HELP - Goldfish losing eyes

hwsva · 10-13-2008, 08:09 AM

I've had a 55g tank with 9 goldfish (using an xp3 rena filter rated for a 175 g tank) since 2000. I also have a pleco, 2 dojo loaches, and 2 corydoras cats in the tank with them. About 4 days ago, I noticed that one of my goldfish were missing both eyes, otherwise the fish was acting healthy. Then this morning my nice big black telescopic eye black moor is missing his eyes. He had them yesterday.

What's going on here???

Rawdogz · 10-13-2008, 08:41 AM

do you see any parsite/worms on them or on the ground. check the one with and with out eyes. look in the eyes

cannedmulder · 10-13-2008, 09:20 AM

Look in the gills too!

hwsva · 10-13-2008, 09:31 AM

No I don't see any. What do I use to treat for that? Will it hurt if I do a preventative treatment?

Rawdogz · 10-13-2008, 10:02 AM

you can treat it but we need to find out what we are going to treat. on the other fish are there eyes clouded or bulging?

Rawdogz · 10-13-2008, 10:25 AM

read up on popeye, not popeye the sailer, but popeye the fish disease lol

hwsva · 10-13-2008, 03:04 PM

I didn't see anything wrong with the goldfish yesterday before he lost his eyes and to lose both eyes at once. All the other golfish eyes look fine. Could one of the tank mates be eating them? I've had fish with pop eye before, the goldfish shows no signs of it. They're just all gone!

Rawdogz · 10-14-2008, 04:29 AM

very good chance. if so it would be the dojo loaches doing it. what do you feed them and how much? did anyone else lose a eye last night?

hwsva · 10-15-2008, 09:57 AM

So far so good...no other eyes lost. I feed the goldfish tank a mixture of pellets, flakes, algae wafers, and shrimp pellets. I know the loaches are getting food since I see them eating the sinking pellets and one of the loaches swims to the top to eat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well. I did add some aquarium salt as a preventative and to help the goldfish that has lost their eyes.

Do dojo loaches eat goldfish eyes? I've had once for 8 years and the other loach for about 4 years in the tank and have not had any problems.

Petunia760 · 10-27-2008, 07:09 PM

hi there, sorry about your fish

( What ever happened? Do you still have them? Goldfish are very hardy, and they could survive "blind"...It is not popeye...it would have to be someone picking them out...even a worm, or parasite wouldn't do that instantly as you describe, that would happen over time...do you have any Ryukins? They've been known to be eye eaters...I would have added some stress coat to the tank...oh, and FYI, Maracyn or Maracyn 2 is a good all around treatment for anything from popeye to fungus, you can treat the entire tank even if only 1 is sick.