# Anyone ever kept a blind fish?



## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

I have a Blue Dempsey that had an accident in my 90 Gal. He damaged his eye and the other fish started picking at him pretty severely. I pulled him out very quickly but the damage was done. He has completely lost one eye. The other looks fine but I can tell from his actions that he is completely blind.

I've setup a cave with a large piece of slate on top. I drop food in so that it lands on the slate so it's easier for him to find. He seems to be doing fine. I have him in a 20 Gal for now. He's about 3" now. Obviously the 20 Gal is not going to be big enough for him long term. I have a 33 Gal planted tank I could put him in once he's bigger. Even that is not really big enough but it may do.

I'm just wondering how he would adjust to the new tank? Anyone done this before?

Here are a couple vids of him I took last night.

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f223/MacFish/Fish Pics/EBJD/?action=view&current=Blind_EBJD.flv

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f223/MacFish/Fish Pics/EBJD/?action=view&current=Blind_EBJD_2.flv


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

I can't really advise you, but I have to congratulate you on trying to care for it. It's more than most people would do.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

I have a blind goldfish that a lfs sucked both of it eyes out with a python, I took him home because no one else was going to take the poor thing and he was getting picked on. He is set up in a 20 gallon barebottom, this way he didn't have to work to find his food. I put a terracotta dish on the bottom of the tank and used a long piece of plastic tubing to put drop the pellets onto the dish so the food is always in the same spot. Make sure there are no jagged ornaments in the tank that it can hurt itself on in case it gets startled and dashes around the tank and you should be fine.


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

Ooops, just noticed I put this in the wrong forum. It's fixed now. 

Anyway, of my 4 juvies, this one was my favorite right from the start. Sucks this happened to him 

I wish I had an extra 65 Gal around I could use for him but I don't see that happening. If I use my 33 Gal, I can't do bare bottom as it is heavily planted. I really don't want to rip all the plants out. 

My other 2 options are euthanize or re-home. Either option I'm not crazy about. Other than his sight, he is a perfectly healthy fish so putting him down is not something I want to consider. Giving him away, I'm on the fence about. He would have to go to someone that I could feel would do what I'm doing so he is able to live a good life. I'd hate to give him to someone that decided to put other cichlids with him and he got killed. 

Problem is, long term, I'm not sure I'd be able to provide what he needs either. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing for now and if he outgrows my tanks, I'll have to make a decision then.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

i think he is wonderful....... I wish i had the room.. 

For impared fish, when i would feed i would usually just tap the tank ever so slightly...usually me talking would get thier attention too.

He still has his other eye. He'll be just fine

You took home those fish too eh Kat...


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

His other eye looks fine but I can tell he's completely blind. He swims around
and bumps into the fake plants. When I drop food in, he smells his way over to the slate table I made for him and feels with his pelvic fins to find out where the pellets are. 

Maybe there is swelling inside the eye and if it decreases he may get some vision back but I am not holding my breath.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

One of my sawbwa resplendens is half blind.

It's pretty fortunate because the rest of the school don't pick on him and let him swim along in the school.

He has to swim around in circles to be able to see his complente surroundings.

Also he sleeps sideways... very amusing.

It's great you're taking care of your blind fish. It will still do well as fish have excellent sense of smell and awareness of their surroundings even without vision. You can compare them to cory cats in terms of food... takes them a while to figure out where the food is but they find it eventually.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Ciddian said:


> You took home those fish too eh Kat...


The minute I walked into Big Al's they bagged him and handed him to me LOL. Then gave me the sob story of being picked on, the eye trauma. I'm a sucker I tell ya.


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