Sick Texas Cichlid

[Jacob Burch]

I need help! I just joined was told about you guys through my local fish store. I have a texas fish that has recently fallen ill that I don't know what is or how to treat it. He first got an abrasion on his side which I thought was from fighting there is him a female and a green terror in one tank but in the last 3 days He has gotten very bad LOOKING. He still acts like a fish eats and everything else but also appears to be blind. I'm concerned for him and my other fish. My water peramiters are good. And always have been. Tank is cycled and been up for about 2 years. Plenty of filtration and 2 50 percent water changes a week .Any info would be great!

 

[Jacob Burch]

Another photo of eye

 

[AquaticJ]

I would honestly euthanize, that looks really bad. It seems like a bacterial infection or water quality. Whats the tank size? What are your exact parameters? What type of filters?

 

[Jacob Burch]

Thats what I have been thinking, but wanted to make sure that I was going to be making the right decision and not just killing him if it was something common I have never ran into before, 75 gallon with him, the female and one green terror, 3 aqueon 75 and water quality is
Ammonia is 0
Nitrite is 0
Nitrate <20 ppm

 

[Genghis Karp]

He'll struggle to get over that and he may infect others in the tank, I think there is only one option...

 

[Jacob Burch]

Very sad. Whenever I get off work I'll pull the plug and do a large water chamge to possibly get any contaminants out of the water. Has anyone seen anything like this before? I've had an aquarium since I was 6 and pretty much ram excusivly south Americans and or new world cichlid my whole life with very little issues other then having ich a couple times.

 

[AquaticJ]

I work at a LFS and I’ve seen eye bulge, but not like that, that’s some serious infection. Poor little guy, wish we could talk to fish sometimes to properly treat them, ya know?

 

[Jacob Burch]

It was rough. Odd how attached you get to your wet buddies. What made it all worse was the fact that he never seemed.. Stressed or anything. Just swam around and did everything he did prior. Just looked horrid. I mean ive had fish before where the answer was clear to act. But its all done now .Rest in peace buddy!

 

[AquaticJ]

Yeah that’s why I wish you knew exactly how they were feeling, but that little guy looked extremely sick. It’s never fun to have to do that. Unfortunately, it’s no different than a cat or dog. I had to put a dog down earlier this year, it sucks! Even if you identified the disease, I think medications would just make him suffer longer, his eyes would certainly not heal.

 

[Jacob Burch]

Yep its done and over. Crazy how fast it set on .Day one was the abrasion day to was the buldge day three was the festering of the skin. I'm nervous about my other fish now. Hopefully it wasn't contagious.