Can A Plecostomus Go Blind?

[esjlong]

Evening all, hope you can help?

My last post was last year (lumpy angel) and you guys were great! So I am hoping you will be able to help again in this instance.

I have recently noticed that my beloved Plec appears to have white cloudy eyes. His movement is not yet effected and he is still as lively as ever.

Does anyone have an idea what could be wrong? or could it simply be just be a case of old age? (about 8 years old)

Many thanks in advance

Emma (UK)

 

[AJGray]

if its got eyes it can go blind

 

[lilfishie]

what sort of pleco is it?
water stats?
tank size and stocking?
any other difference about the fish?

 

[WILDER]

Need more info.
Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, and ph.
Cloudy eye is not a desease in its own right a symtom of one.
causes.
Bad water quality.
Old age.
Stress.
Bad diet.
Parasites.
Bacterial.

 

[esjlong]

Hi Wilder & lilfishie

Got info for you.

Tank size- 190 litres (190 Juwel Trigon)
Other fish
2x Angels
2x Corys
4x gourumi
Red finned shark
10 tetras
5 Clown Loaches

Looking at my aquatic book- the plec appears to be a Hypostomus

Water Stats

Ammonia
0.25 ppm (mg/L)

Nitrate
5.0 (mg/L)

Nitrite
0 ppm (mg/L)

Ph
7.0

I very much doubt that the plec could be stressed as he has been in the tank for about 9 months and have had no new arrivals.

Many thanks

Emma

 

[WILDER]

Is the ammonia reading 0 then or higher.

 

[esjlong]

Hi.

The Ammonia is just slighly higher then 0 at 0.25 (the second mark down on my colour indicator) i.e pale green (yellow is at 0).

Regards

Emma

 

[WILDER]

Ok, Its bad water quality then.
How often do you maintain the tank something wrong if the tank been set up a while and your ammonia readings not 0.
This means lack of maintance.
Filter not up to the job.
Tanks overstocked.
Over feeding and rotting waste.

 

[esjlong]

Thanks Wilder for your help.


I very much doubt that filter is not up to it job- It is the one that was provided with the tank by Juwel when I purchased it (10 Months ago). I also don’t think that overcrowding is the issue- as there as been no additions to the tank and they have all lived happily together for a few years.

It could be maintenance, so I will complete a partial water change. To see if that does the trick.

Not sure about over feeding- they get feed once a day, alternating frozen and flake food (which is always gone within a few minutes)

My only concern is that the Ammonia is not ‘high’ on the chart that I have, so cant understand why all of a sudden the Plec’s eyes appear to be cloudy.

Can you recommend any treatment to clear up the cloudy eyes?

Many thanks


Emma

 

[SJ2K]

TLC it may well be just down to old age, 8 years is quite a long time for alot of aquarium fish.

 

[WILDER]

It could be old age.
I would keep up with vacs and water changes for now to see if that helps.
If your'e worried get a med for cloudy eye.
Good luck.