Oh no! My Malawi hap has one puffy cloudy white eye!

[Omega]

Just noticed today.

I have a 90-gallon fully-stocked authentic Lake Malawi tank with a mixture of carefully-selected peacocks, haps, and mbuna. They all get along fine, except with this recent heat-wave the water temperature has reached 88 degrees and they've become quite aggressive. My smallest Red Zebra was picked to death, my first fish death since getting this tank a year ago. Very unlike the other fish to do such a thing.

Then today I find one of my fish has a white eye. I forget the name of it but it's a 1st generation sub-adult hap.

The water conditions are fine other than temp.

What could it be? Here's a photo...

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m201/dingleberry06/fisheye.jpg

[Lupin]

Maintain your water clean and it should hopefully heal. Cloudy eyes are a result from bad water quality or bacterial infection.

[Coler]

cloudy eye...usually water parameters suspect; but if you're sure you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, some nitrates that's not it. The high temp won't help.

I'm thinking a bacterial infection or some such, brought on by stress from the fighting & heat...pristine water conditions should clear it up...you could treat with melafix & pimafix which are very non-invasive meds it it didn't improve after a few days.

edit : great pic btw

[Omega]

My friend told me there was a tap water advisory in certain parts of this city last week. Apparently the water might have had too much bad bacteria for human consumption? I Googled this and couldn't verify, but if true, I bet it's because of the heat. In any case, it must be over now or not in my area because I haven't heard anything more.

I did another 50% water change today. My cichlid breeder thinks the damage to the eye is permanent, although the life of the fish isn't at too much risk. It's only got sight from one eye now so if it looses sight in the other, it's euthanasia, unfortunately.

[mee-mee]

Can you just keep doing water changes until maybe you see anything happen to its eye:confused: ...it is a pretty cichlid....and if nothing becomes of the water changes. well. sorry you have to do what you have to do....

[tarheels910]

He should get better with the water changes. Just to let you know that is a male peacock, not a hap.

[Visualeyes2]

well i have to say that i would totally and completely rely on patience in this case. my oscar has had eyes like your africans eye in the pic and it has gone away. it has happened multiple times too. so, hang in there, and don't worry, it will fix itself.