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| FAQs on Freshwater Protozoan Parasite
Disease Involving Hexamita/Octomita
Related Articles: Freshwater Fish Diseases,
Freshwater Diseases, FW
Disease Troubleshooting, Ich/White Spot
Disease,
Choose Your Weapon: Freshwater Fish Disease
Treatment Options by Neale Monks,
Formalin/Formaldehyde,
Malachite Green,
Related FAQs: Freshwater
Protozoan Parasite Diseases,
Diagnosing/Identifying FW Protozoan Diseases,
FW Fish Parasitic Disease 1, & FAQs
on: Diagnosis/Identification of Parasites,
Internal Parasites,
FW Parasite Treatments,
Freshwater Protozoan Parasite Diseases,
Diagnosing/Identifying FW Protozoan Diseases,
(Ich/White Spot Disease,
Freshwater Velvet, Sporozoan Parasites,
Whirling Disease, Hexamita/Octomita
in Freshwater Systems,) &
Cichlid Disease,
African Cichlid Disease,
Aquarium Maintenance, FW Infectious
Disease, Freshwater Medications, African
Cichlid Disease 1,
Cichlid Disease, Betta
Disease 1,
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Considered by many to some as the/a causative organism for the
neuromast destruction called "Head and Lateral Line Disease" in fishes. Often
one cause for "stringy white feces"... Most often treated with/through foods
laced with protozoacides (e.g. Flagyl/Metronidazole)? |
Golden Severum with red
stripe and streaking 4/28/09
Hi and thank you;
<Hello,>
I wrote in about 3 weeks ago. I have a 7 inch Golden Severum and he is
the only fish in the tank. He started out with a round bump/lesion in
his head about a month ago, vertical swimming, some stringy poop and he
stopped eating.
<Sounds like an Hexamita infection; usually related to water quality,
especially nitrate, but may also be triggered by inappropriate diet and
possibly other factors like insufficient oxygen concentration. Since
Severums are herbivores, they're probably pretty sensitive to the wrong
diet, i.e., vitamin deficiency. This seems to be the case with marine
herbivores like Tangs and Angels, at least.>
Since then I have been doing consistent water changes and gave him 2
Ampicillin treatments 3 weeks ago for the open sore. This sore healed
completely and there are no others. I felt like he might of run hard
into a
rock when startled. I did a parasite clear treatment for the stringy
poop and because he was startled.
<Generic parasite treatments generally have little/no impact on the
mucous-rich faeces. Hexamita infections are complex; the parasites in
the gut irritate the lining of the gut, resulting in lots of mucous, and
that's
where you get the stringy faeces. When the parasites migrate around the
body, they can infect the lateral line pores on the head, and this is
where the hole-in-the-head starts. A part of this problem is that the
parasites
allow bacteria to infect the pores, so much of what you see as the
"holes" is more bacterial than the Hexamita directly, hence antibiotics
may reduce the symptoms. But if the Hexamita infection isn't also dealt
with, there's nothing to stop a reoccurrence of the symptoms later on.>
I have been feeding him a variety of foods; mostly mysis shrimp with
peas, spinach. For a week I included Metronidazole and used a turkey
baster to get this to his mouth. I also treated the tank with
Metronidazole 3 times, with 1 day in between, with some water changes.
He still has a red stripe from his tail down part of his spine and a
small area under his tail, some red streaking in his tail, he hides in a
corner for a lot of the day with his head hanging down, but does swim
back and forth gently at times.
<The red streaking is likely another secondary bacterial infection.>
At night I have seen him vertical. About 3 days ago I started treating
with Kanaplex from Sea Chem and stopped the Metronidazole. His swimming
is definitely improved and he resists the food with medication, but
always eats some. I have also had the carbon filters out most of this
time. There is definitely still something persisting. I thought about
combining the two medications. Someone told me he might have developed
an intolerance to the Metronidazole and to use something like ParaGuard
from Sea Chem in place.
<Hmm... no... Metronidazole is really the only thing that kills
Hexamita.>
Do you know what the read stripe and red streak indicate?
<See above.>
What do you feel would be the best treatment?
<Would use both Metronidazole and a suitable anti-Finrot medication,
ideally an antibiotic.>
How long should I keep the carbon filters out?
<For as long as you're medicating.>
Is there any better foods to ad? Your help is very appreciated; Andrea
<Cheers, Neale.>
Sick Uaru (Hexamita, diet,
environment) 3/1/09
I have been keeping fish for a few
years and have a Uaru in a 80 gallon tank. He developed what i believed to be
fin rot about 2 months ago which i treated and he healed. He then developed
holes in his head with mucus coming out i had seen hole in the head before and
his faeces was not white and stringy he only had at first one small one. he had
no appetite loss or did he isolate himself. I spoke to a trusted fish shop
person who recommended Pimafix, and to keep an eye on it in case he got worse.
well the next day he had puss filled holes on his head around his eyes and also
on the line down his body that looks like a sewed line (sorry cant think of
another way to describe it). In this case i decide to treat him with esHa
Hexamita. i have now been treating him as per the instructions for at least a
month and he has seemed to improve then as soon as i gave the tank a rest after
the three days he acquired more holes. He can be very awkward with the Sailfin
Plec that i have and when i first had him he got injured by being spiked which
caused a swelling and loss of half of his top lip which would ooze white stuff.
two day ago he had a swollen cheek and now he has 4-5 holes down the side of
this cheek where i am not sure if the cheek is oozing or it is still as a result
of the hole in the head he has one hole on his nose on one side all holes have
gone on the side with the swollen cheek he has one that is an original hole and
a linear ooze on the line on his side as i described before. he has had 5
treatments with breaks and water changes he is eating some days he isolates in
his house other days he is fine. I have put some aquarium salts in and now as
there seemed to be and improvement but the holes are back. I have heard now that
i cant retreat with the Hexamita as it cant mix with the salt Is this true? and
i am so upset that i may lose him if i water change can i treat him and can i
put more in than it says or put treatment in until it goes, or for four or five
days. I need HELP!! Please? Water quality has been tested There are two gold
Severums 2 alliminium catfish and a Firemouth in the same tank
MonicaMonica
<Hello Monica. Before anything else, my gut feeling here is we're looking at
chronic water quality problems. Let me explain. While 80 gallons sounds a lot on
paper, the fish you have are both big (the Aluminium Catfish, Chrysichthys
longipinnis) and super-sensitive to water quality, including nitrates (the
cichlids, particularly the Uaru). I'm also concerned that you're not tackling
the problem head-on. There's no need to use "aquarium salt" in a freshwater
tank, and any retailer that recommends either salt or Pimafix as the solutions
to your problems isn't doing you a good service.
The problem is almost
certainly lack of space, lack of water changes, and/or lack of filtration. So
let's review. Aluminium Catfish can get to 70 cm (over 25 inches) in the wild.
Two of them by themselves would need a much bigger tank than you have, something
upwards of 800 litres (175 Imp. gallons). On top of that, you'd need a colossal
amount of filtration, not less than 6-8 times the volume of the tank in turnover
per hour. On the flip side, Uaru amphiacanthoides is a cichlid species at least
as sensitive to water quality as Discus, so keeping such a fish in a cramped
tank with poor water quality is going to make its life difficult. Putting aside
water chemistry issues for the moment, in terms of water quality you need zero
ammonia, zero nitrite, and a nitrate level of less than 20 mg/l. It's also
a
partially herbivorous cichlid, and unless it's diet is rich in green foods, it
suffers from vitamin deficiencies rather easily, and these make fish more
vulnerable to Hexamita. And I'm sure you're dealing with some type of Hexamita
infection here. The reliable cure for this is Metronidazole 250 mg per 38 litres
(8 Imp. gallons/10 US gallons). In the
UK, you can get this only from a vet.
Whilst I'm aware of the eSHa alternative, I've not used it, so can't comment on
its efficacy. I'll also make the point that unless you fix the environment and
diet, all the treatment in the world won't help. Cheers, Neale.>
Hexamita, help!– 10/5/08
hey,
<Ave,>
i have a 100 gallon (US) tank with 4 juvenile jewel cichlids, 4 juvenile tiger
Oscars and 2 Plecos. i have two internal power filters, filtering approximately
500 gallons an hour, as well as a thermostat heating system maintaining
temperature at a constant 25 Celsius. I
noticed a pair of my Oscars getting lazy and just kind of leaning by themselves
up against the corner of the tank. I noticed their poop had turned a greyish
white and researched that a primary cause of that would be internal parasites.
<Can be; does rather vary with the parasite!>
Unfortunately in India, where i reside, we don't have the full barrage of fish
medication available so i took a metronidazole tablet meant to be taken thrice a
day by a human adult powdered it and let it loose in the tank in the hope it
would treat the fish. Any suggestions or Advice?
<Should work, assuming the concentration is appropriate (7 mg/l according to
Andrews, Exell and Carrington (1988), potentially several times, repeating every
other day, with a 25% water change in between). Do also see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
>
thank you,
Kaustuv
<Cheers, Neale.>
Ulcers on angelfish, FW
8/12/08
The issue in question is currently isolated to my 29 gallon tank. The
tank is about 19 months old and decorated with driftwood and a few live
plants including Corkscrew Val's, Ludwigia, Anubias, and Amazon Swords.
Despite the presence of plants it is by no means a "planted" tank. The
lights are controlled by a digital timer. Filtration is provided by an Eheim
Ecco 2232 loaded with coarse and fine filter pads as well as Substrat Pro
Bio Media. The water is also passed through Current's 8 watt Gamma UV filter
fitted with a Mini Jet 606 pump. The water parameters are consistently 0, 0,
and 20 ppm for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate respectively. Inhabitants
include 3 angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) and two Keyhole cichlids. They
are feed a variety of quality foods including flake, pellet, and freeze
dried worms.
<All sounds dandy.>
The infected fish is the most recent addition, the third angelfish. This
fish was first quarantined for two weeks with no signs of disease. It had
been in the 29 gallon tank for about four weeks before the symptoms were
first observed. It may be important to point out that this fish is not being
bullied, and has always been able to eat it fair share. All other fish have
not thus far and have never displayed any symptoms of disease. As far as I'm
concerned they have always been in excellent health.
<OK.>
The first observations of symptoms on this fish were white patches randomly
covering the body. These observations were made after a two night vacation.
Some were on the right caudal peduncle, one at the base of the caudal fin,
another at the tip of an anal fin spine, one spot on the each side's gill
cover, and the last just above his mouth. I immediately treated with API
Fungus Cure. At the end of the recommended treatment period most white
patches were clearing so I continued treatment with Pimafix. At this point I
noticed that the white patches left holes or ulcers on each gill cover and
the spot just above the mouth. These ulcers are not bleeding or leaking
anything, and are not remarkable other than just being present. After this I
also added Melafix to prevent possible secondary infection, and to utilize
any healing effects that the added Aloe may provide. I also started feeding
the only medicated food I had which contains sodium sulfathiazole and
Nitrofurazone.
<There's really two things that spring to mind: Finrot (or something
similar) or Hexamita. Now, Finrot is almost always associated with water
quality, but in this instance that doesn't seem likely. Your tank sounds
well maintained, though I'd argue a trifle overstocked for five cichlids of
moderate size. But your nitrate level is low and the ammonia/nitrite levels
are zero, so that's probably not an issue. Physical damage is the other
common cause of Finrot, whether through transportation (careless netting
especially) or fighting. Angelfish *are* territorial, and I've not seen many
trios work in small tanks. On the whole Angelfish work either as singletons,
mated pairs, or groups of 6+. Three specimens is a funny number, because you
could easily have a pair who resent the newcomer. Angelfish are impossible
to sex outside of spawning (and even then they make mistakes themselves!) so
this one is difficult to confirm either way. But I would definitely observe
their social behaviour. Things like fin flicking and chasing are typical
signs of aggression. Angelfish sometimes even make audible croaks when
they're being threatening. Next up, Hexamita, a protozoan probably latent in
many cichlids but only problematic if conditions deteriorate in some way.
Because this is a slow-acting disease, the fish could have developed
sickness at the retailer, and only now are the problems manifesting
themselves regardless of how well you're caring for them. Hexamita does at
least two different things. Firstly it messes up the digestive tract,
leading to the classic white stringy faeces, or it causes pits to appear on
the face and body (the symptoms known as "Hole in the Head"). Treatment of
Hexamita is difficult, but Metronidazole added daily at 250 mg per 10 US
gallons for at least 3 days is the standard therapy. Medicated foods work
even better if the fish is eating. Now, I have to admit neither Finrot nor
Hexamita seems to fit 100% the symptoms you describe; photos would help.>
Does it seem like I really have this under control?
<Difficult without confirmation of the sickness.>
Can I do anything further to heal these open ulcers and how long can I
expect this to heal?
<You should certainly be treating for Finrot/Fungus if only to prevent
secondary infections. In the US Maracyn seems to be the drug of choice for
this; in Europe I recommend eSHa 2000. Pimafix/Melafix are largely useless
and at best unreliable.>
Lastly, what am I dealing with here?
<Not sure.>
I feel Hole in the Head disease just doesn't seem to fit here.
<Agreed, but certainly worth considering.>
Certainly pictures I've seen don't seem to match, whereas HITH seems to form
pits these are open wounds or ulcers.
<One possible alternative is "Discus Plague", a nebulous collection of
symptoms with no obvious cause and no agreed treatment. It sometimes affects
Angels, particularly commercially bred ones rather than wild-caught ones. I
don't think is is likely, but I'm putting it out there for your
consideration and research.>
Thank you for your time.
<Cheers, Neale.>
High Mortality Rate, FW, poss. Hexamita/Octomita 7/1/06
My daughter has had her Eclipse 12 aquarium for a little over a year. We
have a high death rate.
<Not good>
In 13 months we have had about 18 out of 25 fish die. We test our water
regularly at the local fish store and it always test at normal levels.
<Mmm, you might want to invest in some simple test gear for your own,
at-home use. Many important parameters can/do change in just the short trip to
the store... And these tests, testing can be a useful element of education,
sharing as well>
Deaths include about 6-9 platies, 3 dwarf gouramis, 2 albino catfish, 1
skirt tetra and 2 rasboras.
<A broad mix of tolerant species...>
Our original skirt tetra is alive after 1 year and 3 of the 5 rasboras we
bought are still alive after 6 months. Many of the fish wasted away. Also some
mainly the gouramis had a hair-like excrement.
<... trouble. This could well be indicative of a persistent protozoan
parasite (Octomita/Hexamita...)>
We finally treated for internal parasites. We bought our first 2 fish from
one of those large chains and believe it might have brought a parasite with it.
<Given what you present here, I concur>
We did two treatments ( 2 doses each I think) a week or two apart.
<With what medication?>
Two fish died after that. We did not add any fish for at least 2 month
after that. When we did add 3 guppies and 1 dwarf Gourami,
the male guppy died after 2 days. The Gourami died after we added 3 more
guppies 2 days later. I realize we added fish to quickly, but we were given
the second batch. I am wondering if these last two deaths are likely due to
stress or are there other things we should try.
<Possibly>
The male bloated before dying, the Gourami just died. I am getting really
frustrated and my daughter is getting very discouraged. Can you give me some
suggestions on how to reduce the death rate.
<A few things, yes. For one, if this problem is Hexamitiasis and unless it
was eradicated through treatment... it's still there (a very common cause of
continuing high losses from and through fish stores). I would treat your system
with Metronidazole/Flagyl to be sure. Please see WWM re this anti-protozoal, its
careful use, and Hexamita... and particularly here re Gouramis:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GouramiDisFAQs.htm
and the next FAQ file linked above. Bob Fenner>
Discus with Hexamita? - 02/02/2004
Please help...I don't want to lose me discus fish. I have been treating with
rid-ich for 5 days now. The ich is almost gone, but the fish have developed
cloudy eyes, a whitish clear coating on their bodies and ragged fins.
<This sounds perhaps like "skin slime disease" - caused by protozoan parasites,
likely Hexamita, or possibly Ichthyobodo (Costia), Childonella, Trichodina....
All should respond favorably to Metronidazole administered in food.
Metronidazole can be found made by Aquatronics (Hex-a-Mit, green or blue box)
and by Seachem (simply Metronidazole).>
I have a 55 gallon aquarium. Temp is at 86 degrees. Nitrates, nitrites and
ammonia are ok. Ph is at 7. I've been doing a 20 - 25% water change daily, and I
added 8 tablespoons of aquarium salt to the water. Please let me know what else
I should do....
<A good start - and may in and of itself effect improvement or cure. I would
still treat with Metronidazole in food.>
Thank you sooooo much, Anna
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
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