Oscar sick?. foaming water, Oscar with Hole-In-The-Head
I have a 5 year old albino Oscar and he is really sick I'm thinking that has hole in the head. Recently he developed a sore on his head and around his eye looking painful. I've been treating him with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Mela Fix for a month at least every time I would put a minimum amount the sore would bleed and he would go crazy swimming from one end to an other hitting the glass so I stopped that medication and started giving him some antibacterial medication the name escapes me right now. I'm doing a frequent water change since I feed him blood worms the water turns into a reddish color after every feeding. I do remove the carbon filter when treating him I leave it out at least 8hours while I'm at work once I get home I put I back in until the next treatment. A few days ago I did a gravel cleaning and now my water is foaming on the top with white/brown bubbles I changed all the filter replacing with new ones. I lost I have no idea what to do please help me if I don't act now I think he is going to die since he is not himself just staying in one spot all the time close to the heater. Should I change my complete filter system?.. I have an internal Hagen bio life filter it's a 20gal tank he is about 10" should I get a bigger tank? So many questions. Thank you so very much, hope to hear from you soon. Angèle
< First of all stop feeding you Oscar. The biological filtration has probably been affected by the medications and you are having big spikes in the ammonia levels. The ammonia is deadly to fish and stresses them to the point that they come down with other diseases. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filters. Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone every other day for three treatments. On the days you do not treat, do a 50% water change. On the seventh day use good activated carbon and remove the medication from the water for 24 hrs. The use Bio-Spira to get the biological filtration back on tract. Feed you Oscar once each day a quality food with lots of vegetable matter in it. Make sure it is all gone in a couple of minutes. Remove any uneaten food with a siphon. It will take some time for all the holes to heal over. Keep the nitrates under 25 ppm with water changes and feed a varied nutritional diet.-Chuck>

Help... Flowerhorn hlth.   11/06/07
Good day! Thank you for continually helping hobbyist. I tried other fish websites but they do not seem to know anything. I feel like my FH is dying and they still want me to monitor and observe. Here are the things that I have noticed.
1. Continual flashing and scratching.
2. Body, pelvic fins, and dorsal fins twitching.
3. Stays at the bottom or near surface with clamped fins. (Sometimes, using only 1 pectoral fin)
4. Lethargic.
5. Body slime is visible on the body.
6. Gills are like hidden inside its gill plates and gill appears to be pale. (He does not appear to have rapid breathing. Slow and shallow breathing actually.)
7. Losing equilibrium.
I also noticed that he began to have small holes in his head. A secondary disease because he is not eating anymore, I guess. Is it bacterial or parasite? My guess is gill fluke so I went to a pet shop in New Zealand but they do not have fluke tabs. I was told by "apparently a fish doctor" that he's not sure what it is because fishes are hard to diagnose and that he told me that my best bet would be Furan 2. I want to know what you guys would suggest before I medicate my fish. By the way, he recently had Finrot so I gave him erythromycin, then he had this disease subsequently. Thanks again and again. Please save my fish from his imminent demise.
Take care!!!
Nina
<Nina, your fish sounds as if it has the symptoms of Hexamita and/or Hole-in-the-Head (these may be one and the same disease). It is very common among cichlids, and seems to be related to water quality and diet issues. The classic set of causes are a tank with high levels of nitrate caused by overstocking and infrequent water changes, plus a monotonous diet, in particular lacking in greens (vitamins!). Some aquarists have also implicated things as varied as electrical fields and the dust from activated carbon. Regardless, it's difficult to treat without recourse to a (normally) prescription drug called Metronidazole. (See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm .) Nothing much else works. Ideally, it's fed directly to the fish. During treatment, make sure you remove the carbon from the filter (if you're using it) and make sure you optimise water quality. Once the fish is better, pay close attention to water quality and diet. Think: big tank, lots of water changes, no live feeder fish, and a balanced, varied diet with plenty of greens. Cheers, Neale>

Neglected Cichlids With Hole-In-The-Head  7/21/07
I have been bad. Over the summer I neglected my 150 gallon cichlid community. I was busy expanding my perennial garden. I only recall doing three 50% water changes in the past four months. The glass was covered with crusty hard algae which took forever to scrape off. Now my Geophagus has HITH syndrome. I have been doing partial water changes every three days. Is 25% too much of a water change? Should I do less more frequently? I had been testing my water once a week and all parameters were normal except the nitrates were about 40 ppm all summer. My test kit says this is high end in the safe zone.
I do have hard water and my pH is approx. 8.
<Most Geophagines require warm soft acidic water that is very clean and low in nitrogenous wastes. Keep the nitrates under 20 ppm with water changes.>
My major question relates to a large 8" gold Severum. He is about 1.5 years old. He looks great except for one thing. For the past 6-7 months I have noticed that he has a "divot" behind one of his eyes. Like a very small thumb print indentation (about the size of a pea).. I never really thought much about it. It wouldn't be the first time I have seen a cichlid with a deformity. For the longest time I watched it and there has not been any changes in it till now. Now the impression actually looks like a hole. It is much deeper.
It is not white or fuzzy or pussy like the Geophagus' holes. I could try and send you a picture of it if that would help. He is still eating and swims normal with not other signs of distress other than that divot/hole.
< A photo would be helpful.>
Also, I feed my fish a variety of foods, including flakes, pellets, frozen blood worms and brine shrimp. Also shrimp pellets and algae wafers. Will the improved water quality reverse the HITHS alone, or will I need to treat with Metronidazole?
< If you see no improvement then I would add the Metronidazole.>
Should I add vitamins?
< Won't hurt.>
One last question, would it even help to use a hospital tank or should I keep everyone in the community?
<Medications may affect the biological filtration. It is always best to treat sick fish in a hospital tank unless all the fish in the tank are effected.-Chuck>
The rest of the residents include two rainbow cichlids, two Laetacara curviceps, four large unknown tetras, three clown loaches, five sajicas, Cory catfish three tiger barbs, one danio, and a large chocolate cichlid.
Thanks for your help, Linda

Jack Dempsey With Possible Hole-In-The-Head 9/6/07
Hello Crew, I wrote in on July 17, 2007 regarding my Jack Dempsey Phin who was having problems with Fish Lice. Thanks to your advice I have gotten the fish lice cleared up but we still have a significant health concern. At the time we were treating for fish lice, I mentioned that there was a spot near his head where the scales had fallen off. The spot has continued to get bigger and is now about the size of a nickel that is completely void of scales. In the last few days I noticed that the scales around the area are becoming extremely inflamed. I mentioned it to my local fish store clerk and he suggested a five-day cycle of Maracyn-Two. I have completed the cycle and the situation remains the same. To compound the problem our algae-eater has become very aggressive lately and chases Phin around the tank trying to latch onto his sore area. Do I need to separate the fish in order to give Phin time to heal? Is there anything that I can do to help him heal? Any suggestions would be helpful! Best regards, Emily
<Separate the algae eater from the Jack Dempsey. The best option would be to place the Jack in a clean hospital tank. Treat with a combination of Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole. The Metro will treat the Hole-In-The-Head and the Nitro is effective against bacteria and fungus.-Chuck>

White protrusion on Angelfish... HLLE?, FW    9/2/07
Hello,
<Hi there>
My large male angelfish has several areas around his eye, nose and head that look like white shreds. From one of these areas, there is a white protrusion, like the tip of a worm, but from what I've seen described it's too big to be an Anchorworm.
<Ah... not likely... instead... this sounds like "neuromast destruction"... aka as Head and Lateral Line Erosion... the white "worm" is mucus from the fish... maybe accompanied by a good deal of the Protist Octomita... formerly Hexamita ... necatrix mostly>
I also have discus,
<Mmm... much to relate here... by and large I am NOT a fan of mixing Pterophyllum and Symphysodon...>
and in the past two of them have gotten this same symptom.
<Yes... way too often such parasitic (and infectious) diseases "ping pong" twixt these genera>
The first one I treated with a parasite medication (I think it was the jungle one that fizzes)
<Actually, there are a few...>
and also an antibiotic because the area where the protrusion was coming out from looked infected. He survived. When the second discus got this, however, I did the same treatment but she did not survive. Now the angel seems to have the same thing, only with his there are several shredded areas (the discus only had one) and the shreds seem to be coming out from around his eye as well. When I look closely, he also has a number of very small areas where the scales seem a little popped out. The protrusion itself is pretty big...about an
eighth of an inch long and wide. These 3 fish have not gotten this one after the other....there was probably about a 2-3 month span from the first discus to the second one, and it's now been over 6 months since the second one died. I can't find anything in the various fish disease descriptions that matches this. I did notice when I was looking thru your FAQ's on discus that someone else had written about the same thing with his discus, and you advised to treat by dabbing Merthiolate/iodine on it.
<Sometimes works>
Is this even available in the U.S.?
<Mmm, if not... easily mixed, made-up...>
I thought it was banned because of containing mercury.
<Maybe...>
Is there any other treatment for this?
<Yes... likely the symptoms can be cleared by a one-time use of Metronidazole/Flagyl.
Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
and the linked files above...
... but the root cause... By improving water quality and separating the Angel/s and Discus...>
Have you had anyone else describe this type of disease?
<Oh yes>
Thanks so much for your help. I really don't want to lose this angel, but I'm afraid I may have discovered it too late, since he has so many areas affected.
P.S. he lives in a well established 60 gallon tank I've had for over 2 years with various other community fish, including other angels (his children actually), discus, Congos, rasboras, rummies, threadfins, Plecos, catfish, and a black ghost knife fish. Everyone else seems healthy and happy, and the water tests out fine.
Jaz
<Well... quite a mix... Please take the time to read up re each species here... in terms of water chemistry and temperature ranges... Along with space issues, you really need two tanks here. Bob Fenner>

Re: White protrusion on Angelfish  9/2/07
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. Unfortunately, he died overnight. I was afraid he would, given the advanced state of his condition. When I removed him from the tank, he had several holes where the protrusion and shreds had been coming out of. The shreds and protrusion were gone. Before reading your email this morning, I saw that and was thinking it might be HLLE. I've researched this on the web and there seems to be varied opinion on whether this disease is contagious, some saying it's opportunistic towards stressed fish; others saying it's more genetic.
<Agreed on/with all... In addition, does appear that protozoan involvement might be either a cause or net effect proposition... IF the conditions are present (stress from various sources, dietary...) AND coupled with genetic/developmental allowance... can be or at least appear to be "catching">
I'm concerned now for my other fish in the tank. We are doing a major water change today and I intend to watch the others closely for signs, but in your experience is this a contagious disease?
<Can be, yes...>
Should I be concerned that my angel released organisms in the tank that will now attack my other fish?
<These "other organisms" were likely present before... at issue is the entire equation of initial health, suitability of the environment... AS WELL as presence and pathogenicity of disease causing organisms>
So far everyone else seems very healthy. Thanks again for responding so quickly. Like most
hobbyists in this field, I love each of my fish just like I would a cat or a dog, and I hate losing them or seeing them suffer, so it's great to know that your staff is so prompt in responding even on a holiday weekend! :)
Jaz
<Thank you my friend... I am not advocating the pre-emptive use of Flagyl here... I would try spiffing up the environment, and bolstering the livestocks' immune systems through vitamin/HUFA supplementation of foods. BobF>

Repeated hole in the head disease, Metronidazole Treatment For HITH - 6/1/07
> My T bar Cichlid is suffering from his 3rd bout of hex this time he has a small visible pin sized hole above his eye and the usual white strongly pooh. Last time in September 2006 I treated the tank with Metronidazole 5mg/L and he recovered well. I have done a water exchange today and added metro at 5mg/L. Is this repeated dosage likely to harm my other fish? 2 cat fish 3 rainbows, 2 giant danios and 1 rosy barb?
< If treated as recommended this medication should have no effect on the other fish.>
> Also do I need to do 50% water changes in between adding the dosages on the 2nd 4th and 6 days?
< Metronidazole is affected by organics in the water. The cleaner the water the better the medication will work. Water changes also reduce organic waste. The tank is getting cleaner. The water is getting better and the medication is getting more effective. Sound pretty good to me.-Chuck>
> Many thanks for your help

HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!  5/31/07
Jurupari With Hole-In-The-Head Disease
Okay this is the deal, for about 2 years we have had a 55 gallon freshwater tank and within the first year we had acquired - 2- 1.5" black tetras, 1 - 1.5" Tiger barb, 1 - 2" Figure Eight puffer, and 1 - 3" algae eater. Every thing was fine for several months, and then about 6 months ago the Puffer died, we weren't sure why, probably because I was too busy with an new baby to tend to the tank like I should have.
< Actually as puffers get older they move to salt water from fresh water. this is not true for all FW puffers but it is true for most sold at stores.>
We observed the fish and took care of the tank, making sure there was nothing going to harm the other fish. Since the other fish seemed fine we decided two weeks ago we would like to get another puffer (they are so much fun.) Well I went to my LFS in search for a puffer and I came upon a Beautiful 6" Geophagus Jurupari at the price of $50 - I didn't buy it, but placed an order for the puffer instead. A week later I came back to pick up the puffer and the "smart" fish guy was there so I asked about the Geophagus - he said it was a great hardy fish and that it would be fine with a puffer and the fish I had at home.
< Most puffers are actually brackish fish unless you got a specific species that is found in true FW. The Satanoperca jurupari actually comes from soft, warm, acidic waters of South America.>
I said I will take it, and they loaded him up with the puffer and I brought them home to there new tank. Since this was my first time to purchase a fish that cost more than $10 - I had never even heard of putting new fish in a QT before entering them into my display tank. I have always just acclimated them then added a little of my water at a time over about an 45 min. time period - and this is what I did with the Jurupari and the Puffer. After being in our tank for 2 days I noticed tiny white specs on the puffer and immediately went to the computer to learn it was ich. I decided to go with the heat, salt and daily water changes instead of the chemical route. Since I didn't have an extra tank and heater etc. I used a large clear acrylic salad bowl and placed it into the large tank to share the 87 degree temp and air with an air stone and a little gravel. Concerned about the ich and curious to know more about the Jurupari, I again turned to the web. I began to realize my water conditions were totally wrong for the Jurupari. Now I was really concerned my water conditions were going to stress this beautiful fish. I immediately began to attempt to lower the hardness, pH, & alkalinity of my tank water with water changes, aquarium salt, and a pH buffer - I just could not get it down!! After loads of research - I realized the that the Texas Holey Rock and landscaping gravel I had in my tank were causing the high alkalinity and water hardness! I immediately removed the rocks and the next day I removed the gravel replacing it with black Tahitian Moon Sand for the Eartheater - but now my bacteria is gone and I have began to notice little tiny holes on the head of my Jurupari! I immediately searched WWM and found this was HITH! I did as suggested and ordered Metronidazole (Hole-In-The-Head Guard) from DrsFosterSmith.com, along with Marc Weiss Instant Amazon, and Vita-Chem. I
did a water change, then administered the HITH meds, now he wont eat and he has began to get blood streaks in his tail, he hangs out at the top and is kind of out of balance. Believe It Or Not! I am already in love with this fish!!! I am willing to do whatever it takes to save these fish!!! Other than not researching the South American Cichlid before I bought it - Please tell me what I did wrong, and what I can do to fix it!! Helpless in Houston, Beth
< The genus Satanoperca overall is a very touchy group of fish. They require very clean soft acidic water to thrive. Anything less that this and they break down with a long list of maladies that you have now encountered. All of the changes have created stress in your fish and he has begun to shut down. For the short term I would isolate him in a 10 gallon tank with and airstone and a heater. The water would be 50% treated tap and 50% R/O. Set the heater at 82 F. Treat the tank with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. The Metro with treat the bloat and the Nitro will treat the bacterial infections in the fins. Treat on day 1, 3 and 5. On days 2 and 4 just do a 50% water change while vacuuming out any waste. When the fish acts hungry then you can start to try and bet him to eat some medicated fish food with Metro in it. In the long term the big tank really needs softened water. I would recommend using an R/O unit to remove the dissolved minerals and adding a buffer to acidify the water to a mildly acidic pH. these fish are bottom feeders so make sure some food gets to the bottom. They do not like any waste in the water. The nitrates should be under 10 ppm. This is very clean water and will require lots of water changes. the other fish will like the new water with the exception of the puffer.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
Finding Nitrofurazone - 6/1/07
> Also, where can I find Nitrofuranace? I didn't see it on DrsFosterSmith.com.
< They sell it as simply Furanace or Furan-2.>
Can I use API's Triple Sulfa?
< You can try it but I don't think it will be as effective as the medications I have recommended.>
Am I treating hemorrhagic septicemia, is that what the blood streaks are, or is it some sort of bloat?
< These medications are good for bacterial and fungal infections. Your are treating both external and internal bacterial infections.>
I am going to get an extra tank right away - I guess because I will be doing a 50% water change every day I wont need a filter on the QT tank.
<When you medicate a quarantine tank , the medications are affecting the biological filtration. You remove the fish waste in the tank with the water changes.-Chuck> Thank you so much with helping me on the specifics - I am extremely grateful!!!!!
> Beth

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
R/O Water - 6/1/07
> Since I don't have access to RO water right away can I use bottled distilled for the water changes? It is 0 everything?
< Distilled removes more minerals than an R/O unit so either would be fine.-Chuck.>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!
> Jurupari Needs Treatment - 6/1/07
> WWM Team - THANK YOU for your quick response!!!
< We know how important information is when your fish are sick.>
OK, I bought a 10 gallon tank, wiped it out with distilled water, and filled it with distilled water.
< Pure distilled water is not needed. Next time mix 75% distilled with 25% tap water.>
I heated the water to 84 so there wouldn't be a drastic temp change for the Jurupari - I am slowly lowering it to 82. Right now the tank only has the heater and an airstone in it. I also put 1 tsp of Instant Amazon and 20 drops of Vita-Chem, since I did a Metro treatment in the big tank yesterday, I won't treat him with it again today. My main concern is the other medicine you mentioned - I was unable to locate it online or at the LFS's I have near my house. I did find API's Triple Sulfate Anti-Bacterial Fish Med that is for Hemorrhagic Septicemia - should I use this to treat the water?
< I looked in the Drsfostersmith.com catalog and found both medications I mentioned available. The tri-Sulpha is not as effective as the medications I had mentioned. If cannot find them then go ahead and try the triple Sulpha.>
The If so, should I do it today and alternate the treatments every day, or should I wait until tomorrow and do both medications at the same time?
< Treat with both medications at the same time.>
If not, please tell me were I can get the Nitrofuranace and I will have it next day aired to my house. By the way the Jurupari's fins aren't
clenched anymore now that he is in the Distilled Water - but it looks like he is also suffering from fin rot - is this also because of the water conditions, or is this something new?
< The fin rot is a bacterial infection from high nitrates in the water. This disease will respond to the antibiotics.>
Also, is there an RO unit you would suggest for my tank?
<If you have a 55 gallon tank and you probably need to change up to 30% of the water every week. This means you need to generate about 20 gallons per week for water changes. So you need to get one that generates at least 20-30 gallons per week. They are usually sold in Gallons per day. So get a unit that generates at least 5 gallons per day and you can always lower the pressure and reduce the amount needed.>
Now. about the big tank, my tiger barb wont eat and he is gasping for air - it looks like he has dark green patches on his sides and the top of his head - and maybe one single spot of ich on his back fin (if this is possible.) Also, yesterday the puffer looked like most of his ich spots were gone and this morning he was covered with twice as many.
<The ich medication has probably affected the biological filtration. Check the water for ammonia and nitrite levels. Both should be zero. Reduce levels with water changes.>
UGH! I feel like this is all my fault! Not researching before the purchase of new fish. Now I feel like I am in way over my head.
Helplessly trying to reproduce the Amazon in Houston! Beth
<This is all part of the learning process. We are here to help.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!! - 6/1/07
> Treating A Jurupari
> Well after I put the Jurupari in the 10 gallon QT tank he immediately perked up his fins and biting at the glass as if he was hungry...so I tried mixing some vita-chem and Metro in with some flakes and letting them dry, but he seemed to just make a mess with them through his gills. So I thawed some bloodworms and added vita-chem and Metro to them in a little bowl, let them soak and got him to eat two servings yesterday. This morning when I woke up he as floating at the top again with his fins clenched - I tested the ammonia and it was .5 ppm (How is that possible?)
< All fish waste and uneaten food turn into ammonia. You have no biological filtration. If he is eating then feed once a day. Feed only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes. Remove all uneaten food while doing the water change.>
Immediately, I did a 50% water change, tested again and it seemed like it was between 0 and .25. So administered the Metro and Triple sulfa. After being in the meds for an hour or se he began shedding some serious slime and his tail was kind of floating up - I waited a while and there was no change so I did another 50% water change diluting some of the meds. His fins are clenched and he seems unbalanced -
and he keeps floating up - and he wont eat again. Do you think he can make it or does it seem unlikely? I am heart broken and completely consumed by the issues at hand. Thanks for your help! Beth
<When a fish is stressed it develops a heavy slime so the parasites cannot get to its skin. Now the medications are diluted and you fed him three times yesterday. Your fish has gone through a lot. Currently he is not being treated and just sitting in z 10 gallon tank. If he is strong he may come back.-Chuck>

Re: HELP!!!!! I am scared my 6" Jurupari will not make it over night!!  6/3/07
Jurupari Worn Out
This morning my Jurupari was upside down in the QT tank - I looked closer and he was still breathing - I stirred the water up and he swam up top, but quickly floated back down to the bottom. He is still at the bottom, although he is upright now - What should I do? Do you think he is suffering?
< You fish has gone through alot. I would recommend that you keep up with the daily 50% water changes until he dies or gets better. He is probably too weak for any medications. Let him rest and build up his strength and see if he has anything left to fight back.-Chuck>