Cloudy Eye
- Description: The surface of the fish eye becomes cloudy almost to the point of whiteness. Looks like a gray or opaque film covering your fish eye. The fish may lose vision (from that eye).
- Associated symptoms: Swollen eye. Loss of color. Apathy. Loss of appetite. The affected fish may isolate itself from the group.
- Direct causes: Cloudy eye is more like a symptom of an underlying issue so can have many causes. Commonly: Saprolegnia or Achyla fungi. Flukes.
- Contributing factors: Poor water quality with high amounts of decomposing organic debris is very often a contributing factor. Check your tank water quality: it should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and low nitrate. Use a proper water conditioner to eliminate chlorine and chloramine in the tap water. Make sure that water changes are made with water at about the same temperature as your tank. Additionally, check your pH, especially if your water is soft. Other possible contributing factors are: stress, malnutrition (lack of vitamin A,) injury to the eye, old age (cataracts).
- Treatments: API Melafix, Sera Mycopur, eSha 2000.
Important: do not forget to remove the activated charcoal during the entire treatment (as it will absorb the medication). It can be put back in the aquarium at the end of the treatment to remove the residues.Good hygiene and water quality can prevent the re-occurrence of this disease.
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