Eye Trouble with Black Molly

Question
About 15 months ago I bought a Black Molly for my kids as a holiday gift.  I never thought a goldfish would last like this one has lasted.  He's become part of the family and begs for food like a dog.  He will almost jump out of the water to get a piece of food.

We lost our dog in November.  This made the fish even more of a pet than it was. My brother died suddenly at 40 last Dec. With this in mind, watching our smaller dog grieve terribly, and more recently the loss of 2 close friends, my kids have suffered greatly this year and the attachment to the fish is deeper than ever.

The fish's eyes are very large to begin with but more recently they have a fuzzy whitish film hoovering around them and one seems very pointed as if it has a peak to it. They also show some redness on them.

He is not in an aquarium, but rather a big round fish bowl.  He loves to get his water changed about 2 times per week.  I make sure the water I use is well oxygenated before I use it.

Do you know what is going on with him?  I hope it is not from the round fish bowl.  I heard somewhere that in Japan round fish bowls were illegal because they cause a fish to go blind.  Is this true?

Is there something I should add to his water for allergies?  I want to keep him healthy as my kids can't lose hom now. ( Me neither!)

Thanks Nori,

Marci
Howboutme5@aol.com

Answer
Hi Marci,
Thank you for your letter and for telling me about the hardships in your family lately. That must be difficult.
Also, about the fish bowl. I have never heard that before. My system of fish care is a little different, in that I do not recommend chemical treatments. If you keep the water nice by feeding a limited diet, the fish should be fine. Usually, people over feed, the fish get sick, then they spend another $50 on aquarium store chemicals. Then the fish dies anyway.
It is good news that Black Mollies live 3 - 5 years, so yours still has a life ahead of him.
Here's what I recommend. Read my page on aquarium care:
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
Buy a straight sided tank and put the fish in it. Be careful when you change the water. If you want any guidance on that, let me know. Do not pick the fish up in your hand or a net. Try to move him in a container with the water. Please do it very gently and keep the temperature absolutely even. Then use extra Cycle (organic biology described at my site) and cut his diet to about 3 - 4 flakes or pellets per day. Keep him on that diet until his eyes improve. We don't know if it's the round bowl or not, but it could make sense. If his eyes hit the side before his nose, it could bruise the tissue. We may have cautht it in time. Please don't use any chemicals to treat the water, as this could prevent healing. Only use Cycle.
This will cost you for the new tank and the Cycle is about $15 or $20 per bottle, but you don't need all the filters, bubbles, etc., since you did not need them in the bowl. Keep the Cycle in the refrigerator because it's living organisims.
I hope this helps. If it was the bowl, then if we are lucky, his eyes should heal within a few months. Don't rush him. Try to provide a peaceful setting and let him rest while he heals. Try to keep the room quiet or music. Also, spend time with him. Read or work on the computer, or whatever so he will have company.
Put him in a room that gets average light but no direct light. Do not turn a lamp on him.
Well, that's all for now. Best to you,
Nori