Pop Eye in GBR

[Mebbid]

So for some reason I am having absolutely terrible luck in keeping GBRs. I started with a pair of them when one died of a fungal infection. Then I recently bought a new one to replace the one I lost and it turns out the new one was infected with Ich. Now all of a sudden my original GBR now has bilateral pop eye.

I have a 29g planted tank which is currently set at 86 degrees to deal with the potential Ich outbreak before it spreads to other fish.

Currently my readings are:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10ppm

I normally dose my tank with Aquariumfertilizer's Macro Micro nutrient mix as well as fleet enema for phosphate all kept at the recommended levels. I also use API CO2 booster for carbon.

I change approximately 40% of my water religiously every week as well as keeping an eye on nitrates in case a second change is necessary. I also do a full tank dosing of Stress Coat on every water change.

The only thing that I could think of that caused it is that I was doing an occasional 2ml / g dosing of hydrogen peroxide to deal with a BBA outbreak that I finally got under control

Is there anything else I should check for or do to stop my GBRs from getting sick or is it just the decision of the aquarium gods that I am not allowed to keep these as pets?

 

[Taiken5968]

I am no expert, but I think I know one thing that can be causing your problems. You said that you change %40 of your water, weekly. I think that is too much and the fish may be getting stressed. when dealing with such a large change and that will make them more likely to get infections. I would do only 15 to %20 change.
Side note. I your ich treatment recommends water changes every other day I would continue to do that as it recommends.

I recommend a product called prime for treating tap water. It is about 10 dollars for an 8 oz bottle, but unless you spill your bottle (like I did recently) it will last you a while. An 8oz or 250 ml treats 2500 gallons. It saves money in the Lon run.

I also use a product called special blend that calms to reduce the need for water changes. It is basically good bacteria. I have sometimes gone two weeks without changing and not getting toxic levels.

I hope that this will help.

 

[Taiken5968]

Here are the products I mentioned.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Actually, 40% weekly water changes are fine. You could even do (2) 25% water changes a week, that would be even better.

Where are you getting your Rams from? I know that Rams from chain stores are more prone to illness, then to Rams who were bred on a small scale with more care taken to ensure they are healthy.

 

[Taiken5968]

If the large water change has been working for you then i wouldn't change it up, but i only do %15 weekly.

I don't keep rams, but if I did my only option at the moment is petco.

 

[Taiken5968]

Sorry I couldn't help.

 

[Mebbid]

Actually, 40% weekly water changes are fine. You could even do (2) 25% water changes a week, that would be even better.

Where are you getting your Rams from? I know that Rams from chain stores are more prone to illness, then to Rams who were bred on a small scale with more care taken to ensure they are healthy.

I get all of my fish from a local store that sells nothing but fish, most of his sales are discus and cichlids but he carries a wide variety of fish. He gets most of his stock from small scale breeders. I stopped buying fish from anywhere else because there are always multitudes of sick fish in the chain stores

 

[Mebbid]

Side note. I your ich treatment recommends water changes every other day I would continue to do that as it recommends.

The treatment I am currently following is by raising the temp of my tank to 86 degrees. From what I've read Ich can't reproduce in water with that high of a temp so I am giving it a try to avoid using meds on my tank. Thanks for the advice on using the prime. I might give that a try since I'm running out of stress coat. Having a 55, 29, 20, and 3 10s is draining my supply very quickly

 

[Scottyhorse]

I get all of my fish from a local store that sells nothing but fish, most of his sales are discus and cichlids but he carries a wide variety of fish. He gets most of his stock from small scale breeders. I stopped buying fish from anywhere else because there are always multitudes of sick fish in the chain stores

Well, you must be buying healthy stock then.. I have read though that rams can just 'keel' over for no reason, so sometimes it takes a while to fine one that doesn't just die.

 

[Scottyhorse]

The treatment I am currently following is by raising the temp of my tank to 86 degrees. From what I've read Ich can't reproduce in water with that high of a temp so I am giving it a try to avoid using meds on my tank. Thanks for the advice on using the prime. I might give that a try since I'm running out of stress coat. Having a 55, 29, 20, and 3 10s is draining my supply very quickly

I bet you do!!
For the ich, have you been adding any aquarium salt?

 

[Taiken5968]

I have a really in depth link on ich how it lives and treating it. I you would like to read it.

 

[Mebbid]

I bet you do!!
For the ich, have you been adding any aquarium salt?

No, I don't add any salt to my aquarium since some of my fish and plants are sensitive to it

 

[Mebbid]

I have a really in depth link on ich how it lives and treating it. I you would like to read it.

That would be great, more reading material is always welcome.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Do you have another tank to move the salt sensitive fish to for the time being?

 

[Berylla]

I see two problems - you need to up the heat to kill the icy, and the high heat is causing a bacterial infection to get worse with the popeye.

I would QT the ram in methylene blue and epsom salt at 1 tbs. /10 gallons. Change water 50% in morning and 50% in evening, redosing the methblue that you take out. Redose the epsom salt every day. Metheylene blue is a bactericide, fungicide, and is a mild ich treatment. Keep temperatures at 78 to control the bacteria.

 

[Berylla]

stupid spellcheck not "icy" but ICH.

 

[Taiken5968]

Hey here is that link I told you about. It tells you how to treat without using medicine. and only using hear. Ii use heat and about half the recommended amount of those fizz tabs that you can buy at Walmart. I can't quite get my heat up high enough. This link also explains the life cycle and how many days it takes to kill ich. an that ich can't be killed while attached to the fish.

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php

 

[Berylla]

If you medicate, use full strength (what is recommended) don't half the strength. If you medicate, you don't have to pump the heat so high. Keep at 80 degrees and add an airstone.

 

[Taiken5968]

If you medicate, use full strength (what is recommended) don't half the strength. If you medicate, you don't have to pump the heat so high. Keep at 80 degrees and add an airstone.

I did half because I have scaleless fish that are more sensitive to the chemicals. From what I have read, using the heat makes the life cycle of ich faster. This means they get to their free floating stage faster and that is the only stage where you can kill them.

 

[Berylla]

rid ich plus by kordon is designed for scaleless fish. I'm concerned that you are not curing your fish but creating a drug-resistant bug.