# Peacock - Missing Eye - What to do !!



## gudismonsta (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi Folks,

I couldn't find any info on this topic, but pls direct me to any content if it exists.
excuse the rant, but a bit of history is always good 
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~History:
I've been keeping africans on and off for 4 yrs.. and have maintained a 4ft african community tank for about 18mnths.. - growing to 4 tanks..  i have breeding grps of y.labs, red empress and ps.saulosi.

After shuffling species about to try and make them happier.. (mbuna in 1 tank, and haps in other), i introduced a few more tank mates.. as a friend of mine had some fish to offload. 
I was also able to sell off some of my juv's and 're-invested'  that back into some more fish..

.. anyways i now had a Juv Dimi.Comp and a few peacocks, in addition to all the other stock.

/history_end
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SO.. a month or 2 have pasted and no major issues.. just the usual activity and slight aggression - But one the peacocks.. a male RED (not formally labelled), was getting a little picked on.. no big issue, but appeared to be lower in the pecking order.. - Then a few weeks ago i noticed he is Missing an Eye !!!..

.. i was a bit shocked.. i left him in there for a few days.. he was getting beat up a little more, by another peacock (larger marble) and a few other's including mr.Dimi.Comp, keeping him in check.

Now all the info i read on the 'malawi eye bitter' suggests this behavior is not true to the species.. but it can only be 2 fish.. dimi or the other peacock..

Anyways, 1 eye Red, has been moved to another hosp/fry tank and he has been doing fine, feeding etc, but i dont know what to do with him.
I dont really want to euthanize him.. (wouldn't even know how) but i don't think he can return to hap tank, and will be bullied in the mbuna tanks. the tank he is in currently is needed for my mouthful of y.lab fry.. .

So i need to sort it out.. Any ideas would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.
-Ludovic.

ps.
Red is about 8cm's - and tank mates range from 3cm (rusty's + labs) to 12cm+ peacock/frontosa/c.moori
mid size includes: maylandi, red.empress, red.jewel, placido, full size labs, Alto.compress pleco.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

The fish can survive just fine with only one eye. Be on the watch for signs of infection: redness, white/gray fuzzy growth around the eye or anywhere on the fish.

As to where to put the fish: good question. This is actually a fairly typical and common problem with cichlid tanks. You put together a group of fish, hopefully after researching the individual species so that there seems to be a better than good chance that they are compatible but even so there is often a fish--or two--that's just not going to work in a given tank.
When you start to see one of more fish constantly getting picked on it's best not to wait until there is an injury. Even if there's no overt injury the stress of being constantly picked on will weaken the fish's immune system and allow disease to take hold and then your entire tank is at risk. 
So you'll need to find a new home for the injured fish or perhaps make some changes in the main tank. (Remove aggressive fish, add fish to make the correct male/female ratios for individual species, get a MUCH larger tank, or a combination there of)

Robin


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## gudismonsta (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks Robin,

I've sold a few batches of my Juv's and some of the larger fish over 10cm (frontosa, ob-peacock,red-jewel and c.mooori) _[as my focus to reduce variety to increase yield of y.lab breeding]_ but Red is still getting "kept in check" by the remaining peacocks and red-empress's.. he's definitely the bottom of the ladder.

The other large tank is full of pseudotropheus... not ideal tankmates.. and the smaller tanks all have fry... which peacocks like to eat !!

New tanks, although ideal, are not an option atm, (fish rake still to come) so ill have to re-home somehow.

last resort will be to try to give-away or euthanize..
Is there any documentation on this site for the most-humane methods ?

regards
-Ludovic


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> last resort will be to try to give-away or euthanize..
> Is there any documentation on this site for the most-humane methods ?


If you do a search on the site you'll find tons of information. It's been covered many times.

Hope it doesn't come to that. Especially since the fish is healthy and only needs a tank with compatible tankmates.

Robin


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