Chronic cloudy eye treatment advice

siniang

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Hi,

I'd really appreciate some advice or even a treatment plan.

My triggerfish developed some cloudy eyes during his fin rot infection last September. Since then, his severely damaged caudal fin healed completely. A couple months ago we moved house which stressed him immensely and he was pacing consistently for several weeks, but I finally figured out which window caused reflections that upset him - and we've been completely pacing-free for 4 or so weeks.

He's eating happily and otherwise behaving normally, doing triggerfish-things. He's gained weight ever since he stopped the pacing. No heavy breathing. No flashing. The second fish in the tank (a lawn-mower blenny) is completely symptom-free.

However, his cloudy eyes never went away. It hasn't gotten worse, either, though.

So this is the timeline of "treatment", so far.

Late September 2020 - Furan 2 treatment for fin rot and cloudy eye. Fin rot went away completely and stayed away.
mid-November 2020 - Melafix for cloudy eye and a white patch/scratch. White scratch healed, cloudy eyes remained.

Water parameters are good and have been good. So neither correcting/improving those, reducing stress, nor time helped to clear the cloudy eyes.

So I'm wondering:

1) could this be permanent damage? He can see. And from what I can see it does appear to be on the cornea, not internal in the eye, but I'm not 100% sure. He does not let me get close enough and he also has a reflective retina which enhances the cloudyness effect.

2) What would be the next treatment I should try?

Another round of AB? If so - which?
Prazipro?
Another round of Melafix?

I'm not comfortable doing a freshwater dip and I do not have the option of a QT. I don't have inverts or corals, so can treat in the DT, but rather not kill my beneficial bacteria if I can avoid it.

Any advice would be really appreciated! Thank you!!

#reefsquad

@Jay Hemdal
 

vetteguy53081

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Fish with cloudy eyes generally respond well to maracyn 1
Obviously good water quality helps.
ammonia < .03
Nitrate < .04
Salinity 1.024-1.025
Temp 76-79

add selcon vitamins and garlic extract to the foods alternating every other day
 

Jay Hemdal

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Hi,

I'd really appreciate some advice or even a treatment plan.

My triggerfish developed some cloudy eyes during his fin rot infection last September. Since then, his severely damaged caudal fin healed completely. A couple months ago we moved house which stressed him immensely and he was pacing consistently for several weeks, but I finally figured out which window caused reflections that upset him - and we've been completely pacing-free for 4 or so weeks.

He's eating happily and otherwise behaving normally, doing triggerfish-things. He's gained weight ever since he stopped the pacing. No heavy breathing. No flashing. The second fish in the tank (a lawn-mower blenny) is completely symptom-free.

However, his cloudy eyes never went away. It hasn't gotten worse, either, though.

So this is the timeline of "treatment", so far.

Late September 2020 - Furan 2 treatment for fin rot and cloudy eye. Fin rot went away completely and stayed away.
mid-November 2020 - Melafix for cloudy eye and a white patch/scratch. White scratch healed, cloudy eyes remained.

Water parameters are good and have been good. So neither correcting/improving those, reducing stress, nor time helped to clear the cloudy eyes.

So I'm wondering:

1) could this be permanent damage? He can see. And from what I can see it does appear to be on the cornea, not internal in the eye, but I'm not 100% sure. He does not let me get close enough and he also has a reflective retina which enhances the cloudyness effect.

2) What would be the next treatment I should try?

Another round of AB? If so - which?
Prazipro?
Another round of Melafix?

I'm not comfortable doing a freshwater dip and I do not have the option of a QT. I don't have inverts or corals, so can treat in the DT, but rather not kill my beneficial bacteria if I can avoid it.

Any advice would be really appreciated! Thank you!!

#reefsquad

@Jay Hemdal
Your point one outlines some of the differential diagnosis: cataracts versus superficial cloudiness versus normal eye shine for the species. I would rule out flukes since the cloudiness is stable. This means that there most likely isn’t a treatable pathogen in this case. Try running a Google search for: Hemdal The Eyes Have It - that should pull up an article I wrote on fish eye health.
Jay
 
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siniang

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add selcon vitamins and garlic extract to the foods alternating every other day

I forgot to add, I've been adding VitaChem whenever I'm feeding raw shrimp (every other day or so) and the frozen cube mixes I'm feeding also have added vitamins.

I have not added garlic extract since he's been eating happily and I wasn't aware it helped with immune system boosts.

Fish with cloudy eyes generally respond well to maracyn 1

Thanks, I'll look into it. But if it was bacterial, wouldn't it have gotten worse over time?

ammonia < .03
Nitrate < .04
Salinity 1.024-1.025
Temp 76-79

Check. All good. And I'm having a hard time thinking it's water quality because the blenny is perfectly fine and symptom-free, and has been.

I had "hoped" it might have been the chronic stress from being sick (fin rot) and then healing his fin and then moving and then pacing ... but since it's been 4 weeks since the pacing stopped and there's not been any improvement, I don't think the cloudyness was stress-induced after all.

Try running a Google search for: Hemdal The Eyes Have It - that should pull up an article I wrote on fish eye health.

Ohhhh....this is your article! *light-bulb emoji* I must have read that article like a dozen times over the past several months

Your point one outlines some of the differential diagnosis: cataracts versus superficial cloudiness versus normal eye shine for the species.

But if it was cataracts, wouldn't that be inside the eye (i.e. the lens)?

It's definitely superficial I would say (but of course I'm no fish expert and no vet). When the afternoon sun shines into the tank, the eye looks clear and normally dark, the "cloudiness" can be seen at an angle, still, on the cornea (from what I would interpret).

If it was cataracts, is there anything I can do to slow down progression? Other than the obvious (reduce stress, water quality, vitamins)

Should I treat for possible flukes just as a general precaution, regardless? Could the treatment do any harm?

Could it still be damage from the cold shock/fin rot and because of the fin healing and the additional stress is just taking longer to heal? Other than the eyes he really looks good.

I'll try to get pictures but it's really difficult. (which also makes it rather difficult to *really* investigate, he just doesn't let me get close enough, particularly not with a camera/phone)
 

vetteguy53081

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I forgot to add, I've been adding VitaChem whenever I'm feeding raw shrimp (every other day or so) and the frozen cube mixes I'm feeding also have added vitamins.

I have not added garlic extract since he's been eating happily and I wasn't aware it helped with immune system boosts.



Thanks, I'll look into it. But if it was bacterial, wouldn't it have gotten worse over time?



Check. All good. And I'm having a hard time thinking it's water quality because the blenny is perfectly fine and symptom-free, and has been.

I had "hoped" it might have been the chronic stress from being sick (fin rot) and then healing his fin and then moving and then pacing ... but since it's been 4 weeks since the pacing stopped and there's not been any improvement, I don't think the cloudyness was stress-induced after all.



Ohhhh....this is your article! *light-bulb emoji* I must have read that article like a dozen times over the past several months



But if it was cataracts, wouldn't that be inside the eye (i.e. the lens)?

It's definitely superficial I would say (but of course I'm no fish expert and no vet). When the afternoon sun shines into the tank, the eye looks clear and normally dark, the "cloudiness" can be seen at an angle, still, on the cornea (from what I would interpret).

If it was cataracts, is there anything I can do to slow down progression? Other than the obvious (reduce stress, water quality, vitamins)

Should I treat for possible flukes just as a general precaution, regardless? Could the treatment do any harm?

Could it still be damage from the cold shock/fin rot and because of the fin healing and the additional stress is just taking longer to heal? Other than the eyes he really looks good.

I'll try to get pictures but it's really difficult. (which also makes it rather difficult to *really* investigate, he just doesn't let me get close enough, particularly not with a camera/phone)
Bacterial is progressive and not rapid .

Take a video with your phone and walk away from tank allowing it to come out when youre not present and you can go back and view and I believe freeze a frame or 2 for still pics.

What test kit(s) are you using.
 

Jay Hemdal

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I forgot to add, I've been adding VitaChem whenever I'm feeding raw shrimp (every other day or so) and the frozen cube mixes I'm feeding also have added vitamins.

I have not added garlic extract since he's been eating happily and I wasn't aware it helped with immune system boosts.



Thanks, I'll look into it. But if it was bacterial, wouldn't it have gotten worse over time?



Check. All good. And I'm having a hard time thinking it's water quality because the blenny is perfectly fine and symptom-free, and has been.

I had "hoped" it might have been the chronic stress from being sick (fin rot) and then healing his fin and then moving and then pacing ... but since it's been 4 weeks since the pacing stopped and there's not been any improvement, I don't think the cloudyness was stress-induced after all.



Ohhhh....this is your article! *light-bulb emoji* I must have read that article like a dozen times over the past several months



But if it was cataracts, wouldn't that be inside the eye (i.e. the lens)?

It's definitely superficial I would say (but of course I'm no fish expert and no vet). When the afternoon sun shines into the tank, the eye looks clear and normally dark, the "cloudiness" can be seen at an angle, still, on the cornea (from what I would interpret).

If it was cataracts, is there anything I can do to slow down progression? Other than the obvious (reduce stress, water quality, vitamins)

Should I treat for possible flukes just as a general precaution, regardless? Could the treatment do any harm?

Could it still be damage from the cold shock/fin rot and because of the fin healing and the additional stress is just taking longer to heal? Other than the eyes he really looks good.

I'll try to get pictures but it's really difficult. (which also makes it rather difficult to *really* investigate, he just doesn't let me get close enough, particularly not with a camera/phone)
You could treat for flukes, but really, if it had flukes, you would be seeing frayed fins, pale skin, scratching, etc. The eyes would also just keep getting cloudier. You're correct, cataracts are more internal to the eye.


Jay
 

SALTY 75

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I followed your diagnosis chart and it led me to cataracts or droop eye but his eyes are not drooping and he can see just fine so idk what to do .
 

Jay Hemdal

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I followed your diagnosis chart and it led me to cataracts or droop eye but his eyes are not drooping and he can see just fine so idk what to do .
Well, I must not have put that key together correctly, as it isn't either of those issues (grin).

Whups - you replied to an old thread, so I'm going to go back to the eel one....

Jay
 

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