ill bala shark

Question
Hi Karen..
           I have a 2year old bala shark about 8 inches long in a 72 gallon tank. Recently his eyes have clouded over and it looks sort of "cataract" like. Also histail and dorsal fin have become ragged, and have a whitish edge to them. He has 2 other shark friends about the same size and age, as well as various other tank mates who all seem to get along well. This is an established tank and no new fish have been added recently, and no other fish are sick. Despite the way he looks, he is lively and acts normal. Any ideas about his condition and/or how to treat it would be appreciated.
             Thanks for your help...
                                     Charlie

Answer
Hi Charlie,
It sounds to me from what you described that your Bala Shark may have a bacterial infection. Or he may be just be showing symptoms of bad water quality. The first best thing to do is to rule out any possible bad water conditions. If you can, test his water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Make sure all are within the acceptable levels. Ammonia and nitrite should be ZERO and nitrate 20 or less.

Bacterial infections often usually come from poor water conditions or a tank that's not cleaned enough so keep that in mind. The first thing I'd do if this were my aquarium is to start doing at least 30% better yet 50% water changes on your tank every to every other day if you can manage it. Knowing your water parameters is always really good to give us more a take on whats going on with the aquarium.

Water changes alone and clean water may be enough to get him over his condition. But he may need medication. If the water changes dont help and he seems to be stressed or rapidly getting worse then I'd seperate him into a hospital tank. And treat him with an antibiotic such as  Maracyn-Two. Plus plenty of water changes.

Best of luck with the big fella! I really hope he gets better.
Karen~