Both filefish have cloudy eyes

[JumboShrimp]

This is my very first post, after reading these forums for hours over several weeks. Here’s the situation: Currently I have my DT running fallow (5th week now), due to an outbreak of marine velvet. Six fish made it out alive, to a QT, and 30 days of Coppersafe at therapeutic levels (with a Hanna Copper Checker). (I must have been fortunate, because the fish to survive a month’s worth of copper include a wrasse, a puffer, and a file fish.) All the fish seem happy, eating well, looking clear of the velvet, swimming without flashing, etc. “However,” the filefish has very cloudy eyes; like cataracts. So I did a 5-minute freshwater dip, to no avail. To add to my confusion, I have another filefish that also has very cloudy eyes. That second filefish was not part of the marine velvet\30-day copper group of fish, but has been in another tank. So far I have given the fish a 5-minute freshwater dip and a course of treatment with PraziPro, with no improvement to the eyes. As to this second fish, there has been a single spot on a fin for about two weeks—but nothing that I believe to be ich. (I could run this second filefish through copper, like I did for the first filefish, but that course of treatment did nothing for the cloudy eyes; likewise, I could run the first filefish through PraziPro like I did for the second one, but that too seemed ineffective.) I have now purchased Erythromycin from API, understanding that it can help with ‘eye problems,’ but wanted to post this first for feedback. I am getting frustrated... am I forever stuck with two filefish with cloudy eyes? Many thanks! PS: The photos show the eyes on each fish, and the large spot on one fin; the other ‘spots’ are more or less camera illusions.

 

[Humblefish]

Are those Matted Filefish? This is a little tricky to diagnosis, because some filefish naturally have hazy blue eyes.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Yes they are, and thank you for any assistance. As best as can I remember, when originally obtained from the LFS the eyes looked clear; and many images I find online look clear. If you were me, would you go with a round of Erythromycin? And if that produces no results, have I hit a practical dead-end?

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree that’s not entirely abnormal looking eyes for matted filefish.

 

[JumboShrimp]

That does make me feel a little bit better—as opposed to thinking I have ‘blind’ fish. About the only other diagnostic clue I can add is that at times the eyes would appear ‘somewhat’ less cloudy than at other times; that’s what made me freshwater dip for flukes that may have been moving around in there. So what say you... Erythromycin next, or just call it a day. Thanks

 

[JRAD]

That big spot on the dorsal fin might be lymphocystis . Is it new or has it been there?

 

[JumboShrimp]

It definitely wasn’t there at the LFS, but I noticed it about two weeks ago. I figured since it hasn’t just fallen off in that amount of time and ‘survived’ the PraziPro and freshwater dip, it was not ich. But I don’t know much about lymphocytis other than people say (if I recall) that it looks like “cauliflower”—which I take to mean more irregular in shape than round. Did I also read that health-wise, it is a rather harmless function of less than ideal water quality? Would an Erythromycin treatment be at all beneficial here too?

 

[Humblefish]

Yes they are, and thank you for any assistance. As best as can I remember, when originally obtained from the LFS the eyes looked clear; and many images I find online look clear. If you were me, would you go with a round of Erythromycin? And if that produces no results, have I hit a practical dead-end?

If you feel it could be an eye infection, then erythromycin is the antibiotic of choice for that. You can also add minocycline (e.g. Maracyn 2) to widen the spectrum of treatment to cover the possibility of this being a gram-negative eye infection.