What's wrong with my catfishes eye?

[Josiemetzner]

After introducing a featherfin catfish into our 200 litre tank, immediately it started going for our lace syno. We bought a new tank to house newbie, he has now moved but our lace is scarred and battered. More worryingly there is something wrong with his eye, can't find any info really. Can anyone help?

[Viktor Jarikov]

Hard pic to go by. Looks enlarged, perhaps bruised and cloudy. If it continues to worsen, it could be infected. Sometimes cloudy eye occurs as a result of stress -> weakening of the immune system -> bacterial breakout.

IMO, a hardcore antibiotic would be needed, like erythromycin, bi-furan, or oxytetrcycline, albeit I've read reports that some managed to cure a cloudy eye with just Melafix/Pimafix (which can be a coincidence, meaning the eye would have recovered on its own as no one conducts a control study in such circumstances, which gives rise to all kinds of false assumptions/conclusions; one merely needs to keep that in mind when reading such reports).

Finally, pristine water, good water changes, lack of stress, maybe a bit of salt often prove to be enough for a fish to recover largely on its own.

[Josiemetzner]

Just got another pic, never had to treat tank / fish before so hoping its not a disease or something... Water change due tomorrow, should I put him in a desperate from the main one?

[Josiemetzner]

*seperate

[Birger]

The eye does not look completely clouded over so it should heal up without to much trouble, syno's are quite resilient.

As Victor mentioned

pristine water, good water changes, lack of stress, maybe a bit of salt often prove to be enough for a fish to recover largely on its own.

Myself I would leave out the salt and add some good foods to the list.

Birger

[Josiemetzner]

Thank you, I'll keep a close eye on him. He's such a gawjus syno, I'd hate to lose him x

[Viktor Jarikov]

You made me look this one up on Google gawjus = gorgeous

From that photo, I'd say it is not the case of what's normally called a cloudy eye because in that case the pupil is clouded... but more resembles (to me) a popped eye, albeit I've never seen a case where one eye is popped and the other is not. So, I am left thinking it is bruised and/or developed an infection.

Has it been getting worse or better or neither?

If you can isolate him without too much trauma to him, that could be good but only if you see a worsening and/or want to attempt medicating, even if with salt.

I'd do 2-3 times more frequent water changes than usual, maybe of a bit smaller proportion (but at least 25%) but more frequent.

[Josiemetzner]

Water change done, but unfortunately no difference either way yet. Against idea of moving him ( I presume it's a him as have never tried to sex my cats) as it'll have to be a swap of cats from each tank and featherfin was only moved 2 days ago. Don't want two stressed / poorly cats.
Lol with the gawjus thing, it's always been the way I've spelt it.
Lace is happy tho to have his tank back to himself

[Birger]

Water change done, but unfortunately no difference either way yet

This quite likely be something that takes weeks to heal up not days.

Birger

[Josiemetzner]

It's been a week since I first posted and am now beginning to worry as my cat is ignoring feeding time. A once happy healthy eater, used to go round in a hump until he found his bits at feeding time now doesn't even move a muscle whilst everyone is munching around him. I feel so useless.

[Birger]

Best advice is to not do too much...do your regular water changes, stick to a feeding regime and the fish will come around.
Is just a little skittish right now but will go back to normal.There is a slight chance your fish was damaged by the other by being stabbed with a pectoral as this does happen and is sometimes fatal but I really doubt this has happened to your fish as it would be in rougher shape by now.

One thing that can help very much, noticed your tank has no background on it. If you take even black construction paper and cover the back it will change the dynamics of the tank, the fish will likely be more at ease and it givs a good look to the tank you may like.

Birger

[Josiemetzner]

Just for an update, my lace syno's eye is looking so much better, still looking a bit scarred but not 'popped out' anymore. He also tonight hunted like his usual self! Nearly all back to normal. That you all for all advice and reassurance. X

[emacartoon]

Good to hear! In case it happens again, just know that I've had a silverdollar that had popeye on only one side for over a year. No matter how I treated it, it didn't get worse, and it didn't get better - even doing 3 complete erythro cycles in a hospital tank. *shrugs* I'm just glad to know it can reverse!