Hole In Head

[Soaup]

Can someone provide me with Hole in Head info?? I need some help my oscars may have it or are recovering from it, A link or some basic info would be great.

 

[juanveldez]

the low down on HITH is this. not going to cure it, but you can slow it down and or stop it from spreading. there are some medications out there that some people swear by like Metronidazole. but in the end there is one answer keep up on water changes and plenty of them.

 

[Soaup]

It Never goes away?? This is not what i was expecting. My oscars will have this forever and it will never heal even in the most ideal conditions??

 

[JackDemp528]

HITH is a very hard thing to treat. I had a Jack Dempsey, the one in my avatar that had it when I got him. I treated him for months and months and he just got worse and worse. Eventually I had to euthanize him. He was no longer eating or even swimming around much. It just wasn't fair to him.

 

[juanveldez]

no unfortuatly the pitting will remain like a big ugly scar. even in the most ideal conditions.

best you could hope for is to minimize the pitting.

 

[Synirr]

I had a Jack Dempsey, the one in my avatar that had it when I got him. I treated him for months and months and he just got worse and worse. Eventually I had to euthanize him. He was no longer eating or even swimming around much. It just wasn't fair to him.

Oh no, I didn't know that! I'm sorry to hear that, your JD was beautiful

I've got a slightly less grim outlook on HITH... my oscar had it for a while, and not only has it been cured (or at least sent into a long remission,) but most of the pitting in his head has healed up just great. Yes, it has scarred, but it honestly doesn't look that bad at all; the untrained eye would never know. It took months to heal up to this extent, though. The way I treated it was to remove all the carbon in the filter permanently, as I read carbon dust has been rumoured to contribute to the problem, do 40% water changes every-other day for two weeks, varied his diet with more veggies and earthworms and things, and dosed him with Melafix a couple of times. This prevented it from getting any worse, and from there I just went back to my regular 20% weekly water changes and waited for him to heal up

 

[Soaup]

I dont have much choice, Im gonna give that 40 percent change a wing, although im running a 125 gallon tank thats no easy task every other day. What kind of veggies did you feed him? I cant get earth worms here either its too cold out now... I much be out of luck on that any other suggestions?

 

[IMCL85]

Its better to treat this disease when they were just a small pit on the face. I have some severum have this kind of disease before I trade them to my LFS for Altum angel. And I have successfully cure them with jungle lab "Hole N Head Guard". Mostly when proper diet and water maintain is given this disease should never show up at all in large cichlid. I have a few discus that never seem to have this problem at all. Thats probably because water there is maintain superb at all time. So try to give him some food that is enrich in vitamin a-z and do alot of water change to keep water at obtimum level. Oscar is well known dirty fish so they need good filtration.

 

[timmystood]

Here is some info.
Don't know if this helps.

 

[Soaup]

Thanks everyone, Yes they are small and have just the other day been transferred into a 125 gallon tank from a 20 gallon which they were in for about 5 months, so im sure the HITH developed in the 20 gallon. They are both eating and look great but i couldnt help but noticing them. Im gonna try some medications and the frequent water changes, Any ideas on the Veggies for diet?

 

[WILDER]

http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html

 

[Soaup]

The last link has a theory about Carbon, If i remove the carbon from my filters, two aqua clear 110's is it a possibility that the heads will heal? Im aiming on getting these guys better and am willing to try anything, If i take the carbon out what should be put in its place, Foam block, Ammono Rid, and Another Foam block??

 

[Soaup]

What about Crayfish for a snack, Will they eat the crayfish?

 

[Synirr]

I dont have much choice, Im gonna give that 40 percent change a wing, although im running a 125 gallon tank thats no easy task every other day. What kind of veggies did you feed him? I cant get earth worms here either its too cold out now... I much be out of luck on that any other suggestions?

I just bought a bag of frozen mixed veggies and put them in a pot of nearly boiling water to thaw them (not boiling, as this will sap the nutrients out). There were peas, carrots, beans, and a few others things in the bag... the peas seemed to be his fave, and my bettas love them too. He doesn't like his veggies as much as his other foods though, so that has to be the only thing I feed them the day he gets them, otherwise he refuses to eat them. As for earthworms, you can buy containers of nightcrawlers at most sporting goods stores (as fish bait). I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in the US you can also get them in the sports section of Walmart. Yes, crayfish would be another option... anything to vary the diet, basically

Like I said, I removed the carbon from my filter when I noticed HITH in my oscar. I'm using a canister, so I just filled the carbon container with gravel instead, but filter floss would probably work just as well. You might need to watch the water parameters very carefully for a couple of weeks after removing the carbon to make sure your cycle can handle it.

 

[Soaup]

Ok great, the only thing i have ever fed them was the cichlid pelets and some goldies here and there. But anyways I will try some veggies worms and crayfish. I dont know about removing the carbon and what to do there after im worried that i might screw up the tank, If i stick with the carbon in the tank will all work out?