Bacterial growth on fish eyes HELP DIAGNOSE!!!

[FishGuest5123]

Ok you made a believer out of me. Wow I've been in the hobby for over 20 years myself and always thought anything over 50% water change was for major emergencies only. I had a 65g with a flowerhorn and I was doing 2- 50% water changes twice a week bc of very high ammonia. He ate like a pig. I had two canister filters on there rated for 120g each and still I had issues. Long story short my tank kept recycling over and over and over I could never get normal parameters. That's just one personal experience I had that reinforced that way of thinking. So do you think I should wait until im done dosing melafix to do the large water change or do it asap?

Melafix really is a very mild med. Well, not even really a med. I have used it occasionally for scratches and things. I do a 75% water change on all of my tanks each week when cleaning and then do another 50% mid-week. My fish seem to be healthy and thriving.

 

[Byron]

I would do a large water change as the first "treatment" for almost anything. If I see fish behaving in a manner that is abnormal, the WC is done while I look for possible causes. More than once the WC has "solved" the problem, whatever it may have been. But the point is that a substantial water change will benefit more than adding substances, unless you are fairly certain of the issue and the intended additive is the best and safest treatment.

I've no idea what Melafix might benefit here, so I am not saying yay or nay to its effectiveness given the issue(s) described. But something to keep in mind is that Melafix or any other additive will stress out the fish, guaranteed. Substances added to the tank water are taken into the fish via osmosis through every cell, and thus the additive enters the bloodstream and internal organs. These will inevitably be detrimental to the fish because they channel the fish's energy away from various processes, they likely add stress which makes this even worse, and they may affect the organs themselves. If, and only if, the additive is needed, and if it is the most effective and safest substance for the issue, should it be added to the water. The stress these substances cause only weakens the fish further. Just a general caution, something I learned from a couple of marine biologists and reading the excellent book The Manual of Fish Health drove it home.

 

[seangee]

I stay out of "disease" threads as my experience is (fortunately) next to nil,

I think there is a very good reason for that - and it has nothing to do with blind luck

I had a bunch of frog bit and dwarf water lettuce at one point that really helped out however they began to grow so crazy that they shadowed the light for the plants on the substrate and some of my swords started to die.

That particular tank is really very dark on the right hand side. I use a length of airline to keep the frogbit in one half of the tank so the light loving plants get their share. After the water change I fill up the shaded section with frogbit and whatever is left over gets thrown out. There are two swords behind the anubias. They are the healthiest looking of all my swords, although they do grow slower than the others being so heavily shaded. They do need root tabs or they will just shrivel and die.

 

[TheRisingPhoenix]

I think there is a very good reason for that - and it has nothing to do with blind luck

That particular tank is really very dark on the right hand side. I use a length of airline to keep the frogbit in one half of the tank so the light loving plants get their share. After the water change I fill up the shaded section with frogbit and whatever is left over gets thrown out. There are two swords behind the anubias. They are the healthiest looking of all my swords, although they do grow slower than the others being so heavily shaded. They do need root tabs or they will just shrivel and die.

You mean my tank is dark on the right side or are you referring to your tank?

 

[seangee]

You mean my tank is dark on the right side or are you referring to your tank?

Mine

 

[seangee]

Mine

Here is an older version of it without correction for lighting

 

[TheRisingPhoenix]

Here is an older version of it without correction for lighting

Yeah that's a shadow alright... lol

 

[dennis r]

Just curious about your feeding. I have a feeling that you are giving too much food. General rule is that all food should be eaten within two minutes or so. Any uneaten food that gets to the bottom will rot. Another way to judge is to look at a fish's eye. Usually it is approximately the size of the stomach. If you ever fillet a fish for dinner, check it out. One last note, the more you feed a fish, the more he poops. The more poop, the dirtier the water. The cories, being bottom dwellers, are closer to the poop and excess bacteria and are usually the first to die.

 

[TheRisingPhoenix]

Just curious about your feeding. I have a feeling that you are giving too much food. General rule is that all food should be eaten within two minutes or so. Any uneaten food that gets to the bottom will rot. Another way to judge is to look at a fish's eye. Usually it is approximately the size of the stomach. If you ever fillet a fish for dinner, check it out. One last note, the more you feed a fish, the more he poops. The more poop, the dirtier the water. The cories, being bottom dwellers, are closer to the poop and excess bacteria and are usually the first to die.

Thanks for your reply. My feeding schedule is every other day tropical flakes and every other opposite day is Cichlid sticks and small pellets. So they eat everyday. I don't think I feed too much bc I put little pinches in at a time to make sure everyone gets something rather than throwing a whole mess in there. I also spot feed with a Turkey baster to an extremely shy keyhole cichlid and I tong feed my Raphael catfish. Im sure some food does make its way uneaten i suppose but i wouldn't say it's overfeeding. I did a massive water change as suggested by byron and a few other members. Both fish with infected eyes cleared up but the severum still has a spot on his which I think is a cataract as suggested by another member as well. Everyone is eating and doing fine. I got the ph up to 7.0 over this time period with coral substrate in mesh bags in the filter. I originally used baking soda to start but I didn't like the thought of putting more stuff In the tank so the coral bags were a good choice. My ph is 6.4 out of the tap on my digital ph meter so it's no wonder it dropped very low. The Cory cats are in my Q- tank for now until I know for sure everything is balanced. I had 6 at one point and I lost 1 to swim bladder disease I believe and the other 2 that day I noticed these issues. Im down to 3. Thank you everyone for the help even if I didn't recieve some of it positively. I've been in the hobby for over 20 years and all I do is research... perhaps some of the info I've researched was incorrect especially about 25 to 50% water changes being the recommended max unless you have an emergency. Even after 20 years in the hobby you learn something new everyday.