Hole in the Head

[phishphace]

Two of my fish have HITH disease. I raised the temps to 94, but the holes seem to have gotten bigger. I've tested the water and parameters are fine. I make my own food with beef heart, krill, dried flakes, shrimp, and liquid vitamins, and all fish are eating -- so I don't think the problem is poor nutrition. Can anyone advise as to what I should do? Years ago, one of my fish came down with intestinal parasites and I tried Metronidazole, but it didn't help and I ended up losing a couple fish over the course of six months. These fish don't have any signs of intestinal parasites, but the way they look makes me think it's just a matter of time before I lose them.


If anyone has beaten this kind of thing, I'd love for you to tell me how you did it.

Thanks!
Beth

[Jason]

hi Beth,

I had this problem too with some wilds I inherited. The fish seemed ok but the holes just got bigger and bigger.

I treat with 12 days of metro and bifuran, gave the fish 5 days rest, then 12 days of metro again with oxytetracycline(ran out of furan). Now the wounds are starting to heal and close over. I might also add that the fish are in harder water now too, you could also try raising the hardness as uptake of some minerals like calcium is more efficient across the gill membranes.

[brewmaster15]

HI Beth,

Can you post some pics.? tell us about your tank maintenance and parameters?

Generally, I would start with a week to 10days of metro..theres alot written on this ailment that indicates a relationship with flagellates..I don't know how much I buy into it all...but a course of metro won't hurt and may help.. get the temp to about 86 F..some swear by heat with metro..I never use it and the meds work fine , IMO.

the dose I use always....250-500 mg/10 gal. dose daily...50% water changes before dosing.


If the holes are very bad swabbing with peroxide can help healing ,IME.

After a treatment of metro for 7-10 days... then follow up with 10-days maracyn 2....It should take care of any secondary bacterial infection which seems to be present incases of hole in the head..

I've used this method successfully many times to treat some nasty HITH.

hth,al

[brewmaster15]

AS an add on to Jasons post... Bifuran or Oxytetracycline is a good substitute for the maracyn 2 I recommended.:)

-al

[phishphace]

Thanks, guys. Where did you get the Metro, oxytetracycline and bifuran? Maracyn 2 is commonly available, but I've never used the other meds you mentioned (luckily never had to!).

Also, do you dilute the peroxide?

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
Jehmco.com for the meds,
and the peroxide is just the over the counter one at drug stores....just dap it on with a q-tip, avoid the eyes and gills.

hth,
al

[AmberC]

do you have a carbon in your filter? Some say this will cause it, others say it wont. I believe it does.

I never use meds for HITH. HITH is a symptom not a disease and unless its hex does not need meds imo. Just good clean water and lots of it. Try upping your water changes and see what happens :)

Amber

[phishphace]

I've read it could be carbon too, but apparently this theory hasn't stood up to testing (one has to wonder how much testing is done on such a thing, though).

Water parameters are great -- ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all at 0. Ph is 7.0. I have a 90 gallon tank with only five medium sized fish in it, so I wouldn't expect there to be any problems with the water. Now, in the last couple of months, I've been coping with severe bursitis in my knee, so I haven't been keeping up with much of anything, much less tank maintenance. Having said that, water changes are more like every 8 days (when I can get my husband to lug the buckets of water), rather than twice a week like I used to do. So, not the greatest, but obviously not enough to cause a problem with the parameters.

I did order the Metro, but I have to say, Amber has a point; my fish are still eating fine, and their poop is normal, so it doesn't look like Hexamita.

In any case, I'm definitely going to up the water changes -- hopefully that will do it.

[brewmaster15]

Hi Beth,
What have been your water changes up to this point? can you post a few Pictures?

-al

[Jason]

do you have a carbon in your filter? Some say this will cause it, others say it wont. I believe it does.

I never use meds for HITH. HITH is a symptom not a disease and unless its hex does not need meds imo. Just good clean water and lots of it. Try upping your water changes and see what happens :)

Amber

Hi Amber,

yes hith is a symptom, its a symptom of a calcium, phosphorus, or vitamin D deficiency. If these elements are not absent from the diet or enviroment, then the next plausible cause is these nutrients are being removed from the food in the intestine or the resorptive ability of the intestinal mucus membrane has been comprimised by an epizootic flagellate infestation. This can happen without the tell-tale white poop or dark corner facing behaviour often thought of as classice hex symptoms.

Beth hope your knee gets better!

[AmberC]

Hi Jason,

HITH is a symptom of multiple things. Its an indication that something is wrong and narrowing down to what it is is the key yes. Vitamin Deficiency is not the only cause tho.

Poor water conditions, diet, hex, stress... all of these things together or by themselves can cause HITH.

I have seen people who feed their fish the best of foods, will still get hith at times. If left untreated and the cause not found, it can lead to hex and/or other diseases.

The best way I have found to get rid of the holes quickly, is to do daily 50% + water changes for a couple of weeks. The holes disappear.

HITH in itself is not a big deal at all. Just know what causes it. In most cases, water is the cause.

HTH
Amber

[Jason]

great info Amber thanks for sharing!