Can Fish Get Cataracts

[Just_Another_One]

i was just checking out my betta who ive had for 2 years and i think he was about 2 years when i got him and his eyes look like hes got cataracts or the less serious hardnening of the lenses..

they dont look cloudy white or anythng just when i look in them on a certain angle it looks to what my cat and dogs get when they get old.. it is veryhard to explain , it looks like a yellowish orange tint only when i look from an angle... if i look straight on them they look fine...

anyone else notice this with older fishies??

 

[smegforbrains]

funny you should say that.


I noticed the other day that Brinn's left eye seems, blank, for want of a better word.

In his case, his eye is pure black whereas his right eye clearly has the pupil in the centre and a greyish outer.


I've not noticed any tell-tale signs that he may be going blind in his left eye. He's not bumping into things and he's definitely not had any battles with anything in the tank.


I guess it's something that happens with old age usually. Not sure how old he is but I would guess he is fully grown anyway. But, he's happy enough and has shown no signs of discomfort.

 

[Jazzzz]

You can see into my golfishes eye it has stopped being blck and now locks like hollow goldish cave in hs head.

He s blnd on that side as he keeps knocking scales off only on that sde on the filter intake.

We have long snce removed all non-ground level rocks and wood to stop him hitting them.

 

[Just_Another_One]

You can see into my golfishes eye it has stopped being blck and now locks like hollow goldish cave in hs head.

He s blnd on that side as he keeps knocking scales off only on that sde on the filter intake.

We have long snce removed all non-ground level rocks and wood to stop him hitting them.

yea thats exactly like what it looks like on my betta boy....its not on the outside of the eye its defintly in the inside and just looks a yellowish goldy color like you described like a cave.....so maybe my guy is blind in that eye as well... his behaviour is also changing a bit, hes looking more sad and old so ill keep an eye(lol) out for him to make sure hes not hurting himself.

 

[WILDER]

Cataracts)
Symptoms:: White or gray material covering the eyes`only.

Treatment: In the process, special attention should be made to assure that ammonia and nitrite levels stay within accepted measures.

Information: Cataracts are fungal growths on the eyes. Treatment with any aquarium fungicide should work. Its probability increases with water rich in ammonia or nitrates.

 

[saz326]

Fishy eyes are so exposed to damage that its not really surprising that they do seem to suffer over time.

One of my Black skirt tetra has a silver eye! The eye must have been damaged somehow. It has become completely flattened against the fish's head and lost all black colour. It almost blends in with the fish's scales. But he still sees well enough to feed. He's a little skinny, but he chases the girls so he must be happy.

Cataracts/scarring of the cornea and damage caused by bacterial infections can look pretty similar. Scratched lenses in they eye can repair over time so Kaisa - maybe it would be worth giving special care to your betta just to see if it is damage that might heal.

Beta carrotene and omega oil rich foods can help with eye health in all species. (We eat carrots to help us see in the dark There is truth in it - not just an old wives tale)

Some colour enhancing foods are rich in beta carrotene.

I'm not sure Wilder: Cataracts are internal to the eye. They are not fungal growths. When humans have cataract operations the top surface of the eye is "peeled back" to enable the cataract to be broken up and removed. ..........Maybe the definition of cataracts in fish is different to that in humans.