Blind Anthias?

[puffy127]

These two bartletts anthias never seemed right from the get go. They went through QT (copper, GC/metro), and the whole time they just cruised along the bottom of the tank, never really swimming in the water column and only eating from the tank floor and always hiding under the PVC fittings. Thinking it was due to skittishness, they made it through 4 weeks of QT and into the DT. They went straight to the bottom of the tank and hid under the rocks. After a few days of hiding, I was able to catch them and put them into the acclimation box. Now that I can really observe them with no PVC fittings, etc. for them to hide behind, I suspect that they may be blind. The way they swim is at a funny angle, when I move my finger along the glass, they do not look at it. Even the food in the box, they never notice it in the water column, they swim around it until their head hits it then they open their mouth to eat, and only that bite, even though there is more food right next to them. Is there anything I can do?

Here's a video:

 

[Big G]

Sure appears that their vision is impaired. Could be from collection techniques (explosives, chemicals, etc.) that frequently kill and injure some of the fish, or another possibility is flukes in their eyes. But the GC you used in the QT would have helped, unless the damage was too extensive to the eyes. Could try dosing the fish in a QT with prazipro to give them a higher dose of praziquantel than GC provides.

 

[Reefer5640]

Following along

 

[puffy127]

When they were in QT, I had another fish with them that I thought had black ich and did 2 doses of prazi.

 

[Big G]

When they were in QT, I had another fish with them that I thought had black ich and did 2 doses of prazi.

So you did 2 doses of PraziPro liquid in addition to the GC you posted above?

 

[puffy127]

Yes, during the 14 days of copper I dosed GC and metro (according to @Humblefish : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-current-qt-process.483371/page-6#post-5525062). Then during the 14 days in a sterile tank, I dosed Prazi twice, 7 days apart. I didn't FW dip the anthias, but did FW dip the other fish that was in QT with them (that I thought might have black ich) and nothing came off of that fish.

 

[Big G]

Ok. Do they behave the same way when the lights are dimmed? These fish can be very sensitive to bright lights. In their natural habitat they can often be found down to 100 feet where the light is dim.

 

[puffy127]

Yes, they behave the same way in dim lighting. I have other bartletts under my lighting that behave normally.

 

[Big G]

Let's see if we can get some other ideas #reefsquad

 

[DrSamwise]

I have currently one Squamipinnis which is blind as well. Exactly same symptoms and behaviour. It had already some problems when it arrived, different behaviour, but it wasn't blind back then. First it got blind on its left eye. I tested it many times that when it was lying on the sand with left side against the wall it did not react to my finger at all, but on the right side (which it rarely put against the glass) it reacted immediately. This lasted for like 3-4 months, it was able to find food, poorly but still. However, now fish seems to be totally blind. I haven't found a way to eat it anymore as it does not find food. This means that I will need to euthanize it in the end unless I figure something out.

All other Anthias in school are perfectly fine, and I haven't been able to find any reason for this progressive blindness.

 

[Big G]

Sometimes gram positive bacterial infections, especially when located in the head area of fish can result in blindness. Treatment with erythromycin can have positive effects if the infection hasn't done too much damage to the nerves and bloodflow within the eye.

 

[Shufflepig]

These two bartletts anthias never seemed right from the get go. They went through QT (copper, GC/metro), and the whole time they just cruised along the bottom of the tank, never really swimming in the water column and only eating from the tank floor and always hiding under the PVC fittings. Thinking it was due to skittishness, they made it through 4 weeks of QT and into the DT. They went straight to the bottom of the tank and hid under the rocks. After a few days of hiding, I was able to catch them and put them into the acclimation box. Now that I can really observe them with no PVC fittings, etc. for them to hide behind, I suspect that they may be blind. The way they swim is at a funny angle, when I move my finger along the glass, they do not look at it. Even the food in the box, they never notice it in the water column, they swim around it until their head hits it then they open their mouth to eat, and only that bite, even though there is more food right next to them. Is there anything I can do?

Here's a video:

I just put 3 Cooper’s anthias through qt. All 3 were fine at start of qt. Did 2 doses of general cure 2 days apart and they were still fine. Ramped up copper power to 1.8 over 4 days and kept level at 1.8 for 14 days. Day 14 the largest anthias was obviously blind. Other 2 were fine. Moved the 3 fish to display. After 2 weeks, the blind anthias was not able to eat and showed serious signs of deteriorating. I had to unfortunately remove him and still could not get him to eat in hospital tank and eventually had to euthanize him. Other 2 in DT are fine.

 

[Shufflepig]

I am convinced that copper can cause irreversible blindness in certain anthias. Not sure what determines why some do ok yet others are adversely affected.

 

[Big G]

I am convinced that copper can cause irreversible blindness in certain anthias. Not sure what determines why some do ok yet others are adversely affected.

There is some thinking and commentary that the chemicals used during collection, and the sub therapeutic levels of copper used during holding, shipping, and at some LFS are causing a cumulative effect on the nervous system, vital organs. Copper is after all a poison.

 

[Shufflepig]

There is some thinking and commentary that the chemicals used during collection, and the sub therapeutic levels of copper used during holding, shipping, and at some LFS are causing a cumulative effect on the nervous system, vital organs. Copper is after all a poison.

Makes treatment of anthias difficult since they are sensitive to chloroquine phosphate. Had a radiant wrasse in the qt tank with the anthias that showed ich so I had to treat the qt. Always hate to cause life threatening problem with the treatment. Maybe tank transfer is the way to go for ich on anthias but doesn’t help if dealing with velvet.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Hi guys I am following up on this post. How did this work out for you guys with Blind anthias?

I have a Lyretail that was eating very well during quarantine but after a treatment of general cure and slightly upping the copper she started to hang out on the bottom.

I did a methylene blue bath and got her in a quarantine tank with no medicine or no copper.

she is still hanging out not swimming much. But I got her to eat a piece of LRS from tongs.

Tong Eating?

 

[Shufflepig]

Hi guys I am following up on this post. How did this work out for you guys with Blind anthias?

I have a Lyretail that was eating very well during quarantine but after a treatment of general cure and slightly upping the copper she started to hang out on the bottom.

I did a methylene blue bath and got her in a quarantine tank with no medicine or no copper.

she is still hanging out not swimming much. But I got her to eat a piece of LRS from tongs.

Tong Eating?

Did not work out well for mine. He just was unable to eat and he died about 10 days after going blind. Weird how some anthias go blind with copper therapy.