Cloudy eye on hippo tang

[NWDiver]

Hi Lee,
My hippo has a cloudy eye. This happened over-night.
She is eating great, and I feed a well balenced diet based on your sticky though I typically only feed food once a day and attach nori twice a day.
No new fish in the tank for many months.
The only "news" in the tank is that the tang's best friend, a leopard wrasse, has gone missing for the last three days. The wrasse has done this once in the past, but it is a little odd. The tank is covered and there is no way for a fish his size to go down the overflow. No sign of his body in the display. I don't have any crabs in the tank and have noticed no spike in nitrate.
Sorry for the poor photos, I will use the good camera tonight if need be.
Display is 120gal connected to a 35gal sump, 40 gal frag, and a 40 gal tank with a dogface puffer.
Display has a green mandarin, two occy clowns, gold spot goby, missing leopard wrasse, and the hippo.

Tank parms are great:
Sal 1.025
pH 8.29 to 8.31
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Ca 450
Mg 1275
alk 10dkH
Temp 77 to 78

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[leebca]

My opinion about cloudy eye(s):
A single cloudy eye could be the onset of a debilitating disease, or parasitic attack (e.g., Cryptocaryon irritans), an indication of poor water quality (ammonia), or nothing. On the ‘nothing’ side, it could be the fish injured the eye in a mild fight with a tankmate, net damage, ran into some decoration in the tank, or managed to pick up a mild bacterial infection.

All of these “one-cloudy-eye” situations are ‘probably’ not worth taking any specific action as far as the fish is concerned. You can help out by making a large water change with properly mixed and adjusted (matched) saltwater. The second thing you can do is make sure you’re providing the proper nutrition to the fish. You seem to think this okay, but recheck it anyway. Besides a water change and upgrading the food there are other things you can do:

Check all water quality parameters. Monitor ammonia and nitrites, especially an hour after feeding. Don't be too quick to assume the water quality is okay -- after all, your fish is ill. Have you read this post and understand all that concerns and makes water quality? What is Water Quality

If water quality is eliminated for sure, then make sure there is no decaying matter in your system to address a possible bacterial issue. Other than the wrasse, make sure nothing has died. Time to do a thorough cleanup. This can reduce the numbers of bacteria in the water column. In addition to checking ‘the usual suspects’ with regard to water quality, also check for dissolved organics. Do you have a skimmer? Is it working properly? Are you using a chemical filter (e.g., carbon). Is it fresh and working properly?

You want to have a treatment tank/quarantine tank standing by, and in case things get worse, you’ll need to put the fish into quarantine. A comprehensive guide on quarantine tanks and procedures can be found here: A Quarantine Procedure

Smaller and more frequent meals would be more natural to the fish and one of the ways to provide what it needs. See if you can find a way to do this.

 

[NC2WA]

Lee,

Can you please comment on the following statement: Does a cloudy eye indicate a secondary infection?

Rightly or wrongly, this is what I was always told that cloudy eye meant. Truth or Myth??

Thanks

 

[leebca]

Not necessarily. Whoever wrote that forgot that a cloudy eye can be from an injury (physical abrasion), and/or a chemical reaction, and/or stress, and/or other pathogens (by 'infection' did the author mean parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc.? because a parasite is not usually considered an infection, and most infections are usually considered to be bacterial).

The mucous coating over the body (and eye) of the fish can turn opaque for a number of reasons, however infection is usually one of three of the top causes. In the captive marine environment, it can also be caused by injury and a reaction to chemicals (poisons) in the water.

You can sort of think of it in this way -- The mucous coating of the fish is their first immune defense system to being harmed. It may turn opaque when it is called into action. What can harm the fish and induce the immune response? Stress; pathogens; chemicals/poisons; physical injury.

Thus, in my response, I cover taking action in these areas: nutrition, water quality, and injury.

A double cloudy eye is beyond injury and that is easily eliminated (how likely would a fish be injured on both eyes?) from the cause list. Then it moves into a pathogen category.

 

[NC2WA]

Lee,

thanks for clearing that up. In future events that a fish does get double cloudy eye, is there a recommended treatment you can advise?

 

[leebca]

I would assume a bacterial infection first, without additional information or symptoms. I would then recommend an antibiotic. If there is any swelling I would recommend a systemic antibiotic like Maracyn Two for Saltwater fish. If no swelling or evidence of an immune response, I would recommend a topical antibiotic, e.g., Nitrofurazone.

 

[NWDiver]

Thanks for your well considered response.
I have made no changes as yet, and her eye looked much better last night.
I do indeed have a skimmer, I run carbon (changed every 3 weeks), there is no detectable ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates.
I test parameters very regularly and keep a log book. My kits are well within dates.
The water looks very clear and I have no signs of problems in the tank.
I calibrate my refractometer (with cal solution) every month and my pH probe every three months.
My pH and temp are automatically graphed by my controller so I can see if there are any out of range swings (there have not been).
I test the output of my RO unit every three months and more often now as it the filters get close to a year old.
I'll start a bubble filter tonight in case I need to use it for QT.
I feel like I have a good handle on the water quality as per the article but your comments/corrections/suggestions are welcome.

 

[NWDiver]

Update: The cloudy eye cleared with no help from me, and has remained clear. Woot!

 

[Billgax]

Update: The cloudy eye cleared with no help from me, and has remained clear. Woot!

Love it when good mojo solves the problem!