cloudy eye on lionfish

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Kit Walker

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Jun 9, 2002
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My zebra lion had developed a cloudy-like membrane over one eye. From my freshwater knowledge I assumed this is due to ammonia, but my ammonia is 0 and my nitrates are 10ppm. I noticed another lionfish at the shop I purchased mine from has the same condition, so maybe it was pre-existing. None of the other fish in my tank are showing any signs of illness. I heard that a treatment for this is some sort of dip? I am not sure what sort of dip to use? Any help is much appreciated.
 

OrionGirl

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Depends--anything in the tank that could have stung the lion? I've seen cloudy eyes result from close encounters with anemones and coral stingers quite often--especially in fish that lurk.

How long have you had the lion? Is it eating and behaving normally?
 

kreblak

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I have a fish disease book that says cloudy eyes are usually associated with ammonia poisoning. Since your ammonia is zero, that shouldn't be the case. However, the book also states that you need to test for ammonium as well, since it can also poison fish, and doesn't show up on ammonia tests. I understand that there is a realitively cheap test kit for ammonium.

Other than that, I'd say Orion girl is on to something. I have a friend who has a clownfish tank with several anemones. He added a lionfish, and it gets stung all the time.
 

Kit Walker

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As a matter of fact I have long-tentacle anenome and a bulb anenome. One of the other fish are showing ammonia-related eye conditions. If its eye did touch the anenome would this resulting complication on the eye tissue be bacterial or fungal?
 

VoodooChild

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I would guess fungal, since if there's any damage at all to the eye fungus can walk right in. Eyes are very sensitive. Otherwise it could be the eye's reaction to the venom of the anenomes. Along the same lines of a swelling after a bee sting.
 

OrionGirl

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Voodoo nailed it. While it can lead to a bacterial infection (which should be associated with some swelling), at this point it's likely to be just the reaction to the venom. Some fish learn to avoid the anemone, while other's never seem to make the connection. Watch the lion carefully--if the eye doesn't get better in 2-3 days, it may have become infected.

This is one of the problems in mixing fish from a variety of habitats--they don't recognize their strange tank mates as a threat!
 

Kit Walker

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I assumed that all reef fish had inbuilt instinct to keep away from anenomes. in the same way that instinct tells them that cleaner wrasse are good. Maybe I should have done more research first. I will look into getting an anti-fungal dip as I don't want him to suffer any damage to his eyeball. Lucky I don't have any carpet anenomes cause usually theres no second chances!
 

melissadotson

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it could be the PH level in the fresh water that you add to your tank when you do a water change too. i have had proublems with the cloudy eyes with my angel fish. and i found that the salt that i use does not buffer as well as they say it does..so now i add a ph buffer to the new water that i add..it helps..
 

mak3mydae

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Uhm.. Melissa.. a lionfish is a saltwater fish... You dont do water changes with freshwater... pH couldnt have done it.. and if you mean topping off, people topp off with RODI water which doesnt affect pH a whole lot...
 

Amphiprion

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Closed unless the OP prefers it to be open (not so sure after more than 6 years). You are more than welcome to PM me if you'd like to see the thread reopened.
 
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