yellow watchman eyes

[branchconcepts]

I put a yellow watchman goby and a shrimp in my tank this past Tuesday. Instantly the shrimp began to burrow under my live rock into the sand bed. The goby immediatley followed the shrimp under the rock. The goby and shrimp were together in the tank at tue LFS.

I saw the goby for the first time tonight and his eyes appear to be white, almoat like they are peeling. His vision seems fine b/c he backs into his cave slightly as anyone approaches the tank. Is this eye condition normal? Alarming? See photo.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[saltyphish]

That does not look good to me @Humblefish.

 

[Justiful]

Looks like very obvious popeye.

Causes in order of most likely for your situation given what you said.
1. Trauma during capture transport or introduction to your tank.
2. Sudden rise in water temperature, from not properly acclimating fish.
3. Infection.

Treatment I think would be best.
I would leave the fish alone, but make every attempt to feed it food soaked in a broadspectrum antibiotic, and a liquid vitamin solution that includes garlic to induce eating. Remember watchman are skittish so use appropriate feeding methods to not scare it.

Now the trauma can cause a secondary infection, but it also could have been caused solely by infection but is unlikely given your circumstances. Either way that is why the broad-spectrum is a good idea. Keep a close eye on the fish, make sure it is eating for next few days. Should show improvement within a week of treatment, and be like new in 30 days. If the eye has major trauma though rare, it may lose the eye but could still live after. So long as it just 1 eye and the other intact the fish can usually live just fine.

Expected outcome: Fish should live, provided it gets treatment. However I give it 50/50 if you choose to just wait it out. In all honesty it may actually have a better chance, but keep a close eye on it, and if it getting better or worse.

Recommended medication combo: Seachem Kanaplex, and Garlic guard.
Not my fist choice: Seachem ParaGuard poured into tank directly, as per instructions.

Note: if the fish appears to have trouble seeing and the condition is affecting both eyes, or the fish is not eating at all you have two choices.

1. Move the fish to QT tank and dose broad spectrum topical antibiotic, like Paraguard. Or maybe even a copper based medication like cupramine since it is in QT.
2. Dose Paraguard in your tank...But before doing so ask about it in the randy holmes forum.
----
Least ethical, easiest fix, and cost comparable fix.
Euthanize the goby outside the tank and get a new Goby.

 

[Mkiddrocks]

My friend got a fish like that for free, next day it died good luck on yours though. good vibes

 

[BlacknBlue2]

I got to the point with my watchman that I could feed him from a coral target feeder, it was a long skinny baster so to speak, he would chow down whatever he could from the end.

 

[Humblefish]

Erythromycin is the antibiotic of choice for eye infections, but Kanaplex might work too if you cannot locate the former. It would be best to administer one or the other in a QT, so the eye can absorb the medication. However, you can mix both in food so long as you use a binder (ex. Seachem Focus) to prevent it from leaching out into the water column.

I'm assuming this is a reef, correct? Because if it is a fish only technically you can dose it into the DT.