Goldfish bulging eye or pop eye
Goldfish bulging eye or Pop eye is common due to lack of knowledge in the industry. If you’ve kept goldfish for very long, you may have experienced pop eye first hand. Pop eye is more common in goldfish than you might think. The condition is irreversible, and the vision is impaired if not lost permanently in survivors. In some cases the eye ball deteriorates and eventually rots away, leaving the fish blind
There are many one eyed goldfish in the world, and some missing both eyes. Fish have evolved to live and breathe in water. They take water in through the mouth, and then push it through the gills. As the water passes over an organ called rake, located in the inner gill, oxygen is absorbed directly into the blood stream. Goldfish don’t have lungs like most animals
Pop eye goldfish
When the blood loses oxygen the organs become stressed and function poorly. The fish is at risk of organ failure and infection of the blood, septicemia. Lack of oxygen in the blood stream may very well be blamed for countless conditions that our fish suffer from, including nitrate poisoning. Nitrates rob the blood of oxygen, and fish subjected to nitrate poisoning living in water low in oxygen will likely die, unlike a fish in freshwater, able to recover once the nitrate levels are lowered
Heavily oxygenated water is the greatest preventative for almost every condition that plagues our goldfish and Koi as well. Even though ponds have a greater chance of having healthy O2 levels due to the surfaces being broad compared to the body of water and being exposed to fresh air, unlike indoor aquariums
Goldfish bulging eye
Some types of goldfish are more susceptible than others. Moors or telescopes have been bred to encourage the bug eye feature, however, no freshwater fish is untouchable by the condition. This is because all freshwater fish need water rich in minerals; rich in oxygen
When oxygen levels drop, pressure builds in the fish’s body. This same pressure is often responsible for bulging eyes. Swelling may be caused by fluid building up in the eye; causes unknown to me
In some cases, the eye bleeds, and in some cases the eye rots away after the fact
Some of the experts say bad bacteria can be the cause. In most cases where bad bacteria is present, oxygen levels are low. Bad bacteria cannot tolerate oxygen, so making certain your fish house water is properly oxygenated is the key to a healthy environment. Low oxygen levels are indirectly related to the condition, making it a preventable one
Goldfish bulging eye
In some cases the oxygen levels lower gradually, causing one or both eyes to swell gradually as well. The condition may go unnoticed for a long period of time, especially in fish with large eyes. Sadly, there’s little that can be done for these goldfish besides providing a healthy environment. These fish are prone to bad bacteria after the fact, and treating the water with natural remedies is the key to preventing infection, along with heavily oxygenated water
pH Crash
Read the 10 Steps to Goldfish and Koi Keeping to learn more
Test water parameters for KH (carbonate mineral) This mineral gives water the ability to support oxygen; to hold on to the molecule. Unless you live close to the sea, or in a region rich in limestone, your levels are probably lower than what they should be. It’s also possible your freshwater source is on a filtering system; good for keeping your pipes free of limescale, but bad for our fish
The goal for KH is 120 ppm
You’ll learn more about KH by reading the 10 Steps
If your KH is healthy, but your pH is low, this indicates the oxygen levels are low due to another reason. In most cases gases created by waste are present, keeping oxygen from entering, or perhaps your fish house is covered. Oxygen enters from the surface, so remove the top of your fish house if covered. Install a pond pump. Only a real pond pump provides the necessary action needed to bring gases from the bottom to the top, expelling them
The moor in the photo below experienced sudden and low pH levels due to low KH. Moors have large bulging eyes, but the eye on the bottom of the photo is more than twice its normal size
If the body of water is free of gases, the surface exposed to fresh air and the carbonate mineral levels are healthy, you can bet your fish house water is properly oxygenated
Pop eye goldfish
If you’re unable to obtain a pond pump at this time, you can clear gases from the water manually by pushing a pitcher deep into your fish house, filling it. Bring it up and pour the water back in; repeat this action several times. If your KH is healthy, you’ll see a noticeable rise in pH after using this method
Goldfish bleeding eye
If you look closely, you’ll notice the fantail in the photo below has a string of blood coming from its eye. This condition was caused by a pH crash. Although the fish made a full recovery, it lost vision in that eye. They eye ball took on a dead shark eye look, but remained in tact throughout the fish’s life, which was a long one
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Author: Brenda Rand