Is my Cichlid sick??

[bermudezaa]

Good morning all.

I purchased a few African cichlids this past weekend and while they were being acclimatized to my tank, I noticed that this one had an eye that appeared badly damaged.

Below you will find a picture.

He swims fine and from what I could tell, he doesn't favor his "good" side more than the other. He also ate fine yesterday.

I don't think that his eye could be cured, but if it can, please let me know how I can do it.

My concern is that this is due to some sort of disease that could be passed on to the other ones. I just purchased a 10g tank to serve as my hospital just in case I need to remove him.

Please let me know your thoughts! I truly appreciate the help!

 

[Mokujin22]

For eye injuries, I usually put the fish in a 10g with some Melafix. Eye injuries are generally pretty hit or miss to treat successfully.

 

[bermudezaa]

Sounds like great advice. He's been feeding great, he's actually one of the fastest (and more accurate) eaters.

However, I do not want it to be a problem in the future. So I shall prepare my 10g hospital for him/her. His/her current size is about 5". Will the 10g be enough or should I invest in a 20g?


Thanks for your help!

 

[Mokujin22]

Well a bigger tank is always better, but not totally necessary imo.

I'll put a fish that size in a 10 if it's only for a week or less. Make sure it has some substrate on the bottom and a nice cave for the fish to hide out in. If possible, cover two or more sides of the tank with paper to give him more of a sense of security. No need to light the tank; ambient room lighting for inspection should be fine.

A bit of salt and a slightly elevated temp may also do him some good.

Good luck.

 

[bermudezaa]

Awesome.

Thanks.