Help - Angel Fish Gone Blind?!

[Yoshi]

Help - I think my angel fish has gone blind. Been on hols for 4 days and come back to find my angel fish cowering at the top of the tank and swimming backwards and swimming in to everything??? Done a water test and my nitrite levels have shot up - sadly I think well meaning parents/neighbours have been overfeeding as my tank is full of food debris which I never normally notice! Also have an algae bloom as water is murky greeny/browny colour. Did a 25% water change only 5 days ago. Whats the best way to quickly reduce my nitrite levels and how do I tell if the fish is really blind?? My ammonia, nitrate & PH are ok (well my ph is high at 8.2 but always has been with no problems). Thinking of doing a major water change and putting 50% of top water in bucket with fish. Use other 50% to clean sponge filter, rocks plants etc then cleaning tank & filling tank back up with new water and adding back the 50% of old water containing fish? Any other ideas?

 

[minxfishy]

To reduce the nitrite levels, then do a 50% water change, preferably get the water temp going back into the tank roughly the temp of the tank water. Test again about an hour later, if the nitrite levels are still high, do another 50% water change.

The algae bloom is probably due to the over feeding, when you do the water changes, do a good gravel vac too.

You can do the water changes as often as needed to get the levels correct, just keep the temp approx the same each time, this shouldnt stress the fish too much.

As for the angel, do you have a hospital tank? If so, remove the angel and keep an eye on him in there, if not, then see how he is after the water changes, it could be causing his problem.

 

[Yoshi]

To reduce the nitrite levels, then do a 50% water change, preferably get the water temp going back into the tank roughly the temp of the tank water. Test again about an hour later, if the nitrite levels are still high, do another 50% water change.

The algae bloom is probably due to the over feeding, when you do the water changes, do a good gravel vac too.

You can do the water changes as often as needed to get the levels correct, just keep the temp approx the same each time, this shouldnt stress the fish too much.

As for the angel, do you have a hospital tank? If so, remove the angel and keep an eye on him in there, if not, then see how he is after the water changes, it could be causing his problem.

Very upset - lost my gorgeous angel fish. Removed angel fish (and other fish) into holding bucket along with top 50% of old water & filter etc (ie without all the crap at the bottom), and the shock of it killed it within seconds. Cleaned all plants & rocks in further 25% of old water then chucked them in with other old water. Cleaned debris from bottom of tank & put everything back in and then added 50% of new water. Successful so far - water results as follows:

PH High test 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

Other fish very happy. The only good thing to come out of this horrid affair is that my kids can now have the neon tetras they have always wanted in the tank - couldn't have them before with the angelfish.