Plecostomus ?cataract?

Question
Hi, I have two 4.5 year old plecostomus' sharing a tank with a variety of other freshwater fish. Today I have noticed one of my plecostomus has a problem with one eye, it looks covered in an almost white 'film' which is still slightly translucent and I can still see his eye (plus pupil etc) underneath the film. It look s quite like a cataract. He is also bliking more often than usual. The affected eye does not seem obviously swollen and I haven't seen any blood or discharge. His other eye seems fine, and the other plec and all other fish seem fine and normal. I was wondering if you have any idea what this could be and if it should be anything to worry about or anything that can be treated? Any help or info will be much appreciated.

Many thanks for you help,

Liz

Answer
Hi Liz,

This could be a case of Cloudy Eye. However armoured catfish very rarely fall ill and I'd expect your other fish to have fallen victim before your Plec. A 4.5 year old Plec is a plec in it's prime so it's really really odd that he's the one thats been affected.

Cloudy Eye does exactly what it sounds like. It makes one or both the eyes cloudy. Affected fish may behave off-colour or they may behave completely as normal. Plecs in particular very rarely complain so it's likely yours has behaved completely normally. Many fish can be affected particularly Cyprinids (Goldfish, Koi, Barbs etc), Cichlids (Angelfish etc) and Livebearers (Mollies, guppies etc).

Cloudy Eye can have many causes and is often the on-set of other bacterium such as Oodinium and Cryptocarayon. Also look for signs of Fish Tuberculosis such as anorexia, loss of colour and skin defects. However, it is usually non-specific bacterial infections that are to blame.

Use a treatment containing an anti-bacterial compound such as phenoxyethanol or nifipurinol. Cloudy eye can be minimised by maintaining good water conditions and adding a little salt to the system.

Good Luck

Tom