Black skirt tetra has cloudy eyes.

[PUMPKY90]

One of my black skirt tetra has cloudy eyes. He seems to be swimming in the school and eating fine. Is this something I need to worry about?

 

[Andy Sager]

The picture is not very clear but yes, a cloudy eye is something to be concerned about. It can be a sign of infection, injury or attack. If the eye does not clear in the next 24-48 hours or gets worse in that time, the fish will need to be treated in a separate hospital tank with an antibiotic. Which antibiotic will depend on your water chemistry.

 

[Enchantress]

It may just be the picture quality, but his fins don't look quite right either - their edges seem whitish and a bit uneven, which could signify the beginnings of fin rot. That in combination with the eye makes me think something has compromised his immune system. Are you able to test the water? And how are the other fish doing?

 

[PUMPKY90]

It may just be the picture quality, but his fins don't look quite right either - their edges seem whitish and a bit uneven, which could signify the beginnings of fin rot. That in combination with the eye makes me think something has compromised his immune system. Are you able to test the water? And how are the other fish doing?

The water tested good. The fish is new I didn't notice the problem until the other day.

 

[Andy Sager]

The water tested good. The fish is new I didn't notice the problem until the other day.

How new is new?

 

[Enchantress]

How new is new?

And what exactly does 'tested good' mean...?

 

[PUMPKY90]

And what exactly does 'tested good' mean...?

The eye cleared up.

 

[Andy Sager]

And what is the condition of the eye now?
And just so you know, fish can lose that outer lens of the eye to infection and still be okay. They just can't see out of it as they normally would so you want to be able to see if the lens is still there by looking down on the fish from above.

 

[PUMPKY90]

The eye seems to look like the eyes of the fish. He schools with the other tetras so I'm assuming he can see. He eats normally.

 

[Andy Sager]

The eye seems to look like the eyes of the fish. He schools with the other tetras so I'm assuming he can see. He eats normally.

Ok. Good to hear. Fish can do amazing things if they have clean water.

 

[PUMPKY90]

This is my tank. 29 gallon. Water looks crystal clear to me.

 

[Andy Sager]

This is my tank. 29 gallon. Water looks crystal clear to me.

Here's the thing about "clean " water. Water looks the same when it is high in ammonia, high in nitrite, nitrates, phosphates and some pollutants as it does when there are none of these present. So to say a water looks clear is not really saying anything. "Clean" water means water with no extras like Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc. This is where test kits come in. They can tell you just how clean the water really is. Keep in mind that water companies put chemicals in the water sanitize it because even tho it looks clear, it's not clean. Just sayin'

 

[PUMPKY90]

Here's the thing about "clean " water. Water looks the same when it is high in ammonia, high in nitrite, nitrates, phosphates and some pollutants as it does when there are none of these present. So to say a water looks clear is not really saying anything. "Clean" water means water with no extras like Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc. This is where test kits come in. They can tell you just how clean the water really is. Keep in mind that water companies put chemicals in the water sanitize it because even tho it looks clear, it's not clean. Just sayin'

I have test strips and a soluble tube to test for ammonia. All the tests look good. No ammonia , no nitrites . I been using seachem pristine.

 

[Andy Sager]

I have test strips and a soluble tube to test for ammonia. All the tests look good. No ammonia , no nitrites . I been using seachem pristine.

There are a lot of arguments pro and con for test strips but just be aware that test strips have a strict storage requirement to keep them accurate just as liquid test reagents have an expiration date that after that date, the results will not be accurate.

The Pristine is a new item to me so I did a little digging of reviews for it and this is what really caught my eye: " but it's not a "miracle cure" and requires consistent dosing for best results, often alongside regular tank upkeep. " This means you still need to do regular tank maintenance to which means you are probably spending money on a product you don't really need. Regular water changes should produce the same results.
Just sayin'