[Frigid Blue]

My 6 inch Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania male injured his left eye in a fight with my Copadichromis Chrysonotus male last week, and I was wondering if this will affect the chances of dominance and breeding in my tank. Even though it hasn't popped yet, his retina looks cloudy and grey. He is still eating, but he is no where near as dominant as he previously was. When should I expect him to fully recover? His fins are perfect, so I assume he isn't a victim of aggression, although he has been really skittish lately...

 

[DanniGirl]

Depending on the severity of the wound, it could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Since it's been a week, I suspect he has a bacterial infection in that eye. Typically, eye injuries/scrapes heal within a few days.

If I were you, I would place him into a quarantine tank with clean water. He won't be stressed and the eye will heal faster. -Give it a few days and if no improvement, I would begin medicating for a bacterial infection.

He may be dominant again but it sounds like the Copadichromis has the upper hand.

This is all my opinion so hopefully others will chime in.

How large of a tank do you have?

 

[Frigid Blue]

He is in a 135 gallon tank at the moment. I did have a Labidochromis Caeuleus hybrid that has lost its eye in the past, but it actually popped... looked kind of gross :? I can't really move him to the quarantine tank because I have some new fish in there at the moment, so maybe I'll try a water change this weekend. What medication do you recommend, just in case? Would something like Stress-Coat work? If possible, I want something that I can put in my main tank without harming my fry while boosting his immune system. Thanks :thumb: