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G. altifrons eye damage - Help!


hovmoller

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My female altifrons managed to lodge herself between my 300W heater and back glass... resulting in a burn right across one of her eyes. She was stuck so I had to push her out from there... terrible :tears:

First the skin over the eye had turned white where the burn was but now is more clear and like a blister bubble with clear liquid underneath.

I added some "wunder tonic" to the water (1/4 recommended dose) to prevent and fungal/bacterial infection. and have since made a 25% WC and added wunder tonic again..

It seems there is a normal eye under the blister but would like some expert opinions on better treatment to get her eye back to normal.

Any help is much appreciated.. Pics below, first pic is her other eye - the normal one. Sorry about the pics it was very hard to take any good ones.

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Catch the fish and drop the tonic directly on its eye 2-3 times daily, in the water it wont do jack, and if a bacterial infection sets in the fish will loose its eye, not really a biggie but for a female in a troubled relationship it can be the difference between life and death.. I have seen this many times with my africans and all the ones I caught early enough and dropped tonic onto the eye saved their eye, half the ones I left did water changes and added salt to the water lost their eyes the other half recovered by themselves.

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Thanks Ryan,

You mean the wunder tonic directly on it's eye? :o

I'm sure that blister will break if I catch her.. but I guess that could be a good thing?

Wonder tonic is best but I have used the meth blue, the tonic has all sorts of good stuff in it.. Just hold the fish in a net over a bucket or something and drop a few good drops in there, don't get too much in the fishes gills if you can help it unsure if its a big issue but can't be good.. And that isn't a blister its like a growth type thing I am yet to see one of them burst..

I would be careful using acriflavine (sterility of fish) or formalin both are quite toxic and relatively last resort really, I would just go with the eye drops and water change/salt to promote healing.

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Done... was quite easy to do except for all the splashing and thrashing.. Will repeat 3 times a day.

You were right.. it is more like a gel type growth in front of her eye.. had a close look and a little poke when I had her out.

Will also add some salt now..

Thanks guys!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

Eye is a goner.. :cry:

The "gel" bubble in front of her eye eventually fell off and left her with a gaping hole directly into the lens behind the iris.. Looks very nasty but is not infected and she is eating and generally doing ok.

I'm am thinking that the "gel" might have been the cornea swelling up and perhaps it couldn't handle the heavy medicating regime directly on the eye.. not sure.. just a guess.

Just hope now that the eye will heal somehow and not become a problem.. I guess fish can live quite happily with one eye in an aquarium.

She was so pretty though... &c:ry

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guess fish can live quite happily with one eye in an aquarium.

She was so pretty though... &c:ry

I have one harlequin in my tank with one eye and one witn no eyes. The one with no eyes is called Zombie and even he can find food and lives happily in my tank. Your girl will be ok, she might just need a little more love from you :thup:

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