CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I'm not sure if I did that correctly. The first 2 pics are of brutus and zombie is the last pic
Thanks I am glad that I found this sight I have enjoyed reading the post and learning more.

Nice looking fish!

Thanks zombie is blind in both of his eyes. I have to hand feed him. Brutus is twice as large and they were bought at the same time.

Those are severums.. Blind? ARE the eyes have a whiteness to them?? that is cloudy eye and can be cured with some meds.. Mine get these every now and then.. HE should not be blind.. this can be treated.. BUt you need to have him ONLY in a smaller tank to do so.. OR both of the severums will be fine incase the other one has some cloudy eye problems too.. won't hurt them, but your others are more easily stressed.. These cichlds are great with Oscars.. LET me know and I wil tell you which meds to get...

Thanks Barb Okla I didn't know it could be treated. I even mentioned it to the lfs and they didn't say it could be please tell me what meds to get.. One of his eyes are flat now no liquid in the eye will this help that too??  I'll try to get a better pic of Zombie and see what you think..  Thanks so much.

Now if the eye has NO fluid, no meds wil help him IN that eye.. HE may lose it later... I do know that IF this has gone on long enough, it is permenate.. This may or may not work.. I do want you to treat him in a seperate tank thou, that may be a problem if he follows the other one around for giuldence, some fish go into a depression state you could say.. I know my golden severum did when I sold my Green Terror, as they always hang out together.. So if you can, you need to do this in a 20 gal or bigger.. A 29 gal would be great..
I say treat him in a different tank so you won't mess up your bio in the main tank.. NOT all the fish need strong meds.. HE needs strong meds, then NO meds A short rest time with fresh water, and some other meds not as strong but still help heal his eyes.. IF IT WORKS OR NOT, I CAN'T GURANTEE A ALL CURE for him..
I did some reading and it seems that if it he has had this for several months, the meds may not work.. Sorry.. YOU can try this or just let him be and do the soothing meds.. Death should not acure with these meds but may stress him out some...YOU can always do a fast water change if you see he is NOT doing good..  I said 30+days as that is what it is going to take.. Best to do this on days you wil be home so you can monitor him for odd behavior, darting, breathing fast after 10 min of adding in the meds..

You can add in the other severum if he is loney and not doing good in one week...water changes and carbon in the filter will remove the harsh meds in a day...  The secound meds sooth and also should combat more of the cloudy eye problem..those are MelaFix and PrimaFix together for 7days and maybe done longer with no stress to the fish... HARD to say what is going to happen,, but it is up to you..

I will find a not so strong med and try a different path that way.. IF that one eye has collapsed, then this may make it worse.. that you dont' want, but it sounds like it is already gone.. I do recommend another tank..   

I have melafix I will get the other. But... I work six days a week...I could bring him to work?? I have a 10 gallon tank will that be fine? Can I get the Primafix at the lfs? I have stupid question. I just bought a new 55g tank and moved them in it 2 weeks ago. The water is a little hazy. I'm thinking it is the filter ( it came with the tank) no bio wheel. I need to get one with the bio wheel don't I? There 30g had one the water was always crystal clear. I've tried clear water but it don't seem to work.  P.S. Thanks for the info on the meds.

  I moved this to a different board as it has taken off to a different subject.. YOU can repost the PICS back into the gallery if you wish...

ON the meds, MelaFix and PrimaFix is the one med that needs to be USED Last, but I was concerned for the eye that has collaped on using a med that is to strong.. that would be like pouring salt on an open wound.. SO YES get the PrimaFix and IF he is NOT to big, you can do this in the 10 gal with NO deco, just a filter, heater, NO gravel...

I am wondering about thou, if the 55 gal water is OK to use in this tank.. IF it is cycling, then we have a problem on using the water for the 10 gal.. PLEASE check for ammonia/nitrite readings and you may have to do some water changes on the 55 gal before you can use any in the 10 gal.. Using water from the 55 helps keeps the severum from ajusting over to a NEW water.. Less stress on him..

What other size tank did you move them from?? seems the severums are bigger now and I don't see them in a 10 gal tank.. ON the 55 gal, did you cycle it for a few weeks OR add in anything to help boost the cycling?? That alone wil cause the cloudy water.. YES a filter with a bio-wheel is a great accest to a NEW tank.. ON a 55gal you need TWO filters, one on each side.. I Run Emperor filters as they are the best filters for great filteration.. Emperor 400 are a double bio-wheeled filter and they really have a great flow to them for 55 gal tank.. YOU need two on a 55 gal..
Best to get them ON LINE as you can get TWO for the price of ONE at a LFS.. I wil get you a link to a good place.. they are always on sale ON LINE...

YOU can run the other smaller filter from your OLD tank on this tank with the bio-wheels.. DID YOU KEEP THE WHEELS from drying out?? I keep mine in a zip-lock bag with a little tank water added in so they dont' dry out if I dont' use them in a few days time.. ONCE they dry out, this kills off the GOOD bacteria.. Stil thou, yoiu can revive them in a tank it just takes longer to reestablish the good bacteria on the wheel.. A new one would be better as it is seeded already..  

I am wondering if your 55 gal is not cycling.. HOW long has it been running?? Are you monitoring Ammonia/nitrite??.
How long have the eyes on the severum been like this?? Were they like this when you got them??

NO I would not take them to work.. YOU can do this in ONE day on watching them for signs of stress IF you use the stronger meds.. IT is the first 15 min of adding them in that you might have to do some water changes fast..

Although MelaFix and PrimaFix is a bacterial/Fungus med, it also takes care of cloudy eye, which some say is a parasite.. UNsure but I have used this and it works.. REMEMBER thou, that it wil take LONGER for you to see any results as he has has this for along time.. MORE on how long WHEN you see about the water in the 55 and set up the 10 gal..

READ what MelaFix and PrimaFix can do: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/a ... atId=11269
Here are the filters: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 2004+22769

YOU can get a FREE catalog on the main page that has GREAT deals on Aquatic needs..

Ok I did some seaching and reading on some LESS stronger meds to get,, this I HOPE will help clear up IN his ONE GOOD EYE.. This is a milder medication that should clear the one eye and not irratate the other one.. GET Binox.. NOW on the filter, PLEASE REMOVE THE CARBON FROM THE FILTER PAD.. Just cut a slit on a NEW DRY one, and shake it out.. Keep it to use later... Use as directed..this is a good easy but strong med.. DO NOT USE THE MELAFIX JUST YET.. YOU may have to dose him twice with 3  days of clean water inbetween.. then remed him again.. follow the directions on HOW long as I dont' have that info.. NOW, do the water changes as told, but on the last treatment on the secound dose, leave them in the tank for 2 days.. DO 4 gal water change, CLEAN THE FILTER NOW BUT DONT' ADD IN ANY CARBON... wait 2 days then do the MelaFix/PrimaFix for 5 days.. I am unsure if he wil eat or not with the biox, but you can try.. Clean the tank good inbetween each treatment to remove all waste/food.. 

Wow...where do I began  lots of info take take in. Thanks so much. To began they were in a 30 gallon tank before which I have put 1 tiger oscar, 2 fire mouth, and 2 parrot fish in that tank. I cycled the tank for 1 1/2 weeks.
  The lfs told me that if I got neutral regulator then I didn't need a test kit because it regulates it all...
  When I got the 30g tank with zombie and the others back in June 2006. She told me that he was blind because Brutus blinded him. So I just assumed he was..
  I am going to get a Emperor 400  my other was an Emperor 280 should I take the 2 filter systems and swap them until I get the new one. The new fish are small for now.
You really have been a great help.

Ok now I see that he might not have cloudy eye but a permanent eye problem.. SO here is the deal NOW, you can med him with just the Melafix/primafix and that might help.. No meds are going to help an eye injury but the Melafix might help keep an infection from happening in the eye that is collapsing. You can still treat him in the smaller tank.. 
I have two severums and they try to kill each other, so they are seperated.. You may have to do the same..

YOU dont' need the Biox now.. 

On the fitlers,  Yes you can swap them out.. the 280 wil do you better in the bigger tank.. I have two of them and really like them.. I have 17 emperors and would like to have a few more.. 280 are great on smaller tanks but work just as good on a 55 gal with a 400 too.. 

Sorry I have have working long hours and then family time ..... 2 days later..... thanks  will set my tank up and I will get a test kit. I know I should not listen to the lfs. I will try to help Zombie with his 1 eye that may be good. 

Thanks Barb Okla I was suprised at the price difference on the Emperor 400 online. I ordered 2. I also went to the lfs and got the primafix. To start the treatment on Zombie. I will let you know how it goes...

Sounds GREAT on the filters. NOW on medicating him, do both of the meds at the same time for 7days.. REMOVE the carbon from the filters.. Do the meds AFTER YOU clean the tank and FILTER.. You may have to med him TWICE to see if this is going to work or not.. This is why I wanted you to place him a smaller tank..

Clean the tank on day 8.. Do a normal water change/filter clean.. And med him again for 7 days.. THIS won't hurt him any, MelaFix/PrimaFix is a bacterial/fungus med and does not have any harsh meds..OR so they say, so he should be fine.. NOW in this secound week.. See if his good eye, although cloudy, has any reducement in cloudyness.  Look for any sign of improvement..

Make sure he is not stressing much, darting,  breathing hard or NOT eating.. This is why with him being blind, NO deco should be in the tank.. NONE... Do a water change of 5 gal to reduce the meds down if you see he is not doing good.. He maybe scared as you are leaving him alone for the first 24 hours or so,  so dont' confuse this with a reaction to the meds..

Feed him if he eats.. but remove any he does not.. I Know U hand feed him, so  this shouldn't be a problem..  Add in the other severum if you feel it will help him.. the meds won't hurt him either and may take care of some problems he is having too. Severums are reallly accessable to eye cloudyness..

Keep me posted on how it goes.. Email me anytime.. Barb