I need help with my Angel Fish (blind?)

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Samy

Registered Member
Aug 11, 2015
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So I believe my angel fish might have an illness that is causing him to become blind.
I need help figuring out what is wrong so that I can treat him.
I have two, one is looking and acting completely normal while the other is staying at the bottom and it's eyes do not look right (decreased in size and no color except a small red dot, they look gone). I have been trying to keep the light off because he seems very sensitive to it but when he lays flat on the gravel I turn the light on and he slowly gets back up. He has not eaten in about 3-4 days. The pet store where I live is not being helpful at the moment. Please help and thank you for reading.
 

Tifftastic

"With your powers combined . . ."
Sep 9, 2008
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I've never seen anything like that before. . .

Its hard to tell, are the white spots just debris in the tank or are they actually on your fish as well?
 

Blueiz

THE TypoQUEEN
Sep 5, 2005
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How long have you had it? What size tank is it in? Have you noticed any fighting between the two? Are there any other angels in the tank? How does its fins look? Water parameters?

To me, it looks like it may have gotten roughed up by a tank mate and has been injured. Swelling of the tissue around the eyes can cause the eyes to seemingly disappear, or look as if they are becoming smaller.

Laying on the bottom is not a good sign. Is there a hospital tank you can move it to to monitor its condition more closely and treat if necessary? I would do a tonic salt solution as the first course of treatment since there is no obvious signs of a specific disease- at least not that I can see from the pictures. It really looks like it lost a fight.

Angelfish can be territorial towards each other.
 

Samy

Registered Member
Aug 11, 2015
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Thanks for the responses! I really appreciate your observations. They have not had any territory issues in the time I have had them. I've had them both for about 7 months (since they were quarter size). They never bully each other. The healthy one has been protective towards the sick one. When I put the net in to help him get right side up the other tries to stop me from touching him, and he stays very close. They are in a vertical 45gal tank. No other angels. There is one butterfly pleco but very small and keeps to it's self. His coloring does have speckles and he is close to the bubbler. One eye is white and the other is turning more red. Today he is eating!! and swimming more. I have been putting Melafex in the water as directed on the packaging. He seems to be doing better today. *knock on wood*
If he does not seem to be recovering further by tomorrow, I will begin a salt treatment!
The water is cloudy, I did a 50% water change 3 days ago. The nitrates aren't abnormal. Thanks again!


(I have no idea what their genders actually are)
 

FreshyFresh

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Jan 11, 2013
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Any new additions to this tank recently? I'd do some fin-level water changes and maintain as low nitrates as you can to see if things improve.
 
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