HELP! BLIND TANG!

Eienna · Aug 9, 2015

I have had my purple tang in our 40g at the new apartment this last two nights, waiting to move the big 150g. Not in keeping with his usual self, he didn't eat - even after being moved for an ich treatment with copper, he stayed on his food, so this is really odd. Then I had to put my hand in the tank to do some things and he kept bumping into my hand. Tried some fast movements toward him from outside the tank, with no response, and he keeps bumping into the sides, rock, and the sand on the bottom.

Poor guy's blind. So far I still haven't been able to get him to eat. He's fat and healthy otherwise, with no sign of disease, so I'd prefer not to put him down if he can have a decent life.

Any ideas for getting him eating? Should I just count him as a goner? I really don't want to, but if he's just going to waste away, or run into stinging things...it's probably better I let him go.

RareEarthCorals · Aug 9, 2015

Maybe a feeding ring or clip to keep the food in one area so once he learns where to swim to, he can associate it with food.

RareEarthCorals · Aug 9, 2015

Something like this

Eienna · Aug 9, 2015

I'll keep some nori on their clip and hope for the best...

hybridazn · Aug 9, 2015

How does the eyes look? Clear or cloudy

Eienna · Aug 9, 2015

hybridazn said:
How does the eyes look? Clear or cloudy

Perfectly normal and clear as far as I can see.

Cleo642 · Aug 9, 2015

@Humblefish blind fish here. Can you help?

dnyceli · Aug 9, 2015

try hand feeding him

Humblefish · Aug 9, 2015

If eyes are clear, then the blindness may only be temporary. All you can do is wait & see. Just keep him in a small, low flow tank and try hand feeding him nori.

ZoaCollector · Aug 10, 2015

Could be internal bacterial infection, sometimes they go listless and aren't active with the food. Qt with kanamycin and nitrofurazone in a separate tank. If he starts eating again, you can lace frozen food with the antibiotic. Just a little added to the food is best. Kanamycin also absorbs into skin if not eating. There other antibiotics perhaps more fitted but from what I've read and experienced kanamycin nitrofurazone combo is good. It's really hard to diagnose sometimes. Best of luck.

Humblefish · Aug 10, 2015

Internal bacterial infection is certainly possible. Very good guess and good advice from @ZoaCollector

Eienna · Aug 10, 2015

dnyceli said:
try hand feeding him

Humblefish said:
If eyes are clear, then the blindness may only be temporary. All you can do is wait & see. Just keep him in a small, low flow tank and try hand feeding him nori.

Tried that tonight. He didn't get the message. I will continue to try.

ZoaCollector said:
Could be internal bacterial infection, sometimes they go listless and aren't active with the food. Qt with kanamycin and nitrofurazone in a separate tank. If he starts eating again, you can lace frozen food with the antibiotic. Just a little added to the food is best. Kanamycin also absorbs into skin if not eating. There other antibiotics perhaps more fitted but from what I've read and experienced kanamycin nitrofurazone combo is good. It's really hard to diagnose sometimes. Best of luck.

Humblefish said:
Internal bacterial infection is certainly possible. Very good guess and good advice from @ZoaCollector

Well, he's not listless or discolored or anything. I'll watch him closely, though. And he acts like he quite literally doesn't see it.

Eienna · Aug 10, 2015

I'll definitely keep the suggestions in mind. Thanks, guys. <3
Do you think I'm being humane doing this? Has anyone had experience with a fish adapting to blindness?

JoeMoynihan · Aug 10, 2015

How does the fish react to changes in the amount of light? Can it tell when the lights go out? Putting it in a tank without flow and putting a small shallow bowl at the bottom filled with mysids may help with feeding. They have a strong smell and are negitivly boyant and full of good calories. Calories help healing so make sure you feed it good food. Flukes often times atatch to a fishes eyes, i know you said its eyes are clear but a freash water dip for around 3.5 min may be a good idea just to make sure it is free of flukes. Last but not least look into Trusopt. Its a medication used on fish eyes in the public aquarium feild. 1 drop per eye and hold the fish out of water for 30 sec. Do it everyday for a week and see what happens. As for the question is it worth it... Yes, learn as much as you can while trying to save this fish so your prepared for the next sick fish.

JAnderson1 · Aug 10, 2015

How about a seeing eye crab?

hybridazn · Aug 10, 2015

Are you sure he is blind? He could very well be just going on a hunger strike because he isnt happy about something. How are the parameters of the water?

Eienna · Aug 12, 2015

hybridazn said:
Are you sure he is blind? He could very well be just going on a hunger strike because he isnt happy about something. How are the parameters of the water?

Sadly, I'm sure. He's not reacting to anything that used to spook him, and he's running into everything, including the sides of the tank and small rises in the sandbed. Ammonia is 0, salinity 1.023 (slowly raising it from an accidental 1.020). I don't have the rest of my tests just now.

Eienna · Aug 12, 2015

JoeMoynihan said:
How does the fish react to changes in the amount of light? Can it tell when the lights go out? Putting it in a tank without flow and putting a small shallow bowl at the bottom filled with mysids may help with feeding. They have a strong smell and are negitivly boyant and full of good calories. Calories help healing so make sure you feed it good food. Flukes often times atatch to a fishes eyes, i know you said its eyes are clear but a freash water dip for around 3.5 min may be a good idea just to make sure it is free of flukes. Last but not least look into Trusopt. Its a medication used on fish eyes in the public aquarium feild. 1 drop per eye and hold the fish out of water for 30 sec. Do it everyday for a week and see what happens. As for the question is it worth it... Yes, learn as much as you can while trying to save this fish so your prepared for the next sick fish.

He does seem to be reacting to whether the lights are on and off, but he doesn't seem to be able to tuck himself into the rock like he used to. I want to follow your advice but we're in the middle of a move and I'm flat broke. I have a 10g but no filter or even an airstone for it, and can't buy the medication either.

If anyone wants to adopt him and try, I'd love that. I just don't have the ability right now. It took all the money I had just to get the supplies to move the tank, and I didn't expect an issue like this! I will continue to attempt to hand-feed him, but no luck so far.

Eienna · Aug 12, 2015

I did have an issue with current leaking from a small powerhead I was using when I set up the 40, and I didn't notice till a day or two later (my hand sure didn't like that!)
Could that have caused it? Or the fact that I messed up and originally made the water 1.020 instead of 1.025?