New Harlequin Tusk Blind?

[SCH14]

Hey everyone, I just opened a saltwater store and this is our second order of fish. We have a 220g tank with a harlequin tusk we got in yesterday.

Last night all night and all morning he laid in the sand under a rock and did not move once. I noticed he kind of bumps into things like the glass, wave maker, algae clip etc. he also swims right to the surface and then back to the sand but never runs into the sand.

Within the last hour or two he has been swimming for the first time since we got him.

Would love some input on this on what you guys think. I feel like he is blind but not completely sure. I have put clams on the half shell but hasn’t gone near them yet.

I uploaded to Google drive since it is a 1min video.

Harlequin Tusk - Google Drive

drive.google.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey everyone, I just opened a saltwater store and this is our second order of fish. We have a 220g tank with a harlequin tusk we got in yesterday.

Last night all night and all morning he laid in the sand under a rock and did not move once. I noticed he kind of bumps into things like the glass, wave maker, algae clip etc. he also swims right to the surface and then back to the sand but never runs into the sand.

Within the last hour or two he has been swimming for the first time since we got him.

Would love some input on this on what you guys think. I feel like he is blind but not completely sure. I have put clams on the half shell but hasn’t gone near them yet.

I uploaded to Google drive since it is a 1min video.

Harlequin Tusk - Google Drive

drive.google.com

Beautiful fish. Mine sort of does this and I would add pieces of scallop (mine's favorite) to see if it responds to going after it.
For the eyes, unless it struggled with shipping/temperature and oxygen which may affect its motor functions, Look at retina to see if there is a white dot in the center which may restrict its ability to see. Clam is a good choice but its spending time on upper tank as many spend time on the bottom

 

[SCH14]

Beautiful fish. Mine sort of does this and I would add pieces of scallop (mine's favorite) to see if it responds to going after it.
For the eyes, unless it struggled with shipping/temperature and oxygen which may affect its motor functions, Look at retina to see if there is a white dot in the center which may restrict its ability to see. Clam is a good choice but its spending time on upper tank as many spend time on the bottom

Thanks for the reply. I dont see a white dot. However I just saw him hit his nose on a rock overhang, I really just can’t tell. I’m leaning towards yes blind, I’ll try some scallops and see what happens.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Here is a recent similar post on this issue:

Is tusk blindness reversable?

I recently bought a 6-7" harlequin tusk. My #1 concern with these guys is blindness. I had one years ago that died when he had an encounter with my lionfish. I inquired about this for a while and was assured that he was healthy. I received him last Friday, and within a day I could tell he...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[littlefoxx]

I had a blind clown for a little. Unfortunately she passed. But she would swim on the bottom or along the top/touching the glass. Best way to test is to slowly put your hand in front of the fish to see if there is a reaction. My blind fish couldnt see my hand until she felt the waves it made. I would try that to see!