# Cloudy eye - used melafix - all fish acting weird



## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

I posted on here a few weeks ago were I lost a couple of fish and couldn't figure out what was happening.
On Sunday I noticed one fish had a cloudy eye as well as well as the rest of the fish being generally less active.

Day 3 of Melafix treatment and another fish has died (not the cloudy eye one) and the a couple of the fish are throwing themselves against the sand like an itch. They don't look healthy and I'm sure this infection is spreading through the tank.

Took water readings there now showing Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 5-10. Temp is 27.4. I have about 35 cichlids in a 450L tank. Feeding every 2-3 days.

Any help as to what I can do to stop anymore dying? I have aquarium salt but in scared to add anything else at this stage.

Thanks guys


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

I doubt the melafix has contributed to the problem, but it doesn't sound like it is helping solve it, either.

Flashing is often indicative of ich, but could also be a side effect from the melafix.

Are there any white spots on any of the fish? Have you added any fish or changed anything recently?


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

I did a big water change a few weeks ago, around 50% so it may have upset the balance. Will the melafix help with the Ich? Most of the fish look fine, but if it is Ich I need to treat the whole lot.

I've just increased the temp to 30 degrees. Should I add the salt or leave it? I've never used it before.


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

I bought 40 cichlids off a guy getting rid of his tank (I only had a few fish), that was at Easter so only a few weeks ago. Maybe they came with a diseases or maybe it was the stress of the journey (an hours drive away) :-/


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

Melafix won't do anything for ich. The best treatment (in my opinion) is heat and salt. I wouldn't treat for that based on flashing alone, however. If there are no white spots then it is probably not ich.

I've never had an experience with cloudy eye, but that symptom sounds like a bacterial infection to me. If that is the case the increasing the temperature may not be a good thing to do. Melafix works for some bacterial infections and does nothing for others.


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## Fish Jerk (Mar 9, 2016)

Ich has got to come from somewhere so unless he had added some new fish recently that's probably not it.

Coincidentally I had a similar problem of unexplained fish death after using melafix one time. But it's probably just coincidence.

My guess is that your tank is not cycled, or has decycled.

There's cloudy eye like the eye is cloudy inside the eye, which requires antibiotics, then there is ammonia burns that can look kind of the same. Then for big cichlids you can have eyes get an actual covering.

In your case it may be the first or second. If it's the first then they need antibiotics but I am guessing water quality is the main issue.


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

Heat and Salt for ICH is my choice of treatment.

Raise the heat to about 88 degrees and use aquarium salt; not Epsom, not NACL, not reef aquarium salt.


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

Ich only came up because the mention of flashing (which is also sometimes normal and sometimes linked to use of melafix). The OP hasn't said anything else that would be indicative of ich.

In the absence of white spots I wouldn't increase the heat or add salt. Focusing on water quality is always a good thing and sometimes the best way to solve a problem.


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

So can I add salt in now even though I'm still treating with melafix? I had another dead fish today :-/ but it's probably better to keep treating the tank to finish the course


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

Okay so to clarrify; what are we treating?


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

euphr said:


> Okay so to clarrify; what are we treating?


Cloudy eye, inactivity, flashing and deaths.


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

I think we're treating ich. This is the last dose of melafix today. Temp is now at 30 degrees. Fingers crossed.

The fish with the bulgy cloudy eye still has it.


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

Did you end up adding salt?


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

No, should I? I don't know how much to add.

2 more dead fish today :-/ one was the one with cloudy eye


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## wortel87 (Apr 15, 2014)

Really guys?....

How are your amonia and no2 levels? Get them!

also get some metronidazol with a suitable antibiotic to treat gram positive and negative internal bacteria. Dont know much about "us" meds though.. someone can help you out. I See furan and kanaplex mentioned allot. Look into it. It has to be for internal infections!

Stop treating with salt.. and get if out of your water with mutiple 50% water changes for a few days. Lower your temp back to 25 degrees.

You probably have a bacterial infection. Maybe its secundary and you have a flagellats infection to. So treat it as a heavy bloat infection.


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

He's posted his ammonia and nitrite levels and indicated that he's not treating with salt, and a bacterial infection was suggested very early on.....so really, what?


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## FishFan2016 (Apr 7, 2016)

Wortel have you only read my first post?

I haven't yet treated with salt and water parameters are fine.
I'm in the UK not the US.

Another dead fish today. A couple have been flashing so most likely on there way out too!

Will I add salt? Really trying not to lose anymore :-/


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

If you have ich, salt (at a rate of 1-2tsp per gallon) along with elevated temperatures (88 degrees or so) will work to cure it over the course of 10-14 days. I've done this dozens of times and never lost a fish. Higher salt levels will burn scaleless fish, however.

But again, if you don't have white spots I would not treat for ich.

I'm inclined to believe it is a bacterial infection, and I simply don't have enough experience to recommend a course of treatment other than clean water and a wide range antibiotic.


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