Apisto Blindness cause

[sundragon]

Hello - I have seen a few threads that discuss possible blindness in Apistos.

I have a male A. macmasteri red neck. I had an ich outbreak when I added new fish about 6 weeks ago. I caught it early and treated the tank (QuIck Cure) for 2 weeks - one casualty was the female macmasteri red neck - she jumped out of the tank (she was also hit the hardest by the outbreak) and I found her too late.

The male got a swollen eye and I assumed it was either due to his flashing and scratching his eye or an secondary infection. I medicated the food with focus (nitrofurantoin) in addition to the treatment for ich. I normally do 50% water changes weekly but I changed that to every 3 days.

His eye swelling reduced in a short time but is still a little swollen - I think he's blind now in that eye because his iris is now a white dot.

In the last two days - I've noticed he's been bumping things in the tank and when I feed he doesn't "see" the food. I've started to hold it right in front of his face with success - he's still hungry but I'm starting to think the blindness is permanent.

Should I euthenize him?
Is this common among Apistogramma that have been line bread?

 

[regani]

Blindness on one eye is usually caused by an infection. Although permanent it is not necessarily a reason to euthanise a fish. I had a male N. anomala that was blind on one eye and still fathered several generations of healthy fry.

 

[joanstone]

I've had various fish over the years with an eye missing, never seemed to be much of an issue.

 

[sundragon]

Blindness on one eye is usually caused by an infection. Although permanent it is not necessarily a reason to euthanise a fish. I had a male N. anomala that was blind on one eye and still fathered several generations of healthy fry.

Blindness on one eye is usually caused by an infection. Although permanent it is not necessarily a reason to euthanise a fish. I had a male N. anomala that was blind on one eye and still fathered several generations of healthy fry.

The thing is I think he's blind in both eyes now, he's bumping into things and swimming like he's blind - it's most noticeable when I feed because he can't locate food.

I've looked at his other eye (not swollen one) and I can't tell there's anything wrong.

I posted this because does blindness happen in Apistos because it doesn't make sense that he'd go blind in the "non infected" eye.

 

[Mike Wise]

Is he 'bumping' into things or 'flashing': quickly hitting something hard with a glancing blow? Most fish - including cichlids - use their lateral line sensory system to avoid object (including predators) more than their eyes.

 

[sundragon]

Is he 'bumping' into things or 'flashing': quickly hitting something hard with a glancing blow? Most fish - including cichlids - use their lateral line sensory system to avoid object (including predators) more than their eyes.

No, it's bumping or getting stuck, nose first in a bunch of moss on a branch. He's not flashing - I've seen him do that when the ich broke out. It became obvious when he couldn't locate food that's floating in the water (unless I hold it right in front of his face).

 

[sundragon]

Just to be more succinct: There has been an obvious change in his swimming and it's obvious he can't see what's in front of him.

The swelling in his injured eye is 80% better (Even though I think he's blind). If this infection has attacked the other eye (which for the most part shows no symptoms) I would be up to try another antibiotic - Any recommendations from people who've kept Apistos longer than I have.

The tank has a few cory cats, otos, cardinal tetra, and coral red pencil fish, FWIW