Blind Clown Tang??

[k2reefer]

I recently purchased a long sought after fish of about 20 years. The clown tang. This fish is incredibly heathy looking about 3-4” long. He was added to one of my big reef tanks. All water Params are spot on. There is no visible signs of anything on this fish whatsoever. I am not one to quarantine nor have I ever so no he did not go through quarantine, copper, any meds anything. The problem is this fish is acting like he is 100% Blind. He see no movements of other fish, is running into the sides of the tank and bumping off rocks in the tank. He somehow seems to navigate the tank and into the caves though. He has been nibbling at the sand for the past day and a half. If I put my hand in the tank he will shy away as if he feels my hand through the water. Anyone have any ideas??? This is the weirdest acting fish I have seen in my 25 years of fish keeping. I’m stumped

 

[Rp8]

@Jay Hemdal help please

 

[k2reefer]

Both eyes are spotless and crystal clear and he is moving them like he is looking around

 

[k2reefer]

Hard to get a good pic

 

[k2reefer]

And just to clear things up he does not just hang out on the bottom he is all over the tank

 

[lion king]

I have dealt with many blind fish, I have found 2 things to be common with every one I have encountered. They were either caught with cyanide or have been treated with copper or kept in a system running copper for an extended time. If you or your source did not treat with copper, I would suspect cyanide. There is nothing you can do.

Is he finding food, eventually a blind fish will starve. If he is still finding food there may be a chance to get him eating from a feeding stick, before he loses more of his sight and it becomes impossible to feed him. If he does end up being blind and you can't get him food, you'll have to make a hard decision.

If he's all over the tank then he still has some sight. This happens more than you think.

 

[k2reefer]

He is finding feed and when you watch him swim sometimes I think to my self there’s no way he’s blind to be able to swim in and out of the places he does. Then other times I think there’s no way he can see because he slams into everything. It’s almost like it’s intermittent. It’s all just odd I’ve never seen this! I did suspect the 2 things that you mentioned and I also maybe though that it could be a very serious ammonia burn from being in a shipping bag too long. Time will tell I guess!! Just sucks cause he is super healthy other than that!!!

 

[k2reefer]

My wife and I were just watching him and he’s flying around the tank and it’s like he knows when and where to turn which is weird. It’s almost like it’s a delayed reaction as if he were drunk. Like I said though I can stick my hand in the tank and go at him with it and it’s not until I get where he could feel me being there until he spooks!!

 

[lion king]

See how he reacts to stimuli, on one side, then the other. The intermittent activity could be from ammonia, kind of like, dazed and confused. As far as going in and out rocks, fish are quick to learn terrain, kind of like sonar, that's why the blind thing happens and many times people don't realize it. One day out of the blue once their eyesight deteriorates to a certain point. they just retreat behind the rocks to die. Watch the way he hones in on the food, sometimes you can tell their eyesight is going because they will miss the food they are going for; whether it be too far or too close and they can't judge it.