African Cichlid problem
Malawi Cichlid With Hole In The Head 6/19/09
You have a great site, I have learned a lot browsing through it.
<Thank yo for your kind words>
Please help me asap!
Background:
55 gallon tank
Inhabitants: One 6-7" female Fossorochromis Rostratus (6.5 years old),
Three
1-inch female Aulonocaras
Filtration: Eheim 2213 canister filter
Nitrates: 5 ppm right before water change
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia 0
pH: 7.5
Water Change Frequency: 40-50% twice a week Food: homemade from internet recipe and Hikari Marine A Temperature: 76 F Symptoms: All inhabitants healthy with absolutely no prior medical problems.
The Fossorochromis recently began showing minor symptoms of hole in the head disease, much to my dismay. I went through a round of Metro+ and added liquid vitamins to her food with no discernible improvement, but no worsening either. Yesterday noticed a reddened area and "pimple" near her mouth and her fins were down. Suspected bacterial infection of some kind.
As I hadn't had time to research the situation fully (gram positive or negative or something else entirely) and haven't had to use antibiotics of any kind in the last 6 years of this hobby, I added the only thing I had on hand, Pimafix. Yes, I am aware that is like giving herbal remedies to an MSRA patient, but I had nothing else and live an hour from the nearest pet store. This morning her fins are back to normal intermittently but she is breathing very hard. I added an air stone and am in the process of changing the water yet again to increase oxygen content. She appears to be breathing easier now, but not back to normal. I own nine freshwater aquariums and fortunately have never seen this before so I don't know what is going on.
All the rest of the inhabitants in her tank are just fine. Any ideas are welcome! Thank you for your time and suggestions. Rebecca
< There are ideas about the causes of hole in the head disease without any scientific evidence to back them up to my satisfaction, but you have eliminated some of the theoretical causes. Some people think it is bad water. This is not the case because you water conditions are fine and you are up on your water changes so it is not nitrogenous waste either. This comes down to diet. Usually food with fish meal contains enough calcium for fish to build their bones as they grow. Since you make your own fish food it is hard to tell if your food has enough calcium in it. Larger fish need more calcium to replenish the calcium needed to build their bones. Try Spectrum New Life pellet food for awhile and see if this makes any difference. I have never had a problem with HITH while using this food. If this works then in your situation we may have found a possible cause and cure.-Chuck>

Update on African Cichlid situation... hlth.
Malawi Cichlid With Hole In The Head 6/19/09
Thought I would add an update. After the massive water change, which rid the tank of Pimafix, the Fossorochromis in question returned to breathing and acting normally, so maybe her problem was due to that.
<Possibly>
I don't plan to use that product again.
<I would not>
However she still has the small raised red bump by her mouth and the beginning HITH situation.
<Likely best cured by providing ongoing optimized water quality and nutrition>
I will refrain from adding any more medication, herbal or otherwise, without strong recommendation.
Thanks
for your time.
Rebecca
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Re: African Cichlid problem
Cichlid With HITH 6/21/09
Thank you for your advice. The reddish sore resolved into another small HITH-like hole, but at least no infection. She is acting normally. I am purchasing Spectrum New Life pellet food online as I write this and implementing daily 25% water changes just in case. I will update you on the
results as soon as something changes. Thanks again. Rebecca
< Try to increase the calcium content of the water by adding some crushed coral to the filter. As it dissolves into the water it may be ingested by the fish.-Chuck>

Re: African Cichlid problem
Hole-In-The-Head Treatment 7/1/09
I purchased the recommended New Life Spectrum food. Until the food arrived, I added powdered calcium to the water and a little to her food as well as a big mesh bag of crushed coral. Since following your advice, one hole has gotten so small I have a hard time finding it, the other two don't seem to have changed too much yet (although all redness is gone), and no new holes are forming. She looks and acts normal and I have high hopes that she is recovering. Thank you for sharing your theory and giving a friend back to me! I will update again when something major occurs, such as (hopefully) her complete recovery. Rebecca
< Thank you so much for writing back. It is times like this that makes me glad that your question was asked and that all fellow aquarists and their pet cichlids might benefit from our WWM forum. Hopefully the recovery will continue and this disease will no longer become an issue.-Chuck>

Re: African Cichlid problem
Hole-In-The-Head Cured on African Cichlid – 10/3/09
I apologize for taking so long to get back to you and I want to thank you again for your advice. My female Fossorochromis has fully recovered and does not seem to be having any further issues with hole-in-the-head. I am feeding her (and all my African cichlids) New Life Spectrum food along with krill and small shrimp. Once a week I supplement her food with a little calcium and glucosamine (which is apparently derived from shellfish and shrimp shells). I have also added crushed coral to her canister filter media. Everything seems to be going well now and has been for the last few months. Thank you, Rebecca
< Glad to hear everything worked out OK.-Chuck>

Oscar With HITH  02/06/09 I have seen much info. on the site about treating HITH by medicating the food. I purchased General Cure (API) Brand which contains 250mg Metronidazole & 75mg Praziquantel per packet (box of 10). The directions say to treat the water, 1pkt/ 10 gal. He is in a 55 gal tank. I know if I put him in a smaller treatment tank he will be unhappy and fear he will go off food. Since my Oscar is eating well I would rather treat the food. Can this combination of meds be used in treating the food? If so, should I use the same dosage you have recommended for the metronidazole (1/2 t / 4oz.)? < Treating the food as recommended is a big advantage over treating the entire tank. I would also recommend a change in diet to a high quality pellet food and checking the nitrates to keep them under 20 ppm.> Other info: The Oscar does not have white / slimy poo. I received him from a petstore when the previous owner could no longer care for him. At that time he had what appeared to be fin rot as well as a small pin sized hole in his head. He was being kept in a 10 gal tank before I received him. He was lethargic and off food. I treated him w/ Melafix for the sores which have quickly healed. He began to eat about four days after I put him in the 55 gal. tank and treated w/ Melafix. The hole however has grown slightly larger in the last three weeks It started in one sensory pit and has now eroded an entire cluster of pits. I have been taking pictures every few days to monitor its progress. < Treat the food as recommended and keep up with the maintenance. Generally it is believed to be a symptom of a dietary deficiency with a combination of a pathogen feeding on a weakened host.-Chuck>

Hole in the head disease  11/16/08
Only one of my Oscars have hole in the head disease. I have two in the same tank. Should I treat all the fish or remove the sick one and treat him in another tank??
Thank You and I love your web site VERY HELPFULL! ;)
<All should be treated. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/HLLESWCauseF.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>  

Cichlid With Hole-In-The-Head    4/8/06
I have a 9” red flame cichlid that has developed raw spots on its head (above the eyes and below the dorsal fin, and between his eyes) they developed after his tank mate died about 3 weeks ago.  The spots seemed to have blood circulating to them because I see red within the areas. I do 25 -30 % water changes about every 10 days (55 gal whisper 3 filter) I have also been adding aquarium salt (1 tablespoon a day for three days now). I have had the water tested and is within the norm.  He is the only fish in the tank and has stopped eating for at least 4 days, spends a lot of time on the bottom.   When I turn on the light he comes to the top to eat, if he even bothers to take any Hikari cichlid gold pellets, he just seems to swim backwards any spits them out. These spots are not deep; they seem to be just on the surface.  The one above his eyes is approx ½” across and slowly getting bigger.  He has had these spots before but this big and not for this long. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated Thank you Dave
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. When he starts to eat , offer some live food live washed earthworms, and watch for ammonia spikes because the medication will affect the biological filtration.-Chuck>

Hole in the Head and Eye Problems ... Oscars - 03/27/06
Hi WWM Crew, I have had Oscars since 1980 and never had any problems with them before. I believe that is because I pay such careful attention to water quality and diet. However, just recently one of my two 12" Oscars starting laying on the bottom and gasping for air. This has gone on about a week. The pH, Nitrates and Ammonia are perfect. I feed them Hikari pellets. The one in question has one boated eye and lays on the bottom of the 80 gallon tank. If I reach in and touch him he has good energy and swims strongly across the tank. He can also come up for food but lately I can tell it is getting harder for him. The only other symptom is a slight hole in the head which I treat but can never seem to make go completely away. I have tried Maracyn TC as I thought it was bacterial. Then MarOxy as the Maracyn TC did nothing so maybe it was fungal. This also did nothing. I have tried salt and several water changes but nothing seems to work. Any thoughts?
Art
<Most eye problems, as well as Hole in the Head, start when too much organic matter starts to build up in a tank. Please re-test the water. After a few rounds of meds you have probably lost your cycle. Also, when doing a water change always use a gravel vac to remove as much waste as possible. Hole in the Head is caused by a protozoa. Metronidazole is the drug of choice. However the wounds caused by the protozoa can become infected by bacteria or fungus. Keeping your system pristine will help greatly. This will also help with his breathing and eye problems. Should the eye begin to swell, add Epsom salt at the rate of one tbls per 5 gallons. Replace the Epsom salt in the new water when doing a change until the swelling goes down. Don>

Gouramis With Hole-In-The-Head  - 05/23/2006
Hi there. OK. My eyes hurt.  Been reading your FAQ's.  Can't find definitive info on what I'm looking for.  I seem to have a Hole in Head "outbreak" in my aquarium.  I have a 60gal, heavily planted, tank; plenty of lava stone and wood for hiding.  Penguin 400 filter, CO2 diffuser, 17 Gouramis, a Pleco and a small Cory.  Water changes are every other week, (sometimes weekly if I think it needs it) Filter cartridges rinsed bi-weekly, changed monthly (per advise of LFS). Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrates tend to be in the hi 20's, touching 30,  but I attribute part of that number to plant fertilizers.  Some products tote amazing cures, some say nothing helps Hole in Head.  Any suggestions on how to rid the fish of this?  Also.. is this contagious like Ick?  I do see it on 2 or 3 fish, but not the  other tank mates... at least not yet. Thanks. You guys are great John
< Usually this is a problem with some New World cichlids and not associated with Gouramis. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat the tank with Metronidazole and see if that helps. It could just be a bacterial infection and it may respond to antibiotics like Kanamycin. If you do decide to use antibiotics then watch for ammonia spikes because it may affect the biological filtration.-Chuck>  

Oscar With Hole-In-The-Head  9/12/06
Hi crew. I have an Oscar which appears to have a hole in the head. I am not sure whether it is HITH disease. It appears to be very dull. Can you help me out with the cure and other things to cure it. Thanking you
<Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Upgrade the diet top include more live and frozen foods. Treat with Metronidazole and keep the lights off.-Chuck.>

Gold Severum.........is this hole in the head? Asymmetrical? No   8/14/06
hey guys, first off, great site as always.
I have had a 150 gallon(6 foot tank)) setup for quite some time. Currently housing
6 inch gold Severum
7 inch Jack Dempsey
3 inch Oscar
4 inch Red jewel
3 1/2" Green terror
(2) 5 inch banded Leporinus
4 inch Gibbiceps Pleco
8 Buenos Aires tetras
<Must be fast!>
I have 2 Emperor 400's for filtration
<And lots of big regular water changes I hope>
Recently I had a aggression problem that caused me to have to give away my 6 inch Green Severum, as he was attacking the Gold Severum often, and when he wasn't, he was extremely aggressive going for food. Since then I noticed that  what I originally thought was a bite wound on the side of the Gold Severums face has not healed. As i look at it now I am thinking that either the wound is not healing or they may just have been open sores from the beginning.
Both are on the left side if the head, behind the eyes, and before the gills. There is no "pitting" as i have seen HITH described, however it does look like the larger sores I have seen in HITH pictures online.
<Mmm...>
Would treatment of non-healing wounds be much different than a treatment for HITH (if that's what this is?).
<Are identical... improved nutrition, and water quality... sometimes coupled with the use of a protozoacide>
I will add that i had been lax with maintenance these last 2 months the last 2 months of my wife's pregnancy), however, It had always been top-notch until now.
<Oh>
Hopefully i can solve with increased maintenance, and frequent water changes for a few weeks. Since i prefer not to have to set up a hospital tank if I can avoid it.
<I would not here>
Also, one last question. Regarding stocking. Will this tank be able to handle another Oscar without having to displace the current inhabitants?
<Not a good gamble, no>
I realize that having two fish that will be 12 inches long each may tax even this tank.
Thanks in advance for any help you can throw my way!
<If the pitting is not "symmetrical... bilaterally", that is, about the same on both sides of the fish, this is not likely HLLE, HITH... but "just" sores or pitting from poor water quality. Bob Fenner>