Fish Cataracts?

[Flashgordon]

I acquired a number of Furcifer recently - one male and 4 females. Two of the females had cloudy eyes when they arrived, probably from banging up against the basg in transit, but they appeared to clear up after a week or so.

Now after 6 to 8 weeks, three of the females again have a cloudy eye, with a white spot in the centre of it. With one of them however, the eye is now twice the normal size and completely milky. Lookina t her head on it is like she has a huge domed skylight on the side of her head. And she is looking quite distressed

Any suggestions as to what this is and how I should treat it?

[Colfish]

i've not experienced this problem fist hand, but it sure sounds like a classic case of popeye. i had a colony of ventralis arrive from i/s with a couple of cloudy eyes,

but a coule of doses of prima fix cleared this up ok.

so maybe an emergency treatment with prima or melafix should help, but i think you need to search for an appropiate medication and teatment for popeye asap.

i don't want to sound like i'm preaching, but, these type of fish[featherfins] must have clean, well oxygenated water. nitrate,nitrite and amonia levels at the very best you can give them. ph, gh and kh at the higher end of values.

if you can check these values and post the results it will give ppl a better idea of the advise to offer you. HTH

cheers

[Flashgordon]

Mate, the fish are in 1 5 ft tank, filtered by 2 x Eheim PRO filters plus a big sump fed by an overflow - with 30% water change per week and significant surface distrubance for oxygen interchange. Ammonia, Nitrite are 0 nitrates around 5, PH is 8.4 KH is 15. I don't think water conditions are an issue.

[Josh]

Flash

I did a search on google for you.... i must have heaps of spare time. It seams that a cloudy eye can be linked to heaps of fish problems. there are thousands of pages you might like to read up on. Here's a LINK to one that is just about eye problems. It basically depends on how the eye problem started ie white spot in center and grew out or whole of eye clouded.

If you are worried about your fish it would probably quicker to read a few pages than site around waiting for replies..

[Flashgordon]

Guys

I appreciate the fact that you did a Google search. Strangely enough I too have a computer and access to Google and I have used it. And to complete the reply I am not sitting here waiting for a reply before I do anything. I am a great believer in gathering as much data as possible, especially as oin the net much of it is somewhat suspect. What I am trying to do here on this forum is to gather additional information by mining the collective wisdom of the local forum population and see what experience Australians have in treating this sort fo disease.

[Colfish]

Mate, the fish are in 1 5 ft tank, filtered by 2 x Eheim PRO filters plus a big sump fed by an overflow - with 30% water change per week and significant surface distrubance for oxygen interchange. Ammonia, Nitrite are 0 nitrates around 5, PH is 8.4 KH is 15. I don't think water conditions are an issue.

had you stated such in the first place, people would have a better understanding of the problem. none the less, you just keep searching the net, and sort youself out.

[Flashgordon]

Gee Colfish, thanks for the assistance, very useful.

[Alvil]

Hi Flash,

I have had the same problems, two or three times in a couple of years, with my O. ventralis, it only hapens to the subdominant females, or sub males. I think in my case it is the fish rubbing against the glass when trying to get away from the more agressive tank mates.

I didn't do anything or even used any medication.

The eye cloudines and inflamation goes away a few days after things settle down in the tank, and the fish stops been hassled.

Cheers,

Alex