cloudy eye

[mackay man]

hey guys i bought some discus i while back and when they got here i noticed three of them had cloudy eyes, i but them in a tank with UV sterilizer raining it hit them with a bit of pimafix and melafix (thought might be a bit of stress from transport, all 5 of them are in good health apart from the eyes and all eat really well and have good size stomachs on them (doesn't look like worms) anyways its been about a month and one has cleared up however 2 have still cloudy eyes

i was hoping i could get some advice on what treament (if any) i should be using, also a reason why this has happened

cheers

[fishgeek]

cataracts or corneal odema

cataracts in older fish and will not clear so doesnt sound typical

orneal odeama most likely with shipping trauma or any damage to front of eye when netted bagged etc
also with any water quality issue's

the single most important thing is good quality water , though after a month the change for improvement i would guess is low

andrew

[Bill T]

I don't like Melafix with Discus. Clean water is best.

[mackay man]

the water gets a 1/4 water change once a week, however not the best filter system on there, i normally use melefix when i'am not to sure on whats wrong, its a pretty weal treatment and i not a big fan of using hard treatments unless i know what i'am doing, is there a reason why yhou don't suggest melfix??

if it is damaged eye from netting, will it fix up, or will he have the promblem for ever?

is there a treatment which would help if it is damged?

whould a salt bath help the eye??

[samir]

the water gets a 1/4 water change once a week, however not the best filter system on there,

i think the solution to your problem lies there.

[Merrilyn]

Welcome to the forum Mackay Man.

The advice from our resident fish expert, fishgeek, is right on the mark.

It would seem that the damage has been caused during netting or transport before you got the fish. Unfortunately, if it hasn't cleared up by now, it's not likely to. However your fish will still live and even breed quite happily, despite the damage to the eye.

As mentioned, the quality of the water is terribly important for discus, and a water change of 25% once a week is not enough to keep your water pristine. You need to change at least that amount twice a week.

You don't mention your water parameters, but a very low pH can also be the cause of cloudiness, although that usually clears once the pH is returned to a more normal level, betweeen 6 and 7.

A lot of the members have tried melafix or primafix with discus problems, with dismal results. Seems that because of the peculiar slime coating on discus, melafix does nothing. It's an excellent product when used on other types of fish, just seems to do no good at all on discus.

[jim from sydney]

It would seem that the damage has been caused during netting or transport before you got the fish.

Interesting, when i transported some fish a while ago, i noticed they wanted to lie flat on the bottom of a bucket i put them in. i thought that maybe it was the natural thing for them to do as they appear dead in the eye of a predator.....makes sense doesn't it???

However, one eye became cloudy because of it and it took 4 to 5 days to clear up. I did not use any medication. So food for thought.

Cheers

[mackay man]

thx for replys

makes sense about the melfix and the slime coat

damm i hope the damage premently, i have notice it might be getting smaller (might be me just wanting it to be smaller) it seems not to be on the surface but rather in the pupil of the fish, if it happens in transport is it from scrating of the eye or rather stress to the fish??

i will up the water changes on it to three times a week

also if it is orneal odeama does that affect the fish when the eye is damaged or is more liek a diesease, if so can it effect my other discus

[fishgeek]

corneal odema is just like brusining to the surface of the eye, ie due to physical irritant/damage and is not contaigious
corneal odema can be a resoonse to infectious inflammation of the ye aswell

scratching of the eye is the implicaton with netting transport etc