The Puffer Forum

I know it is not a puffer but hopefully someone will have some experience.

Here is the short form:
Sat, bought a new pleco. It went into my QT tank with other members that were just on the mend and almost ready to be transfered to their new home. I thought it may have been a little ill from the LFS so I treated the tank with 1/2 doses of Melafix, Pimafix and 1/4 dose of Paraguard.
That was mistake #1
Within 12 hours the pleco was dead. Neon tetra was dead, molly was dead, and 2 Angel fish were sick (one large and one small)
The fish, and driftwood were covered in slime (see photos one and 2). The tank turned milky white similar to several at the LFS.
At this point, I did a water test and the ammonia was off the scale at 9.99. I did water change (80%) and the ammonia was still 9.99. I did a 2nd 80% water change and still 9.99 although the the tank was no longer milky white. I rinsed out the filter and added carbon at that point and called it a day.

The larger angel passed this morning and the smaller one survives but is blind.
Today, I tested and the ammonia was still off the charts at 9.99.
Nitrate .01 and under
Nitrite .02 and under
I did another 80% water change.
Latest Ammonia result 7.94

I don't mind doing the water changes 2x daily although they are spaced shortly in between.

Is there any chance the surviving Angel will regain its eyesight? Feeding is difficult at best as it just wanders around aimlessly.

1st of all, get that fungusy wood out of there. Something has crashed that system. I know you have multiple tanks--can't you use filter media from somewhere else?

Make sure you got all the dead fish out, check your filter too.

Then big water change, use media from another tank and keep doing big changes, and hope for the best. Watch for any bacterial or fungal infection though.

The drift wood was taken out the day all this happened (Sunday). And I had it re-boiled and it is not in use at the moment. All fish dead fish and decorations have also been removed.

I came home today with 3 new filters. 2x AC 50 HOBs and 1 70 AC HOB. I didn't have a spare filter available (thank you PP because in my panic I forgot about that), but I do have a large media sock with lots of media in it that I will transfer over from the main tank after I do this next water change and swap out the filter.

The stats before the water change:
Ammonia 1.76
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <.2

I am happy that the drop has been that large in such a short period of time.

Upon thinking about the events surrounding this my second was that I was impatient and dumped the water in with the fish.
Mistake # 3 might have been to use a "preventative" thinking that very low doses wouldn't hurt (melafix, pimafix, paradose).
Mistake # 4 not realizing that I should have had an EMPTY tank available for the new purchase (boy, do I feel like an idiot for that one).

took another ammonia test today .. with the 2nd filter and the media sock in there (I didn't remove the origional as planned because of the drastic ammonia drop), I got a reading of .78

Going down and going down quickly.

I don't think the fish is totally blind. It can not see the food but it can distinguish light and dark. One eye is clouded over but not opaque. The other is very slightly cloudy.

I will try Nori strips soon. I tried feeding it today and it seemed it could "smell" the food but not actually find it.

Just finished another 80% water change.

What about Epsom salts? Good bad indifferent? I understand that is a defense against popeye.

I made it!!

I fed it a little today and it ate!! I am still not certain if it is using the contrast (dark / light) to determine the food or full sight but it ate!

A sigh of relief.

Yippee, J-P the fish healer!

Glad to hear there was a positive response! Even if it was a light/dark determination, that means it saw what was in front of its face - improvement at any rate!

Bigger bonus!! It greeted me at the tank wall today and when I dropped in the food it went straight for it
One eye is perfectly clear and the other is still slightly cloudy on the bottom half.

And just when I thought everything was going well...

The little bugger for some reason got stuck in the media sock I put in there for the emergency cycle.
It came out alive but completely traumatized and is floating on the surface almost sideways.

I was doing my feeding rounds and didn't find the guy. I thought it had jumped the tank. I went to change the sock and lo and behold.. there it was. I have no idea how many hours it was in there. Under 12 but if it survives this, I will nominate it for saint-hood. This would be the second miracle and I understand the third is a card trick.

Awww... poor fella just can't get a break!