Pleco

[Tammy2080]

Hello

two days ago i noticed my pleco was missing one of his eyes, there are no visible bite marks around where the eye was just an open hole where the eyeball should of been, only marks on him are a few nibbles to his fins this is possibly as he mopped for the first day i noticed it had gone and acted like he was dead, he has pulled himself round now and swimming/eating as normal.

the tank where he currently lives is full of cichlids but despite there name they are very passive, there is two baby nests where the young openly come out and feed in the tank that the adults do not touch, and from past experience they only seem to bite other fish when they die.

does anyone have any suggestions as to what could of happened to my plecos eye

 

[WILDER]

Can you name all the fish that are in the tank, some fish will suck the eyes out.
Can you issolate him.
Is the wound clean looking.
Was the eye bulging out before this happened.

 

[Tammy2080]

he has been in the tank for two years, he was the last fish i have added.

not sure on all the types but, ones that could suck eyes are a bristle nose pleco, sail fin pleco and a few clown loaches the rest are just like jewels, electric yellows, layer tails...etc

i have no tanks left, i have three in the house already full

its an open wound, looks clean (this is kinda grosse) you can see his skull, no sign of infection (salt is in the water)

and one day normal the next day gone

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like to me the eye ball been sucked out by another fish in the tank, that's why he could do with being moved out.
So its a hole now where the eye is no skin.

 

[Tammy2080]

i not sure it could be the other fish, in the tank there are baby (litraly fry) jewels that sleep next to the clown loaches and a large feather fin syini (my local pet shop says theyve never seen anything like it) and he has been safe and untouched for two years by the other fish

ill keep a look out incase it is but if its not is there any other possable causes of this, like some sort of infection?



im hoping the hole will skin over but at the mo no

 

[WILDER]

Other options are that he knocked the eye out on something in the tank, anything sharp in the tank.
If it was an infection I would of expected to see the eye bulging out or cloudy looking.

 

[Tammy2080]

i wish i could move him but im worried incase the other tanks fish attack him the other tanks are for cichlids too but they dont have any vounrable fish in and unsure if they will be calm or bully him

thank you for your advice

ill have to see if i can rehome him with a friend who has guppys just incase my fish have turned mean

the tank is full of rocks and abit of drift wood which does have sharp edges on

 

[WILDER]

I would remove all the ornaments that are sharp and sand the sharp edges down.
If you don't think its the fish he could of lost his eye due to the sharp ornaments.

 

[Tammy2080]

thank you, i think ill do that even if i get him a home, just incase another fish gets hurt by it

 

[WILDER]

Good luck bless him.
Keep an eye on the wound to make sure it dosn't get infected, maybe abit of melafix wouldn't harm.
I'm abit worried with the hole as bacteria can gain entry.