Sick Severum

Question
Hi Lynda,
I wrote yesterday regarding my sick severum and you asked for additional information.  First I wanted to clarify something, the parents did stay with their fry, I got a few of the babies after they were several months old.

Tank Size 55 gallon
Nitrate: 30
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Alkalinity: 80
pH: 6.8

Their fins do not appear to be clamped.  The top fin (dorsal?) is laying flat, but does come up off and on.  But the side fins are not clamped.  Their fins don't appear to be ragged either.

When I spoke with my spouse this morning, he told me he noticed their eyes were a touch cloudy when he brought them home!  (ug! I didn't realize that)  He brought them home in a 1 gallon glass jar, and said after he caught them, he set the jar on the counter and the fish were very upset, swimming in a circle.  I assume they were under extreme stress at that point, could that be a contributing factor?

Ah, it just makes me so sad to see this little guy hanging out in a corner, all by itself, looking like it doesn't feel good, I watched it last night when I fed the tank.  This one didn't eat a speck, some even landed just above it's mouth and slid down and he acted like he was going to get it, he missed and didn't persue eating.  Could he be blind?  Is that possibly the reason he's not eating?

Thank you for your help.  I just hate the thought of anything suffering and I want to make my fishies happy!

Tracy

Answer
Hi Tracy,
Stress will make a fish sick, and is a reason why your fish is sick.  Other reasons for cloudy eye are poor water chemistry, but  this doesn't seem to be the case.  Vitamin A deficiency is also a reason, lack of oxygen, and overcrowded tanks.  You must treat him with a good antibiotic quickly, or he will lose his eye, and maybe both.  Buy Tetracycline, and follow the directions on the package.  Remove your carbon.  Do a water change before adding the medication, and do water changes every three days, and continue treatment.  I feel confident that it was the stress of being in a one gallon jar, and maybe the lack of oxygen while being in the jar.  When he gets better, vary his diet so that he gets all the vitamins he needs.  Buy good quality food, and give him peas once a week, and spinach to nibble on, as well as boston salade.  Severums should have veggies, they need this in their diet.
I hope he will recover.
Lynda