Blind and swollen cheeks: Blue throat triggerfish

Beau_B · Dec 7, 2023

I've had this guy for awhile, maybe a year, so it isn't disease (*edit parasitic, I don't think) as no other fish are affected and no additions for months. He's 4-5" and thus I don't believe particularly old.

His blindness came on a couple weeks ago, or at least that's when I noticed it. I've been blaming cyanide poisoning, for lack of any other explanation.

Have been feeding frozen with tweezers with reasonable success, and I'll confess he doesn't look great, but it's better than the alternative.

Now there appears to be swelling in the area between eye and mouth.

What's going on here?

SaltyT · Dec 7, 2023

Hopefully one of the #fishmedics can help.

nuxx · Dec 7, 2023

Weird its on both sides...

Beau_B · Dec 8, 2023

Nobody huh? I would say it's getting worse.

Still swimming normally, still has an appetite. He's getting better about not swimming into things, but still 100% blind. Have put shrimp fragments on a algae clip... Seems to work ok.

DrkNMighty · Dec 8, 2023

Maybe @Jay Hemdal

Jay Hemdal · Dec 8, 2023

So - the fish is blind, but still eating if it senses the food?

Can you post a video?

I can tell you 100% that it is not cyanide toxicity. This species is caught in barrier nets, and even if it were caught with cyanide, any latent mortality would have been within the first 45 days of acquisition.

Jay

lion king · Dec 8, 2023

I have had a few blind triggers, every one of them had previous chemical exposure, copper to be more specific. The blindness will likely progress to the point where they will just disappear into the rocks one day. If you want to give him the best, longest life possible; start to stick train him now while he still may have some shadowy sight and instinct to eat. If you get him stick trained, he will come out to his spot when you feed the rest of the tank. Here's one from several years back.

Pinktail Trigger blind?

Maybe someone here can give me some ideas on how to take care of fish that has apparently lost most of his eyesight. My pinktail was the king of the tank, a 210 fowlr, for 2 years. Then one day he disappeared behind the rocks, no apparent fighting and as best I could; I could not find any...

www.reef2reef.com

Beau_B · Dec 8, 2023

No copper for this boy, unless it was at a distributor.

He had disappeared for awhile (days) but found his way back out. Makes an effort to come to the front of the tank during feeding, but largely sticks to an area under an overhang near the bottom of the tank. He still trigs himself in the same spot for sleeping as did before the blindness.

I can video, will work on that tomorrow when the lighting is more appropriate.

lion king · Dec 8, 2023

I strongly suspect a chemical component to this blindness affliction. All fish and every fish of a certain species will not be effected the same, although exposed to the same environment, just as humans. I have had a pink tail trigger and harlequin tusk from the same source both go blind after a year to two years. Both of these fish were exposed to formalin and copper. Another niger trigger suspected of cyanide collection and exposed to copper, and another niger exposed to copper. A blueface angel exposed to formalin and copper. There may also be a combination of exposure to more than one chemical, as cyanide has seemed to make a major comeback, compound that with many if not most suppliers running copper, and then lfs doing formalin dips. These are just a few of what I have seen over the years; most times hobbyist don't even know, because the fish just disappears into the rocks and dies. And there is no timeframe where the damage of chemical exposure can no longer be a factor. Damage can occur and then become progressive from that point.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 8, 2023

Again, there is no documentation that copper causes long term damage to fish, especially not blindness. I’ve used coppersafe on all incoming fish for decades and out of literally thousands, none have ever developed blindness. Cyanide is shown to cause high mortality within 60 days or so of collection, but it has not been shown to cause blindness either.
What does cause blindness? Nutritional deficiencies, but they have to be severe. Neurological issues, viral caused or other, have also been implicated. Odd things like tumors impinging on the optic nerves can also cause issues, but you would normally see other symptoms.

Although it won’t offer you any cures, here is a primer I wrote on fish eye health:

Aquarium Fish: The ‘Eyes’ Have it: A Review of Eye Health in Aquarium Fishes

Aquarists need to inspect their fish closely every day, for signs of impending health problems. It is much easier to resolve a problem when it first starts, than to attempt a drastic emergency treatment when the fish is close to dying.

reefs.com

Jay

Beau_B · Dec 9, 2023

YT: Blind Trigger

I'm sure embedding is possible but... I don't remember how.

Glass is dirty, sorry. I chummed the tank pretty hard to get him out for an extended time.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 9, 2023

Beau_B said:
YT: Blind Trigger

I'm sure embedding is possible but... I don't remember how.

Glass is dirty, sorry. I chummed the tank pretty hard to get him out for an extended time.

The video gave me another clue (but not a cure). The fish has "mild bilateral exophthalmia" - popeye in both eyes. That is no doubt creating pressure which is pressing on the optic nerve, causing blindness. I don't have a cure for that. In some cases, popeye is caused by gas supersaturation. That isn't the case here, as if it was the cause, other fish would also be affected. Mycobacterium marinum can also cause popeye. So can edema.

The eyes are clear, so you can rule out parasites and cataracts.

Jay

lion king · Dec 9, 2023

Beau_B said:
YT: Blind Trigger

I'm sure embedding is possible but... I don't remember how.

Glass is dirty, sorry. I chummed the tank pretty hard to get him out for an extended time.

The blindness I am talking about has absolutely no physical signs what so ever, none. If there are physical signs it could point to parasitic or bacterial, and this type of blindness could be cured, or at least halted. One route would be treatment with a broad spectrum antibiotic with something like kanaplex.