# Cloudy Eye/Ich



## stellarbabe316 (Oct 12, 2008)

Last week, I lost a fish due to cloudy eye. Now my husband's tank has ich. (JUST saw the white spots on one of his parrot fish...looks like it was sprinkled with sugar or salt) I read somewhere that cloudy eye MAY be a symptom of ich? I'm just wondering because we are trying to figure out where the ich came from. We had moved one fish from my tank into his and I really cannot remember if it was before or after I got my maingano that died.

So, my questions are:

1. Does cloudy eye lead to ich?
2. Is it wise to dose my tank even if there is no indication that there is ich?
3. What is the BEST treatment? I've read the article in the library so I have seen the possible treatments...but what has worked for everyone else?

Thanks much!

Below is a picture of the parrot fish. I know it is blurry and some of the white is just spots on the outside of the tank (Which I didn't see until I took the picture!!) But you can definitely see the white spots on the fish:


----------



## Call_me_Tom (Feb 11, 2013)

I haven't battled Ich in a long time but what you're describing sounds like Ich. Treat both tanks, medication isn't necessary unless you want to use it. Most Ich can be killed by turning up your heater to 82*. It will cause the Ich life cycle to speed up & they'll die off before they can infect your fish.

There are rare cases of Ich who are resistant to higher heat, if you run into this then you'll need to use medication combined with raising your tanks temps.

From your pictures & description you have full blown Ich & you need to get it under control or your fish will die.


----------



## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

stellarbabe316 said:


> So, my questions are:
> 
> 1. Does cloudy eye lead to ich?  Strictly as a precursor to ICH? No, but cloudy eye as an infection could eventually be the result of an ICH infestation. I should add that a fish with cloudy eye is likely at an elevated stress level. A stressed fish is more susceptible to illness including parasite infestation due to a lowered immune system.
> 2. Is it wise to dose my tank even if there is no indication that there is ich?  I would say no, although it seems that from what you're describing, there is physical evidence of ICH in one tank, which I would treat.
> 3. What is the BEST treatment? I've read the article in the library so I have seen the possible treatments...but what has worked for everyone else? Salt and heat is commonly used with positive results. Dosing meds will work also. I wouldn't describe either method as being safer than the other, but from what I've read on the subject using a medication such as Seachem Paraguard works more quickly than the salt/heat method. Both will work unless you're dealing with a very advanced stage of ICH in which case I would advise medicating.


----------



## stellarbabe316 (Oct 12, 2008)

Thanks much for the responses. I appreciate the help and will update as we treat the infested tank.


----------



## stellarbabe316 (Oct 12, 2008)

Ok, so here is an update:

We lost both blood parrots. We figured out where the ich came from. We live in a small apartment and while we do have both our tanks, we don't have room for a smaller quarantine tank. We have a 10 gallon tank but my son has taken that as his for glofish. So when we get new fish, we really don't have anywhere to put them for a few days. The ich came in on some new fish my hubby bought. We lost a third fish this past Sunday.

We have been dosing the tank twice a day and the other infected fish are showing signs of improvement. They have less and less spots on them each day and none of the other fish in the tank seem to be affected. We had a bit of an issue towards the beginning of treatment. The heater in my hubby's tank was not working well and needed to be replaced. We replaced it, raised the temp and things have been improving.


----------



## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry for your losses, but glad to hear the other fish are recovering.
I would be negligent if I didn't point out some stocking issues in your tanks. Apologies if you're already aware of the issues.
Mbuna are typical harem breeders, they don't pair. Because these fish are aggressive, it's best to stock multiple females for each male, usually in a 1m:4f ratio. In more aggressive species, additional females are recommended. This has the effect of spreading the aggression from the male across several females so they're not stressed/harassed to death which is often the case in tanks where there aren't enough females. If your fish are still maturing, they might not be displaying this behavior thus far. 
Stocking a standard 55g with mbuna typically involves 3 species that don't exceed 6" at a 1m:4f ratio, (~15 fish). Assuming the 45g is rectangular and 36"x 12", these are typically single species tanks, or possibly 2 species of dwarf mbuna.
M. auratus and Ps. crabro are both highly aggressive. 6-7 females per male are typically recommended along with a minimum 75g tank.
L. fuelleborni (7") and Ps. crabro (8") will both eventually grow too large for a 55g tank.
Hopefully this doesn't come as too much of a shock. If the fish are still maturing, there's time to fix things before they get out of hand. In the meantime, I recommend keeping an eye on signs of stress and aggression, such as torn/nipped fins, and fish that hide near the surface or behind equipment. Often, stressed fish will develop illness.


----------



## stellarbabe316 (Oct 12, 2008)

Oddly enough, the mix is actually working in our tanks right now. We are not planning on keeping the bigger fish in these tanks once they get bigger. In fact, we are looking into moving out of an apartment into a house and when we do, we are planning on getting a 125 gal tank (at least). Right now, these fish are smaller, about 2"-3" and like I said, it seems to be working for some strange reason. Fear not, I'm not planning on keeping them in thee tanks forever. Ultimately, I want to get the 125 and use the 45 as a quarantine tank.

Thanks much for the info!


----------



## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

GTZ has made a very good point.

Stressed fish are sick fish, period. Your stocking is very indicative of a stressful tank, especially at the sizes they are reaching. So, basically, working on keeping the fish appropriately is going to be very important, if you want them healthy and alive. With your current stocking, lack of quarantine may not be your problem at all - and you don't always witness aggression. It will become very evident as time goes on, and in advising you to work on your stocking choices, we are basically trying to assist you and keep you from having many more posts like this one.

Quarantine is always good, and depending on how many fish you purchase at once and the size of the fish, a 45G would be more than adequate - you could actually get by with a 20 long unless you really buy alot of fish at once.

When you start having health issues, if you want to keep the fish you have, don't plan on the 'tank in the future'. Work with what you've got now!

With all that being said, what are your water parameters on both tanks?

What is your usual tank maintenance schedule?

Although everything indicates your stock list as your stressor, these two questions also need answers.


----------

