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So I originally bought a group of 12 a few years ago. I didn't notice any without eyes but then I didn't really ever look specifically for that I guess.

About a year after I got them and they had bred and made fry many times I noticed one adult with no eyes. I was very concerned but she was a big female, continually breeding and being fine so I didn't think much of it. Just figured ahe had come from store like that.

I have been seeing some more adults with no eyes tho now. And I have been paying good attention now. babies all have eyes. teenagers all have eyes. Some adults do not now. and more then one and maybe 3 or 4. definitely 3.

So what is happening? They are in with L066 and clown pl*cos. some penguin tetras. I split the sterbai group between two 75s running due to the amount of fry they produce. And I purposely put the no eyed one back to the original first tank when I saw I had moved her so she wouldn't have a hard time getting around, and now one in the other tank has no eyes! Maybe it's just the two and i think its more due to their jammin all over?

Should I be concerned of an unknown eye losing disease? I have had no deaths of fish in either tank. Is it the penguins? Or just random or a birth defect or just two of the originals that have no eyes.

both tanks are cycled , well past cycle. A 0 NI 0 NA <5 ppm. The L066 tank is warmer then the other one. Sand bottom, driftwood plants caves etc ,varied diet etc.

Do you see empty eye sockets or has some type of bacterial infection occurred? I know of cases where Corys have been kept with Apisto's and have had their eyes picked at, especially if the Apisto's were trying to spawn.

Mark

No holes or anything. Just no eyes. Complete sterbai Cory design all over no bare patch where eyes are just design.
I guess maybe I got some in the original batch that were just eyeless and didn't notice? Altho originally when I first got them the were in a female betta sorority. Maybe it happenned there? I never saw any agression? No one seems sick?

Clown loaches have been known to use their "eye-spine" as a weapon - and it's possible that they just catch the eyes of the corys with that, if they get in a "fight" over food - and my C. sterbai are happy about their food, to say the least. Of course, I'm not saying IT IS this cause - just a thought.

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Mats

A friend of mine has a group of sterbai. Over time some lost their eyes but what was fascinating was over time the sockets closed over and even had pattern on them!!

yes, that's how mine are. pattern where eye should be, no sense of ever having a eye socket there.

I just have no idea, I do not think I have any fish that would do that to them. And I do observe them all the time, altho I am not sure if they all had eyes originally. I guess I will not worry about it.

Just thought you all would know if some unknown disease causes this or if s natural to have some eyeless ones.

they eat swim and breed so who knows, also my pandas have finally produced offspring. found the babies in the canister filter today and they were quite content there.

Mats, I have no clown loaches.

they were first with female bettas, then with L066 and clown pl*cos, now half of the colony is with my syno lucis and L270 and pandas

Doh, must have read "Clown pleco" and got "Clown loach" in my head...

As to "natural to have no eyes", I would have thought that such a defect would be rather rare as a genetic defect - sure, I've had fish loose their eyes for one reason or another.

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Mats

K thanks, just wanted to make sure it wasn't a husbandry issue. I mean if i'm doing something wrong you know? if i needed to medicate or something.

It probably is SOME sort of husbandry issue, in the sense that it's not NORMAL for eyes to disappear- it's either caused by some sort of infection (bacterial or fungus) or another fish attacking it. But barring isolating the remaining C. sterbai and checking for eye problems, I don't know what can be suggested.

I wouldn't medicate unless there is a distinct illness that is known what it is.

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Mats

k i am watching them more closely to see if i can tell if it's just two or what.

Just two adults, so hopefully two of the original 12 just randomly didnt have eyes. So many babies all over. Gonna have to collect them up and sell them soon.

thanks you guys.