Geeze.  Not really sure what to say.  Things are fine, I go to Chicago for a funeral, I come back, and we have another round of  pop-eye?  This time, it’s the left eye (first time it was the right).  However, there are small white markings on the male too…
Water is pristine.  pH 8.2, no ammonia, no nitrite, nitrates minimal (< 2 ppm).  A 10 gallon water change (approximately 50%) has been performed, followed by a new round of Maracyn and Maracyn II have been initiated.  The big question is WHY.  Bacterial infections are normally brought on by things like dirty conditions.  Still, even with detectable organic pollution at minimal levels, the tank COULD be running at higher levels of bacteria.
So, the solution may be nothing more than another round of antibiotics with stepped up water changes to act in dilution of any water-borne bacteria that may be the cause of this.
I cannot tell you how incredibly frustrating this is.  There’s simply no logical cause to point to.  The ONLY thing I’ve thought about is the possibility of frozen food potentially being the cause.  If a food had somehow gone bad, it could be reintroducing pathogenic bacteria in elevated levels.
Which means certain foods in my freezer may be discarded.
Of course, this could all be the result of ongoing mechanical damage as these fish continued to clean their nest…these stupid vermitid snails that are all over the tank may be akin to rubbing your face in shards of broken glass.  At this point, I have considered the possibility of moving the fish out of the tank for 2 reasons; 1. to jump out of the environment that could be causing infection, and 2. to put them into a potentially less physically abrasive environment.