Dat missing an eye - euthanize?

One of my 6 ITs is missing an eye. It's completely gone from his head. His mouth is kind of stuck open they way a fish's might be when he dies, but he's alive and breathing normally otherwise. It's possible this happened days ago, as he had been hiding in some rocks and didn't come out for feeding last night.

It looks awful. It scared me when I first saw it (I was picking up clothes and when bent over noticed him right against the glass 2" from my face). I assume my giant distichodus ate it, unless there's some other way that eyes completely pop out. This was the guy who has always had a bit of popeye even in perfect water and when otherwise stable, so I suppose it's possible it came out otherwise, even though I've never heard of that.

Anyway, he doesn't look happy, and the last thing I need is for a fish to die and pollute the water. I'm also worried he'll be an easy target now. Can Dats live a happy life with only one eye or should I euthanize him?

Unfortunately, the only other tanks I have that would be suitable for a dat are QTs. The other big ones have small fish that they could (and did once) eat.

That said, I have never once seen the lussoso attack a datnoid. He can be a jerk at lights out at night but his usual targets are the bala sharks and catfish and it's never serious. I suppose it's possible that another dat took his eye, even though I thought they figured out their hierarchy long ago and haven't been fighting or chasing. But if this guy projects weakness, who knows, he could just get picked on badly.

I'll have to keep an eye on them. Right now he seems like he's being smart, staying in a corner on the opposite end of the tank with his eye facing in, so he can see everything. I think what worried me most wasn't the eye missing, but the mouth being wide open. I thought he was dead at first when I saw him.

ettfettbranamn;2679153; said:

keep him, he is likely to make a full (one eyed) recovery and with some anti-fungal and bacterial meds.. or just very high water quality!

Click to expand...

Good thing I'm about to do a big WC then.

Should I pull him and put him in a QT to treat or just treat the entire tank? I guess my fear about putting him in the QT would be that re-introducing him later could mean everyone thinks he's new and might pick on him more. (I have no idea what kind of memory these fish have.)

OK sounds good. I'll just do the WC today and see how he is tomorrow. He'll be easy to catch so I can net him out any time.

I'm going to move the geophagus out of the hospital tank and in with some of her grown fry, which will be better than setting up a new QT, so unless she has some odd issue with that, there'll be a space waiting for him if he needs it tomorrow.

Just snapped a quick shot with my phone. The jaw and the lean to the side is what worries me most. Amazingly, his color/stability is as good as it ever has been. He's usually much darker. Though being in the sun probably plays a role in that.