Blind Powder Blue Tang

hovo626 · Jan 6, 2021

Hey guys,

I picked up this PBT this last Sunday and I notice it acting strange. It got beat up by one of my other tangs a little so I put it back into an acclimation box. I noticed it swims around very low and bumps into everything when it was not quarantined. - ehh I hate that word now. It's eye ended up swelling a little not sure if its because of the beat down or if it had an underlying disease.

Anyway, I don't know what to do. I kept it separated for some time and it looked great and healthy but it's eye sight is for sure not there. It eats and looks healthy aside from the eye but other than that I cant even let it go into the other tank because it can't swim away and find refuge.

FangsAndGames · Jan 6, 2021

I know the question will be asked soon but be sure to provide a pic and tag your post with emergency. There are plenty of meds to try as well. Also here’s what i would do. Repost this exactly in diesese and treatment forum section, add emergency tag, and provide a pic. This should get you started to begin with though:

FangsAndGames · Jan 6, 2021

Here is a link to the emergency forum https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-and-diagnosis.771/

FangsAndGames · Jan 6, 2021

If his condition deteriorates or even before soak food in rich enhancer such as selcon and provide nori clips

vetteguy53081 · Jan 6, 2021

Likely from injury. Maracyn 1 is very good with such issue . Assure good water quality and best done in a quarantine setting

Tired · Jan 7, 2021

Does it still bump into things? I hope that treatment will help it, but if it stays blind or near-blind, it may be time to consider its quality of life. Tangs should be able to swim fast and duck into the rockwork, and if this one is only able to swim slowly and unable to hide, quality of life is a serious potential issue. You would likely want to rehome it to someone with very little rockwork, so it can dash freely. Or, at the least, someone with nothing that will chase and scare it, so it might be able to learn where the rockwork is and avoid it by knowledge. If that's not a possibility, euthanasia wouldn't be out of the question. If its sight doesn't improve, might be worth reading up on the criteria wildlife rehabbers use to evaluate quality of life in animals that can't be released- ability to move at least somewhat normally is vital.

You should absolutely repost this in the disease section, preferably with good photos of the tang. A detailed description of how it behaves may be helpful- does it take small bits of food floating in front of its face? Can it find and bite at nori sheets anchored in the tank? Can it go into holes in rockwork at all, at a slow speed, or does it seem to be completely unable to see?

hovo626 · Jan 7, 2021

Thanks you all!
It eats because he's in an acclimation tank, it's easy for it to find the food. It literally takes bites into whatever until he comes across food. I feel terrible. Because I know it can't see anything. I'll take your advice and post it in the diseases section. Thanks everyone