Featherfin Squeaker- Please Help!

Last night I noticed that my featherfin squeaker's eyes bulged out and became cloudy. I searched the web for what was going on and didnt find anything. I changed the filter, and he is still the same! He hasn't lost appetite and can swim fine, and he looks perfect except for both of his eyes. My other featherfin squeaker's eyes are fine, so it's just him. Please help!!

 

Sorry to hear about your poor fish!
Does it look anything like this?


What size tank is he in right now? Does he have other tank mates besides squeakers? That may help in discovering what's going on.

 

He's in a 20 gallon, and I have 2 plecos, a few corys, and guppies.
And yes! He looks exactly like that right now.

 

It seems like the bio load is too big for that tank and you're relying too much on the filter.. a featherfin will quickly outgrow a 20 gallon they get big

 

Alright, then. Although you can read what it says there, I'll give you a little bit of advice here, too.

20 gallons is awfully small for those fish you've mentioned. The guppies and corys should be fine, but the plecos and featherfin squeakers are going to need something a little bigger. If they are still rather young/small, it may be okay for now but they are going to need a larger tank soon.
The smallest plecos like 30 gallon tanks (and driftwood to feed on), but if you just bought one from a pet store, odds are you have a common pleco.

These plecos get huge -- they can get around 2 feet. Although most don't, tank recommendations are usually between 75-120 gallons for them. They really are sold too often in pet stores due to their large requirements.


Now I don't know a whole lot about the featherfin squeaker besides the fact it has an adorable name, but LiveAquaria recommends 50 gallons (although this site sometimes goes a little high with min tank sizes). Those guys will likely need a larger tank soon, too. Be on the lookout for sales to get one of these for your fish.

Right now, I'd recommend a large water change (not too much, though, as it can upset the fish). Due to your high stocking, I think that it's likely an issue with water quality. If it gets worse or he stops eating/swimming like he used to, isolate him for further treatment. Try to keep your water parameters pristine for right now, and look into getting larger tanks.

Good luck with your fish!

 

Thank you so much! I will try to get a bigger tank soon.