charliek
New Member
Hi all - I have a male Blue Acara, approx 11 months old, 5" nose to caudal peduncle, very active, feeds well, same tankmates (another acara, and some lemon tetra) since setup.
Yesterday was listless and sullen, didn't rise for food. Today, listless, sullen, not feeding, unbalanced, and seems to be seeking shelter. Video at end of post.
No signs of scales lifting, no signs of fungal patches or visible hitchhikers.
I'm wondering if it's hole-in-head, because a week or two ago this fish had a visible lesion on its forehead. At the time, I took to being because he's a playful chonk and may have bumped into some decoration. The lesion healed within days without intervention. I'd not heard of hole in the head then, or may have paid more attention.
No obvious lesions on head or lateral line today, but difficult to be sure - I'm not at home, the fish is hiding, and my wife isn't a fish person
180 litre tank including sump. Water parameters: undetectable ammonia or nitrite, nitrate between 10-20ppm. dGH 5, pH 7. Quality liquid tests. Numbers stable over time. Stock: 2 acara, 10 lemon tetra, 1 juvenile bristlenose ancistrus, two nerite snails, and a couple of shrimp with suicidal filter-sock tendancies. Sump full of alfagrog, running active carbon (also HTIH significant).
I've ordered some Waterlife Octozin and API Melafix (I'm UK based), and talked my wife through setting up a 20ltr bucket for isolation/treatment when I get home tomorrow. She's not confident to catch and isolate the fish alone.
Questions - is HITH my most likely diagnosis? Should I treat the tank with Octo, or isolate and treat in bucket: if I missed HITH last week, I'm assuming there's already Hexamita in the tank and the other Acara, at least, likely affected too? Can I wait until tomorrow (at this point it's possible wife is as stressed as fish)? Should I be trying other diagnosis first?
Thanks!
Charlie
Yesterday was listless and sullen, didn't rise for food. Today, listless, sullen, not feeding, unbalanced, and seems to be seeking shelter. Video at end of post.
No signs of scales lifting, no signs of fungal patches or visible hitchhikers.
I'm wondering if it's hole-in-head, because a week or two ago this fish had a visible lesion on its forehead. At the time, I took to being because he's a playful chonk and may have bumped into some decoration. The lesion healed within days without intervention. I'd not heard of hole in the head then, or may have paid more attention.
No obvious lesions on head or lateral line today, but difficult to be sure - I'm not at home, the fish is hiding, and my wife isn't a fish person
180 litre tank including sump. Water parameters: undetectable ammonia or nitrite, nitrate between 10-20ppm. dGH 5, pH 7. Quality liquid tests. Numbers stable over time. Stock: 2 acara, 10 lemon tetra, 1 juvenile bristlenose ancistrus, two nerite snails, and a couple of shrimp with suicidal filter-sock tendancies. Sump full of alfagrog, running active carbon (also HTIH significant).
I've ordered some Waterlife Octozin and API Melafix (I'm UK based), and talked my wife through setting up a 20ltr bucket for isolation/treatment when I get home tomorrow. She's not confident to catch and isolate the fish alone.
Questions - is HITH my most likely diagnosis? Should I treat the tank with Octo, or isolate and treat in bucket: if I missed HITH last week, I'm assuming there's already Hexamita in the tank and the other Acara, at least, likely affected too? Can I wait until tomorrow (at this point it's possible wife is as stressed as fish)? Should I be trying other diagnosis first?
Thanks!
Charlie
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