Fish blindness

[itstheantitang]

Ok, Ok, I am serious.
My largest 2.5-3.25 in green chromis may have gone blind.

In the morning it doesn't seem to notice the lights are on, and at night when it feeds it cannot find the food. It will open its mouth thinking there is food but will miss the food. Tonight I did an experiment. I held a fingerful of food under the surface and waited for the fish to smell it and come up. It did. And it ate from my fingers. It missed the food a couple times and bit my finger. I believe it worked because the food was stationary and it didn't have to chase it. Also, I chased it with my fingers while I was feeding and it didn't swim away. This furthers my suspicions.

So, could anyone tell me if this is a possibility and if there are other confirmed cases?

I just got new lights, but some of this behavior was happening before this.

[wrangler]

Well guess what, Im in the same boat....my clown started doing the same about three weeks ago.

[kittyhazelton]

My female clown has been acting the same way within that last couple days. She host an anemone with my male, and I recently had to do a water change which required moving the anemone. It took here over a day to find it again (even though I put it back in the same spot afterwards) the male went to it immeidately.
She does not respond to my fingers near her, nor does she even notice when other fish go near her anemone (She used to be fairly agressive towards any "intruders") She is not actively seeking food, mostly just goes after what happens to fall into the anemone.
What is going on?!? Is there some sort of wierd sudden fish blindness diseas going around? Help!

[plah831]

are their eyes cloudy? that's often a bacterial infection.

[kittyhazelton]

no eye cloudiness, no change in any physical apearance.

[plah831]

weird. How old is she?

[MonoSebaelover]

Sometimes can be caused by extended exposure to high nitrate. There are other factors too but that is the only one I remember off hand. Do a search on the internet on fish blindness, it is known in the hobby. Hope this helps and good luck!

[plah831]

I read it can also be due to nutritional problems from too much meat. It's known as "nutritional blindness". But yes, do an internet search for "aquarium fish blindness".