The Puffer Forum

Hi All,
A while ago, my stars got bitten across the eye at feeding time. There was no open wound but the eye was kinda squished. Unfortunately he does appear to be blind in that eye but he has what looks like a blob of oil in it. Any ideas on whether there is anything i can do to help it at all.
This is what it looks like.

If you have a hosptial tank you can move him too you can try treating with melfix marine.

will melafix work with the injury being inside the eye?

Yes, Example: If I'm right, when a puffer has a popeye there is usually fluid build up behind the eye. Melafix works on that.
It should work on his eye also.

Thank you edmlfc1 i will go and set up another tank for him, i put some melafix in when it first happened but will teat him on his own with it again.
Do you know the difference between the melafix and melafix marine?

No sorry I don't. I just know they make one for marine.

Actually it won't, I'm pretty sure. The eye is a sealed globe (actually multi chambered) with specific inflow and outflow tracts for pressure regulation, so outside fluid will not get get in there to treat the issue. Honestly, what I think you are seeing is the front chamber, in front of the lens that contains a thick protective fluid. That area is the area that was damaged and I'm thinking what you see is some of the fluid that has thickened to an oil like consistency or you are seeing the actual lens that has become detached and is free floating. Either one would explain what I see in the picture and really shouldn't be uncomfortable for him now. You can try the melafix but I really don't think it's going to do much, but I do like to be proven wrong.....

Thank you Dadof4 i will try melfaix in a hope to prove you wrong, but thank you for your information on the eye, would the damage you see also account for his blindness in the eye, or could he possibly still see out of it but with limited vision maybe?

edmlfc1 wrote:No sorry I don't. I just know they make one for marine.

I didn't know that! It's a good thing too, because the FW kind really bubbles up the surface, in SW. You certainly can't use a skimmer with it, as it would overflow with foam.

Here's what it says:

MelaFix Marine
A safe, all-natural way to treat bacterial infections in saltwater fish and corals. Use to treat open, red sores and wounds, fin and tail rot, eye cloud, pop eye, body slime and mouth fungus on fish. MelaFix Marine is also used in commercial coral farms to control bacterial infections, tissue degradation and for the removal of parasitic flatworms in wild corals. MelaFix Marine can be used in all marine aquariums and has been tested and found to be safe in reef aquariums containing invertebrates, such as live corals and anemones. Treating with MelaFix Marine will not harm the biological filter in saltwater aquariums.

Thanks for the info will get some tomorrow! i feel a day of fish stores comming on, they are my favorite type of days!

Pufferpunk wrote:

edmlfc1 wrote:No sorry I don't. I just know they make one for marine.

I didn't know that! It's a good thing too, because the FW kind really bubbles up the surface, in SW. You certainly can't use a skimmer with it, as it would overflow with foam.

The marine version still sends the skimmer loopy... it seems to be ok after a few hours though... mind you, i'm melafixing in hypo so that means the skimmer has limited power...

maybe at full salinity the skimmer would still go nuts with the melafix permanently... ?

How did your puffer get bitten, who bit him?

He and my large Reticluaris wert for the same piece of mussel and he got bit across the eye, it didn't break the skin or eye but made a really nasty dent in his head!
Here is a pic of the offending puffer. (cant find a non puffed pic)
The stars now only hand feeds due to the lack of vision on that side.

My ceylon has exactly the same thing. A blob in the eye, I recognized it on the picture. Never knew how she got it, but before she was living with an other ceylon and got into a fight.
She's acting blind, I treaded her with melafix, unfortunately it dind't work out.
Think you just have to accept the puffer is blind.

I dont mind if he is blind, just wondered if there was anything i could do to make him better!