Flame angel with cloudy eye

[DragonFish]

My Flame angel has developed a cloudy eye. He is swimming and eating just fine. I tried the sticky at the top of the page but all I get is a search function disabled message. I added a tablet of Maracyn. I have a couple of questions. Is this potentially fatal? Will my skimmer remove the antibiotic? Is there a better treatment than maracyn? Thanks!

 

[Angel*Fish]

IME it's much better to soak the fish's food in antibiotic and feed it orally than to dose the tank. Antibiotics will kill the beneficial bacteria in your system - or is he in a hospital tank.

Either way oral med is better for your fish.

 

[DragonFish]

Well, I've had it on Maracyn for three days and maracyn-2 for an additional 4 days and it doesn't look any better. Someone mentioned to me that it may be flukes. I'm having trouble catching the little guy but would a freshwater dip be of any benefit at this point? He is still active and eating well. Actually it doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. What is the proper way to do a freshwater dip? Is there anything else I can do? Thanks!

 

[jdieck]

I think a fresh water dip will be too harsh for him. Some parasites seem to cause cloudy eye. One of my tangs developed a cloudy eye when he got ich. Once he go trid of the ich the eye cleared by itself in a couple of months. I just kept on feeding him well and put some vitamins and garlic on its food.

 

[DragonFish]

Unfortunately I lost the angel today. As of last night he was still active and eating great, but the eye was still cloudy. Today I couldn't find him most of the day, then found my Sallylightfoot this afternoon eating him. I never did figure out what was the problem. I'm wishing I had given him the freshwater dip afterall. Bah. I've literally wanted one of these for years.

 

[jdieck]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[DragonFish]

thanks man, its the one part of this hobby I hate.

 

[jdieck]

I think we all do, it just comes with it.

 

[fingersdlp]

Sorry about your fish.

The cloudy eye was probably secondary to some sort of parasite. I would not be afraid to dip a fish in the future if you are careful.

I am a fresh water dip believer. I match the temperature, ph (I use a product called ph up) and aerate the water. I have never lost a fish (knock on wood). Most fish I leave for 4 -6 minutes. If they seem week or become listless / just lay down I shorten it. I have dipped a lemon peel, several tangs, a hawk fish, a large angel and a wrasse among others. Most of the fish I have dipped are when I first get them to kill parasites.

If you do it in a clear plastic container you can see all the stuff it explodes off an infected fish. After I dipped the hawk fish it looked like a snow globe there were so many dead flukes.

B.