# Blurred Eye help please?



## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

My angel fish has a blurred eye, it has like a white coating over it.
It just happened last night or yesterday.

Im not quite sure what is or how to treat it.

Will affect the other fish in my tank (3 angels, 3 clown loaches and 2 plecos)

Just help me and tell me how to fix my fish and prevent the others from getting it.

thank you


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Treat with "Maracyn plus" It's probably Eye cloud, popeye, dropsy or any number of injury infections. Maracyn Plus does not require the removal of carbon from your filter and does not kill off your good bacteria. If you have a hospital tank available I'd move him to that and treat with something heavier like tetracycline, maracyn, or maracyn 2. You may also try regular maracyn or metrodiazanole (SP?) in the food.

Those being cures, you must find out what caused it. If it wasn't an injury then, dollars to donuts, you will see this pop up again. Usually these things are tank parameters, cleanliness and, more specifically, the build up of nitrate. Secondarily they may be caused by aggressive tankmates which cause stress, lowering the immunities usually present. Sometimes, more often than you'd think, a new tank member who has not been properly quarantined and who, fpr the most part, appeared healthy is the culprit. Good luck.


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## 55gal (Jan 19, 2009)

I would try performing water changes before any meds. 20- 25% WC for 3 days and vac substrate. Just my opinion.
Most deseases are caused by poor water quality.

What are your water specs. ?

A well maintained tank is a happy tank 8)


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

well I have not added any new fish in at least 2 months.

I did a 30% water change yesterday. should I do it every 3 days or for 3 days straight?

I will check my water specs today.


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## 55gal (Jan 19, 2009)

I would clean substrate next, and then perform a 25% WC for the next 2 consecutive days, add a good water conditioner, waite a day and then check your water parameters


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

alright thank you.
can this affects my others fish?


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

my water specs are as follows
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 50-60 PPM
Ph. 7.0-7.2


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## Stellaluna (May 8, 2006)

My female domestic angel gets a bit of cloudy eye at each spawning, and I am not sure why. This is always cured by increased water changes, so I'd do that before doing anything with medication. It is almost certainly a water quality issue.

Water changes can cure just about anything, IME. That is the *very first* thing I do whenever something is off in any of my tanks.


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

He is a male.
and it just the one eye


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

With water where it is, it sounds like infection. Is the eye bulging or just cloudy? I hastily assumed  that the fish wasn't eating. They usually do stop at some point and then it becomes difficult to attack the problem. If it's an injury infection, a scrape or bite, whatever, it is technically contagious but highly unlikely.

A couple things... Is his eye cloudy from the inside out or cloudy just over the lens? Is the Iris of the eye cloudy? Any of these three can be prevented by water changes but not at all cured by them, or salt.

If cloudy from the inside out it is most likely a parasite and/or flukes and you should treat with metronidazole in the food if possible.

If cloudy over the lens or iris, minus any patches on the body, than You are most likely looking at a gram-negative bacterial infection and should trest with Kanamycin but I like triple sulfa (There are many meds which advertise that they are specific for gram negatives) in food and as a bath. HTH 

Usually a scrape infection etc. will be fuzzy and cloudy if that helps.


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## Stellaluna (May 8, 2006)

No matter the gender of the fish. Water changes will cure this. I promise.


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

It is cloudy more on the inside the outer ring of the eye is not covered, but it does seems to be bulging a tiny bit.

Should I remove him form the tank.

what would be the best treatment, if it is treating it with medications what is the common name of the best one.

Thank you all


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

I just started feeding them frozen blood worms about a month ago could that be the cause of the bacteria, and frozen brine shrimp started in the last 2 weeks, could these frozen foods be the culprit


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

no, most of these things are initiated by stress if your tank is regularly cleaned which it sounds like it is. Could be aggression, the diet change itself could be a culprit (i have never trusted red blood worms) but i don't keep angels so i can't be sure what their staple diet should be etc.

use triple sulfa, that's the name you'll find it under at the lfs.

I've never heard of water changes "curing" anything. :-? Regular water changes can HELP prevent disease etc. for obvious reasons but other than that, standard logic applies. For instance, posters who recommend water changes only may have had success with that process, however, when their fish were "cured" it, most likely, had much more to do with the particular fish's immunities reinforced by clean surroundings which "cured" the fish. I admit it's possible that your fish may overcome this on its own, however there are few practical ways to determine precisely what this ailment is and it's not worth it in my opinion to go without nipping it in the bud when their is a good chance that you can.

Treat with the triple sulfa, if that doesn't work it' most likely gram positive ( I still think gram negative) so try tetracycline Maracyn Plus. If neither of those work, it's not likely bacterial and may be parasites in which case you should treat with Prazipro. The "mycin" and sulfa type meds do tend to wipe out filter media so a hospital tank is best if only one fish shows symptoms


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## Stellaluna (May 8, 2006)

I'd certainly try water changes before loading up the water with medications, or putting the fish through the stress of netting and keeping in it a hospital tank. The stress of that alone could make the problem worse. That's all I'm saying.

Water changes has always worked for me and is certainly not harmful or difficult. First line of defense, if you will.


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

*BioG*-----*Stellaluna*
Thank you for all your help.
the guy at my lfs said wait a few weeks one or two and if it persists then medicate him. but I think if does not look better I will remove him to a hospital tank, because I have clown loaches and i have heard since they are scale-less fish do not do well with medication.

If it does come to doing the hospital tank what should I put in the tank to get it cycled, (filters pumps" What should be in there?


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

It's not too late as long as he is still eating. Stella is right in that creating conditions which reinforce immunity is ideal. I tend to treat early, when the fish is in hardy condition thus netting and medicating run less risk of pushing an illness over the edge. Meds do sometimes provide the last straw though and then the fish doesn't wake up. I f he's still eating I think you're ok to do water changes etc. keep an eye on him.

The ONLY reason I suggest medicating immediately is because, without microscopic lab testing, there's no way to no for sure if he's got something which can be spread to others. But there is also value of fish vs. cost of medicine ( I know that's cold). I have my first sick fish (A breeding wound got infected  ) in a long time in a hospital tank right now, it's a real stubborn one having treated with three or four different meds but he's rare and expensive so it's worth it, It's still so frustrating though so I hope your guy does fine. Good luck


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Sorry, forgot to answer your question 

Depending on the treatment a hospital tank should be cycled. I use a 10 gallon with a small penguin filter (no carbon, just a bag of aragonite, though anything will do) and an airstone. Since many meds wipe out filtration it's important to keep good air going+, usually, daily water changes as the med instructs. Once he's better I usually leave them in the hospital with new water for a week or so to make sure it doesn't flare up. Also, many meds are light sensitive, and they don't tell you this on the instructions! So keep the lights out unless your feeding him.


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## Stellaluna (May 8, 2006)

Excellent point about keeping the lights out! That is definitely something I would not think of.

Another trick for a hospital tank is to keep a small sponge filter running in a hidden spot in your main tank at all times, and then when you need to move a fish to the hospital tank you move the sponge filter (which will be cycled) over with the fish. This is typically more than enough bacteria to cover the load of a single fish, but as BioG pointed out, meds can wipe out good bacteria so daily PWCs and good aeration are key.

You could also try salt and increased temperatures to treat it in the hospital tank before moving on to meds.


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

Thank you both very much great advise.

I was looking at the brine shrimp I had started feeding them a week or two ago and on the bottom it says 12/08 so I think that means it is expired but not sure, but to be safe I'm not feeding them that anymore.

thanks again.


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## 55gal (Jan 19, 2009)

After performing water changes as advised, what are your water specs. ?


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

I've been doing them every two-three days

haven's checked specs yet but I will tonight.


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