HELP!! I think my puffer has gone blind???

[Tangtastic]

:help1: For the last couple of days, my puffer fish's eyes have steadily glazed over and kind of started to peel. When feeding him and interacting with him, it is clear that he cannot see. He will not eat his food unless it is placed right in front of his mouth, but he can definitely smell the food as it is put in the tank because he gets excited as soon as it hits the water. Other than a reduction in activity because he cannot see... he seems to act like his old self (not sickly)?? I have no idea what is wrong with him? Anyone have a clue??? Is he permanently blind or will he get better? And will he die from this?

Thanks for any and all insight :tears:

 

[funkpolice]

Somebody just posted about this, almost word for word. I think it was a Cardinal fish. Try searching for "Cardinal going Blind" I don't think it was ever determined what caused it, but the fish did die. Sorry.
bill

 

[chrome91]

i dont have much exp. with puffers, but i know lionfish will shed a layer off of their eyes every once in a while, this could be the same case

 

[AQTCJAK]

Sounds like levels are off in the tank to me

 

[Woodstock]

(moved to Fish Diseases & Treatment)

Sorry to hear about your buffer
Leebca will chime in soon and give some great advice.

 

[leebca]

Fish do go blind in captivity when they are not receiving the proper nutrition. Fish need Vitamins D and A and to some extent E to maintain good eye health. You did not mention what you're feeding and whether or not the fish has been getting vitamin and fat supplements. But. . .It should have been getting these.

If you provide the correct supplements and nutrition, the fish will regain some of its eye sight IF it is from a diet issue.

Marine fishes continue to grow. That includes their eyes. See a new born or a fish just coming from its larval state and you'll note their eyes are tiny. With fish growth the eye gets bigger, too. Their eyes continue to grow AND that includes their retina. The fish layers in new retina cells as the fish gets older. It won't replace old damaged retina, but it continues to layer new 'rings' of retina around the damaged or original healthy retina.

The fish may not ever really see clearly as it once did, but it will begin to 'see' again in a shadows and movements sort of way IF the sight loss was nutritionally based and not from a pathogen, once proper nutrients are provided.

Unfortunately, humans don't have this feature. Human eye growth is about in 2 or 3 stages and then in adults, no further growth occurs. If the human retina is damaged and eye-sight is lost in an adult, the human body cannot repair the damage.

 

[tippMANn98]

I have always known that the beginning of pop eye is the clouding and then Peeling of the eye. That how this sounds to me.....But it also is very very common with puffers. is it a Porcupine Puffer? if not what kind? they usually are the ones to get it, same with "burr fish" short spined puffer.

 

[Tangtastic]

Yes. He is a porcupine puffer. We have been feeding him the frozen krill like we were told. He also gets some nori and eats up what the other fish leave behind which are the cubes of chopped up shrimp and nori and supplements that you can get at any lfs. The tank levels are fine. The nitrates are not zero, but they are at the same level that they have always been at, nothing has changed. The salinity is good. He acts very happy so I don't think he is sick? I don't know what to think about it. I was kind of hoping is was a common condition and there was some sort of medicinal fix... but I guess that's not the case. I'll just have to wait it out and see is he gets better or declines. Poor little bubba

If I need to do the vitamin supplements, what form does that come in? And what is this 'pop eye'? I'll have to look into that.

Thank you all soooo much for your help... I'll keep you posted and maybe try to take some pics.

 

[lcstorc]

Here is a great thread about fish nutrition and supplements.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...ne-fish-marine-fish-nutrition.html#post315134

 

[tippMANn98]

Pop eye is usually secondary to a bacterial or fungal disease, could be lots of things, a fish cold maybe, or like stated before, improper, inadequate diet.

 

[ThePuffLife]

i dont have much exp. with puffers, but i know lionfish will shed a layer off of their eyes every once in a while, this could be the same case

Thats possible. But ive never known my 3 puffers to do so... At least that i know of...
It seems to me that puffers lose alot of their sight overtime. All my puffers (especially the porc) have poor vision. And of course, porc puffers do get that glittery cloud on their eyes... Is that what you mean by "cloud", Tangtastic? A green glitter?

 

[ThePuffLife]

Oh, and does he have ich??? Ich often leads fish to lose their appetites, and puffers are very prone to it.

 

[funkpolice]

there is a product called Selcon, it's kind of expensive, but I think it's a pretty good vitamin supplement. It is kind of expensive, but there are others that aren't as pricey.
bill

 

[leebca]

A constant supply of frozen krill is not the best diet you want to aim for. If you'll read through the link to the post previously provided ( http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...eeding-marine-fish-marine-fish-nutrition.html ) you'll find good info on what varieties of foods to offer AND vitamin and fat supplements you need to offer.

One of the rarest vitamins for marine fish to obtain is Vitamin D and not much of that is found in a strict krill diet.

Although found in the above link/post, I'll mention these supplements (if not marked "fats" then the supplement is a vitamin supplement):
GVH by H2O Life (one kind for foods, one kind for algae)
Selco
Selcon (fats)
Vita-Chem
Zoe
Zoecon (fats)
Only buy small, fresh containers of these so you will use them up in less than 2 months. Alternate their use. Use one product for a couple of months, then switch to another. Soak the food in a vitamin supplement one feeding/day, then the next day soak the food in a fat supplement one feeding/day, then go back to soaking in the vitamin supplement. If the fish is fed every other day or twice a week, then follow the same pattern - one meal with vitamin; one meal with fat supplement. Store the supplements in the refrigerator after their first use.

Marine fish are one of the most difficult pets to determine their 'state of mind.' Hobbyists really can't tell if a fish is happy or not. Unlike a dog, cat, snake, etc., they make no noise nor communication of discontent or contentment to their owner. Keep in mind that the animal has no say in its diet. Only what you put into the aquarium is what it can eat and that means that just because it is eating it doesn't mean it is the 'right food' or that the fish 'likes it.'

Many hobbyists say, 'My fish likes [type of food]' when it just means the fish eats it. That somehow gets transferred to that the food must be 'right' if the fish eats it and 'likes it.' My fav observation is that human children might like cake and ice cream, but is it the best diet for thriving on and growth?

Good luck!