looked normal, it just looked like an air bubble over his eye. You couldn't even tell when looking straight at him and had to get at the perfect angle to be able to see this bubble. Note, he was not eating.
Naturally, I did a bit of research and started treating with kanaplex. Dosing tank every 2 days for a total of 6 days, max. After 3 treatments, no change in his eye, however, he did start to develop bloat.
After even more research, I found out that the reason that kanaplex can only be used for 3 treatments MAX is because it stresses the liver.. and liver dysfunction just happens to be a cause of bloat. I tried an epsom salt bath then returned him to the tank and placed him in a breeder box since he was having trouble getting around and keeping himself stable. He did not make it, lasted 2 days in there. So I believe I inadvertently killed my EBJD trying to treat for Popeye. After he died, I removed all plants because since the crawfish were eating them; I kept coming home to pieces of plant floating around in my tank every day, and I wasn't sure if decomposing plant matter could cause any issues. The other EBJD has been otherwise healthy, and was unaffected by the treatments, but is now alone, and still eating. I'm not sure if they get lonely, or mourn fallen friends (they came together, probably born together), but now my remaining EBJD, who has had a bubble over her eye as well, just hangs out in a little nook that one of the little crawfish created in a corner of the tank.. almost like she's hiding (fyi, I call it a she because the one who died was the same size but much more vibrantly blue, so I assumed the duller one is a female). I should mention that she doesn't stay there ALL the time, she does go out and swim around every so often. I'm super worried about losing her too. Am I overthinking this, or do these fish typically like to hide and she's just found her favorite spot?.. My parameters were 0/0/30 before a WC today, a PH of 8.2, and a temp of 78. I know EBJDs are genetically prone to issues, but am I doing something incorrect?
Do you think it could be something in the substrate? The gravel has been in there since before I got the tank. I did a gravel vac back when the first one was still alive, but didn't want to be too thorough and stress the sick fish more than It already was. The gravel vac was pulling out a decent amount of junk from the gravel. Could this stuff be an influence, even though my parameters have been good?
Side note, remaining EBJD's poop looks normal, not clear, so no signs of parasites.
Looking for any and all ideas as to what could be going on or what this clear bubble over the eye(s) are.
