Moorish Idol with one cloudy Eye

[Sam816]

Hello All,

I noticed my moorish idol with a white spot on his eye on Sunday. By Monday afternoon the whole eye was covered with grey/white haze.
I got him last week from an LFS that do TTM and prazi + bacterial treatment. I've read some other threads that one eye usually means damage rather than flukes.
this guy is huge and i don't think i have a spare tank where he won't get super stressed.
Should I do a freshwater dip? Catching him will be another herculean task.
@Jay Hemdal any inputs? Here is a Vid. It was taken yesterday.
and here is the vid taken today by my wife.

 

[Sam816]

@Jay Hemdal the eye looks close to this from your article 'The Eyes Have it'

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello All,

I noticed my moorish idol with a white spot on his eye on Sunday. By Monday afternoon the whole eye was covered with grey/white haze.
I got him last week from an LFS that do TTM and prazi + bacterial treatment. I've read some other threads that one eye usually means damage rather than flukes.
this guy is huge and i don't think i have a spare tank where he won't get super stressed.
Should I do a freshwater dip? Catching him will be another herculean task.
@Jay Hemdal any inputs? Here is a Vid. It was taken yesterday.
and here is the vid taken today by my wife.

I agree - with one eye involved and the other looking fine, I doubt that it is flukes. Therefore, a FW dip would not be warranted. Moving the fish to a treatment tank is also risky. That said, the fish could easily have issues that haven't shown yet. Is it eating o.k.? How big is the tank?

Jay

 

[Sam816]

I agree - with one eye involved and the other looking fine, I doubt that it is flukes. Therefore, a FW dip would not be warranted. Moving the fish to a treatment tank is also risky. That said, the fish could easily have issues that haven't shown yet. Is it eating o.k.? How big is the tank?

Jay

He is behaving normal and eating normally too.
He has decided to stay behind the rock work since day one. Comes out during mornings and when tank is fed.
Tank is 6'x2'x2' and he is the biggest fish so bullying is next to impossible. I've observed his colors and for other scratches/patches/redness but nothing so far. His streamer has grown in last 10 days since i've had him. He like pallets especially Hikari's seaweed extreme. doesn't like frozen food which add fish vitamins to. my be i will add vitamins to pallets and lump them together so that he can eat them quickly. should i be concerned about bacterial/fungal infection in the damaged eye? I've api general cure, kanaplex and melafix if need be.
I am going to try masstick today. if he eats it then i can add meds in the next feed.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Don't add meds to the food indiscriminately - you need to calculate the proper dose. It is very complicated, but I discuss it here: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/proper-dosing-of-medicated-foods.780/

In some cases, you can dose erythromycin (Maracyn 1) in the tank's water, but I prefer to avoid that if possible. Many of these eye issues resolve on their own with no treatment.

Jay

 

[Sam816]

Don't add meds to the food indiscriminately - you need to calculate the proper dose. It is very complicated, but I discuss it here: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/proper-dosing-of-medicated-foods.780/

In some cases, you can dose erythromycin (Maracyn 1) in the tank's water, but I prefer to avoid that if possible. Many of these eye issues resolve on their own with no treatment.

Jay

It would be great if the eye heals itself over time. what symptoms/changes should i be looking out for? flakes/peels coming from the eye? fish swimming at an angle? loss of appetite?

 

[Sam816]

BTW great articles.i think i can tube feed my moorish idol if need be. he is big and strong. I don't think i can handle my smaller fish.
in any case, I have bookmarked both of them for future reference. thanks for your contributions.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Lack of feeding response would be the key issue here. Don’t try tube feeding an idol unless you have fish anesthetic, it will just beat itself up if you try and hold it while awake.
Jay

 

[Sam816]

Lack of feeding response would be the key issue here. Don’t try tube feeding an idol unless you have fish anesthetic, it will just beat itself up if you try and hold it while awake.
Jay

Hello Jay,
Do these spots look like ich to you? I hurriedly moved him to QT and raised the copper power level to 2.5ppm

 

[Thaxxx]

Video played but I get audio only?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes - that does look like the start of ich. Keep the ammonia under control in the QT and watch the copper dose closely with a good test kit. You'll need to decide if you are going to treat for 14 or 30 days. I opt for the latter myself. Also, you'll need to deal with the ich parasites in the tank the fish is in now.

Jay

 

[Sam816]

Video played but I get audio only?

In that case download the file by right clicking on it. It should work with vlc

 

[Sam816]

Yes - that does look like the start of ich. Keep the ammonia under control in the QT and watch the copper dose closely with a good test kit. You'll need to decide if you are going to treat for 14 or 30 days. I opt for the latter myself. Also, you'll need to deal with the ich parasites in the tank the fish is in now.

Jay

I will do a 30 day copper treatment. Tank will need to go fallow for 45 days minimum as it is. This sucks. It will be gigantic pain to catch all the fish.
List of fish are in my sign. Do you think they can all take same level of copper?
I do have a hanna checker for measuring copper concentration.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, where is your list of fish? It is really academic though because they all will need to be treated, and copper is overall the best option.
Your biggest challenge is going to be to manage a good environment for all the fish during treatment.
Jay

 

[Sam816]

Sorry, where is your list of fish? It is really academic though because they all will need to be treated, and copper is overall the best option.
Your biggest challenge is going to be to manage a good environment for all the fish during treatment.
Jay

In my signature. I guess you are visiting this thread on your phone.
I have
Lo foxface
Midas blenny
Naoko fairy wrasse
Kuiter's wrasse
Coral beauty(possible culprit of bringing ich)
Purple dart fish &flame hawk(they have survived ich outbreak before)
I have been told wrasses don't tolerate [email protected].
I have 4 small tanks I can move these fish to. I have my old sump full of bio media running fallow since Oct last year so QTs will be up and running in no time. I need to get additional heaters as winter is approaching.
I will do 10-15% water change every 2-3 days.
I am really bummed that I will have to go fallow again. Not to mention the stress of catching the fish.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

In my signature. I guess you are visiting this thread on your phone.
I have
Lo foxface
Midas blenny
Naoko fairy wrasse
Kuiter's wrasse
Coral beauty(possible culprit of bringing ich)
Purple dart fish &flame hawk(they have survived ich outbreak before)
I have been told wrasses don't tolerate [email protected].
I have 4 small tanks I can move these fish to. I have my old sump full of bio media running fallow since Oct last year so QTs will be up and running in no time. I need to get additional heaters as winter is approaching.
I will do 10-15% water change every 2-3 days.
I am really bummed that I will have to go fallow again. Not to mention the stress of catching the fish.

Yeah, during the day I'm on my phone and can't see signatures.

What copper product are you using? CopperSafe is fine at the normal dose which works out to be 2.5 ppm. Copper Power says it is 2.5, but when I mixed it up and tested at the instructions given, it tested at 2.1 Cupramine runs at about 0.55

The wrasses aren't going to enjoy it, nor will the idol, but they will enjoy not being treated even less (sigh).

Jay

 

[Sam816]

Yeah, during the day I'm on my phone and can't see signatures.

What copper product are you using? CopperSafe is fine at the normal dose which works out to be 2.5 ppm. Copper Power says it is 2.5, but when I mixed it up and tested at the instructions given, it tested at 2.1 Cupramine runs at about 0.55

The wrasses aren't going to enjoy it, nor will the idol, but they will enjoy not being treated even less (sigh).

Jay

I am using copper power. have reached 2.15 ppm already. will stop for now. Moorish idol seems to be doing fine not flashing. eating seaweed extreme pellets as well. I've ip cam set up next to the tank. keep an eye on him every hour or so.

 

[Fish man]

Is it possible this could be exophthalmia? Commonly known as Popeye. I had a Flame Hawk that had that once. Looked just like you're video. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the treatment but I treated it in the display and he recovered. Still have it today.

 

[Sam816]

Is it possible this could be exophthalmia? Commonly known as Popeye. I had a Flame Hawk that had that once. Looked just like you're video. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the treatment but I treated it in the display and he recovered. Still have it today.

His eye is getting clear. I think it was a physical injury.

 

[Sam816]

Update- His white spots are gone for now as well. I am assuming ich have fallen off to multiply. I took this opportunity to set up a bigger QT and moved him there. Gave a quick freshwater dip during the transportation. He has more swimming room now.
With 2.1ppm copper power. Still eating well.
Haven't had courage to move other fish though. Don't know how will I catch them without a proper fish trap.
I am just delaying the inevitable I know.