A question about redtail catfish

Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic

Jack Dempsey
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Jul 24, 2024
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A local fish store owner just gave me a blind redtail catfish today. It looks likes other fish peck and ate both of its eyeballs. So he gave me for free. I don't know what to do. Will it survive? For now, it's swimming normally, just like any other normal redtail catfish, except the fact that it doesn't have eye.
 

AR1

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2023
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A local fish store owner just gave me a blind redtail catfish today. It looks likes other fish peck and ate both of its eyeballs. So he gave me for free. I don't know what to do. Will it survive? For now, it's swimming normally, just like any other normal redtail catfish, except the fact that it doesn't have eye.
It will survive. RTCs have poor eyesight since they are nocturnal predators, and mostly depend on their barbels to move/swim around, hunt, sense food, and eat. I have seen many survive perfectly fine without eyes.
 

Fishman Dave

Potamotrygon
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Nov 14, 2015
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Worth noting that it may still be able to sense shadows even though it has had its eyes removed so do not assume you won’t keep it the same way in a lit aquarium. Of course, it will use other senses anyway but what you may find is a fish much more active in the daylight. Albeit rtc are generally quite a daytime active cat in the first place.
 
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