Cloudy Eyes On Ctenopoma Acutirostre

[Ripley]

My Spotted Climbing Perch (Spot) has had eyes that have been cloudy now for the past month or so. It is not the entire eye, more just the 'front part'. Ie, you look straight at him, and you can see the cloudy part on both eyes. At first we thought maybe he bumped his one eye into something, so treated the tank with Melafix and it seemed to get better... But then a week later his other eye had the same look too it. I have seen on a couple of occasions Spot will apparently rub his eye against something (as if it's itchy or bothering him). It is only affecting him, and all the other fish are fine. As well, aside from his eyes, Spot it absolutely healthy. Fins are 100%, and he is eating like a little pig still.

(The tank is a 33g [looking to upgrade in the new year] with Spot, a RTBS, one paradise fish I inherited, a few danios, and a trio of swordtails. It also has an AquaClear 30 and 50 on it. Weekly water changes and all that jazz. I have owned Spot since January of last year, and he's done quite nice in the tank thus far.)

We're thinking it might be some sort of parasite, but aren't sure. Anyone had this happen to their fish? What would you suggest I treat him with?

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

Cloudy eye is a symtom of a desease not a desease in its own right.
Causes.
Bad water quality.
Stress.
Old age.
Irratation.
Bad diet.
Parasites like whitespot and velvet.
Bacterial.
Is there any white specks on the eye.

 

[The-Wolf]

without your current water parameters (ammonia NO2,NO3 etc) is is hard to eliminate many causes,
however from what you have said I'm thinking eye flukes.
fluke treatment is carried out using potassium permanganate. You can either bathe the sick fish in a potassium permanganate solution (10mg per litre water) for about 20-30 minutes or treat the entire holding tank. Treating the entire tank will help make sure that you kill all flukes and help you avoid a new fluke problem, but it will be a little messy as potassium permanganate will color the water in the aquarium. Despite this I recommend the later option as it is safer and doesn't involving catching the sick fish and subjecting it to extra stress, and because it helps make sure that all flukes are eradicated.

taken from [URL="http/www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/flukes.php"]http/www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/flukes.php[/URL]

 

[Ripley]

Thanks you two.

Wilder, no there are no white specks on his eyes.

I took some (what I think are) good pictures of him tonight - unfortunately I don't have time to upload them before I leave for the evening. I will get those downloaded and posted tomorow morning. That should give you an idea of what it looks like.

I will also try to get water stats too.

Thanks again!

 

[WILDER]

Reason why I asked about white specs on the eye as that can be eye flukes.
Can we take a look at your water stats as if the fish is rubbing its eye something irratating it.

 

[Ripley]

Whoops! Was busy (Christmas shopping, ugh) all day, and now it's bedtime. I promise to do the pics and stats in the morning! Thanks for being patient with me!

 

[JamesV]

I'm having the same issue with my Ctenopoma. He has a whitish/greyish spot on both eyes. On mine, it's basically over the pupil part of the eye, and that's it. Like yours, his behavior is great and eating like a champ. Mine's in a 29G with 2 small clown loaches (1 only an inch and a half and the other about 2 and a half inches) and 2 ameca splendens. They get along great, although the amecas occassionally like to give him a hard time (but never witnessed them being overly aggressive...the Ctenopoma is bigger than both, but the amecas are some of the craftiest fish I've ever seen). This Xmas, I'm upgrading to a 55G since the Ctenopoma and Loaches will grow (some say the loaches need 70+G, but I'm not getting anymore than the 2 I have). Like you, I'm pretty consistent on water changes -- minimum 10-20% each week, and every other week I vacuum and do about a 30-40% change. I haven't done all the tests, just the ammonia one and it reads clear.

I wonder if this is something they are prone to. Most of what I read on cloudy eyes suggests eye fungus, but don't know if that's the case or not. I did start a treatment with a mild form of malachite green yesterday (Rid Ich) to see if that helps. I'll let you know if it's successful.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Ripley]

JamesV - glad to hear I'm not the only one! Hopefully we'll get an answer soon.

Okay guys, my boyfriend has my test kit, so I will grab it from him tomorrow and give you the results.

But until then, here are the pictures of Spot and his eye. It was dinner time, so that's why he's so focused in the upwards direction. (Please pardon the spots and algae on the glass!)

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[JamesV]

Good pictures (my camera sux and couldn't get a clear pic). That does look alot like what mine has (perhaps a bit smaller and more 'centered' on the pupil, but essentially looks like the same thing). After about a day and a half using the rid ich (malachite green), I don't see any improvement. I dosed 2 days (with water change in between) so I probably won't again today. I'll report back if anything works or I find useful info.

 

[WILDER]

Need to see other water stats as cloudy eye can be due to poor water quality.

 

[Ripley]

Okay, so very sorry for the delay. Exams and all.

pH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0.1 mg/L
Ammonia: 0 mg/L
Nitrate: 50 mg/L

I know the nitrate is quite high, and will be doing a water change asap (though, I do have some live plants if that makes a difference...), as well, I will be working to try and lower the pH to a more normal range. As it is, all fish seem happy, healthy (except for Spot's eyes) and are eating like pigs.

 

[Chrispixx]

I wouldn't mess with the Ph a stable Ph is better than a changing Ph. Test the Ph of your tap water, if that is high then thats why your tank is high. If that is the case then the only way to change the tank Ph is with peat moss or chemicals and that can be dangerous, and will likely rebound after a water change creating stress causing more problems.

I have a similar Ph in my five tanks and the occupants are fine, the tanks have been running this way for years and some of the fish are close to ten years old.

The NitrAte may be the culprit of the cloudy eye, try to get it down with large-frequent water changes. Once its lower try to keep it that way by modifying your maintenance routine. Ex. change more water more often. Then see if the eyes clear up after awhile.

 

[WILDER]

Water stats are not good so the cloudy eye could be due to that.
How long has the tank been set up.
How often do you maintain it.
How many gallons or litres it the tank.
How many fish and which type.
What type filter do you use in the tank.

 

[Ripley]

I do agree, and since the fish have been doing well at that pH I will leave it at that. (I can test the water, and will do so - but I can't get my water from the tap and have to haul in from my Grandma's)

Wilder - the nitrates surprised me, but I realize I haven't been as diligent lately with the water changes on that tank. (With 4 on the go, I have started to rotate who gets water changes each week. And along with that, I was cutting back on the amount being changed.)

To answer your questions specifically, the tank has been set up for I'd say a year and a half/ two years. As I mentioned above, I have been lacking (and will immediately start on larger more frequent water changes). Before I was doing weekly changes at about 8-10 gallons, but lately it has been every other week and about 5 gallons. Very much my bad, and I realize that now. The tank is 33 gallons (but I purchased the other day a 55g so between Christmas and New Years I will be picking it up and will hopefully getting it set up in the next couple weeks).

Fish include the Spotted Climbing Perch, RTBS, 3 Swordtails, 8 Danios, a female betta, a few ottos and a borneo loach. All but the danios will be moved to the 55g. Right now the filters are an AquaClear 50 and an AquaClear 30. The new tank will have the 50 and then a 70.

Thanks for taking the time with with me and Spot!

 

[DarkEntity]

Her colours dont look to great either i have to say, they look washed out and yellowish in places. ONce you have sorted the water out, keep and eye on fish colour. Whay do you feed her?

mine loves sand eels, prawns, raw fish, shrimp etc..nice meaty diet.