Partially Blind Discus?

[mlw]

I purchased my first group of five discus on November 25. There were three big ones and two smaller ones. The smallest of the bunch look starved, thin body pinched forehead. I thought maybe he had worms although poop look dark and it showed interest in food.

Treated with both metro (food) and prazi (water)

Since I have been watching this fish it appears he can't see very well. Each time it goes for food it misses. I am thinking that he may have a problem with his vision and is missing the food because he can't see it not because he is sick. Any suggestions? Thought about moving him to another tank just to get him fattened up so he doesn't have to compete with the others but eventually he will get skinny agan when reintroduced to the display tank. Hoping if I can get him bigger he will be a little more aggressive even if he can't see well.

[philip69285]

A guy I knew had a totally blind hippo tang that did just fine even tho she was blind. He just hand fed her thats all or maybe stick the foods to the side of the glass some how. Thats about all you can do if the discus is truely blind or even partial which is possible :).

[mlw]

First thing I saw was hippo I thought I was being flamed. lol I have been dispersing the food with a pippette. May try to get him to eat from pippette then train to hand feed. I also have a worm feeder that I used to use might try that. Poor little skinny blind thing.

[Jhhnn]

One of my blue scorps has similar issues. I've seen it called myopia, although I'm not sure it's really extreme near sightedness or some sort of eye/mouth coordination issue. Not to the point of being skinny, just lagged behind on growth. It does get its share when I feed chunks of frozen food that are big enough to not be missed- fbw, fbs, mysis, seafood mix, Carol's beefheart... rips right into the stuff along with everybody else... Once the big chunk breaks up, it has a tough time getting bite sized bits off the bottom.

[Wahter]

I've had a few discus which have had vision problems do okay - a couple of red turquoise figured out to wait in the filter's outflow current during feeding time and the food would flow into their face. One blue diamond was fed from a feeding cone and that was large enough that it was able to survive. Other times, unfortunately the fish just don't make it.



Walter

[migetguy]

haha Wahter my cobalt does that to when i feed flakes

[akumastew]

My female red turq has a problem. She is getting better at hitting her food as it floats passed.

As it is only her and he patner in the tank it is not much of an issue as she can find what she needs over 15 minutes without the chance of the food being gone.

- Stew

[mlw]

seems to be doing better. I have gotten her to pick food form a pipette and got a belly swell all three feedings so hopefully she will make it. I call the fish she and named it Dory cause it looks like the fish from finding Nemo.

this is her to the left. Major pinched forehead, MAJOR skinny.

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/8238/2550395970101580664S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2550395970101580664Bqigbt)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PuZoLkvmBbc/Sf9mZZUffVI/AAAAAAAADag/5e-hf8H1DyU/s320/Dory.jpg