Help!! Orange-back Fairy wrasse w Pop-eye

As the title says - my orange-back fairy wrasse has pop-eye. I've had the fish for probably 1 1/2 years. The pop-eye started at the end of January. I felt that trying to remove him would be difficult, if not impossible to accomplish in my DT. Plus, I was concerned that the stress of trying to catch him, my be enough to kill him. So, instead I treated the tank with Melafix for a week. The eye was looking a bit better, and I chose not to do a 2nd treatment of Melafix.

The eye appears to be getting worse. It hasn't slowed him down though. He still hides alot in his normal spot, but always darts out for food. Doesn't seem to be affected otherwise, when he's out trying to capture food.

As he moves very quickly, it is difficult to get a picture. I managed to get 2 pics with the wrasse showing the pop-eye. The rest of the tank is blurry, but I think you can get a decent view of the eye. In the 2nd photo, behind the wrasse is my overflow, with a sponge just below his face - don't confuse that for the popeye.

Any thoughts on what to do? Another round of Melafix? Something else? Just leave it alone???
@xroads - what do you think Mr. Fish man???

 

Here's the pics

 

Usually it is some type of bacterial infection, often times a scratch to the eye itself.

Sometimes it will cure itself, if not and you can catch it, an antibiotic treatment should take care of it.

 

Tried again - this time with a real camera, not the cell phone camera. Much better pics. The 2nd pic you can see the normal eye and how much the pop-eye is extended.

 

If one can't catch it, would you treat the DT? If so, with what?

 

nothing you can really treat the display with that wouldnt kill everything else. Maybe keep on your melafix of pemafix.

 

Thanks Craig!

 

Have you tried a home made trap with food, If he is hungry he might go for it.

 

I need to give it some more thought. I've got a decent trap - but its 9" x 10" x 3" - and I don't have enough empty space on the sand bed to put it anywhere. I might have to think about suspending it somehow.

 

I know Kanaplex can treat popeye if it's due to a bacterial infection. Seachem also touts that metroplex and kanaplex can be mixed with food so you don't have to treat the entire tank. I'm not sure if popeye can be treated through this method or not... but it's something to look into if you aren't able to get him out of there.

Also, if you do manage to catch him and get him into QT just remember that many wrasses are very sensitive to certain meds (such as copper).

 

Thanks @Actuary