Hap with bulging cloudy eye

[a1154]

I have just noticed a hap with a nasty looking eye. It’s bulging and cloudy. He’s not looking great, fins slightly tatty, but his behaviour is fine, he’s milling around waiting for food.
I have some photos on my phone, but for some reason they take some time to arrive on this iPad (go up to the cloud or something).

[a1154]

Here we go….

[Martinspuddle]

Infection of some sort, can you post aquarium specs and water parameters.

@black ghost probably best to answer with Cichlids.

[a1154]

Oh I just did a big water change this morning, that’s when I noticed him, so I’d expect them to be perfect.

Aquarium specs would be? The size of the tank? It’s a 5ft.

[fr499y]

water params ( Hardness, PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings ) filter size etc.

Could be bullying as cichlids are great at doing that or ran into a rock trying to escape lol

[black ghost]

How long have you had the fish?
Did you dechlorinate the water change?
Does it get chased?

Chlorine, physical damage, poor water quality that allows bacterial of fungal infection, and pH crash, are the commonest causes of sudden cloudiness. Eye flukes usually only affect the pupil.

What are the water parameters?

[a1154]

Only about 3 weeks, so he’s quite new.
Yes. Although….something worries me here. Since moving house, when I add water to the tank it looks white, briefly.
No. Never seen him get chased.
Water info to follow.

[a1154]

I’m not registering any ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates is 25. PH is 7.2.
Prior to moving I had non chlorinated though I did still use the conditioner. I wonder if I have super chlorinated water here.

[black ghost]

What’s the GH? You need hard water for Malawis... a GH of at least 10, preferably more, and a pH of about 8-9. With a pH at 7.2 I suspect the water is way too soft for them.

What dechlorinator did you use?

[a1154]

Fluval aqua +.
It’s softer since moving boo hoo.
I’m confused over the GH reading as it’s 250. It’s a different scale to the 10 you are after maybe.