Bicher with popeye

[SpecialKay]

Hey everyone, I'm back with more bicher concerns.

I bought a bicher with popeye earlier this week, and need some guidance on helping her heal. Currently, I have her in a 10 gallon hospital tank running a sponge filter.

Water parameters are:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0 nitrate
8.4 ph
78 farenheit

I've started treatment using kanaplex and daily 15 min Epsom salt baths, with 100% water change every two days (before each dosage of kanaplex). She is currently on her second dosage of kanaplex (day 4 of treatment).

Atm, she has not shown any response to the treatment. The Popeye is still as bad as before.

Should I put her through a treatment of erythromycin after finishing the kanaplex?
I'm somewhat lost tbh... I have never seen a bicher with full blown popeye before.


This is how bad the Popeye is

Edit: I forgot to mention, the front of her mouth is a somewhat reddish color as well.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey everyone, I'm back with more bicher concerns.

I bought a bicher with popeye earlier this week, and need some guidance on helping her heal. Currently, I have her in a 10 gallon hospital tank running a sponge filter.

Water parameters are:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0 nitrate
8.4 ph
78 farenheit

I've started treatment using kanaplex and daily 15 min Epsom salt baths, with 100% water change every two days (before each dosage of kanaplex). She is currently on her second dosage of kanaplex (day 4 of treatment).

Atm, she has not shown any response to the treatment. The Popeye is still as bad as before.

Should I put her through a treatment of erythromycin after finishing the kanaplex?
I'm somewhat lost tbh... I have never seen a bicher with full blown popeye before.


This is how bad the Popeye is

Edit: I forgot to mention, the front of her mouth is a somewhat reddish color as well.

View attachment 1505900

View attachment 1505901

Some captive bred bichir have frog bulge eyes. That may be the case with your bichir.

 

[SpecialKay]

Some captive bred bichir have frog bulge eyes. That may be the case with your bichir.

Ah, I see. I thought the inbred froggy look was mostly confined to lower jaw species.

 

[SpecialKay]

So quick update in case anyone else has similar concerns! It was indeed a terrible case of popeye, most likely from poor water conditions on the vendor's side. The past 3 months have seen my bichir's eyes shrink down to 1/3rd from her initial state. No treatment has been done since the initial 2 weeks of medication, simply having her in a fully cycled tank with weekly 75% water changes seems to have done it.

There is still a slight bulge, but this may go away after a couple more months. The reddish color on her lips has also faded away; I suspect that may have been a sign of ammonia burns.

 

[Gerrit0]

Good to hear your bichir is fine!

 

[SpecialKay]

Final update.

She has fully recovered, and has packed on quite a bit of size at a bit over 8 inches.