Hole in the head Channa

[Atrox]

Have you tested your water?

No

If I did not test my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

11-20%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Hello

My Channa has gotten holes in the head, I have tried a cure of Aquarium Münster Hexamor, it does not seem to have any effect at all, I have posted a picture that was taken 10 days after the cure, and since medicine for aquariums has been banned in my country, and therefor hard to get a hold of, I have no idea what to do.

Also, I found out that the medicine I tried was expired for 2 years.
Does it lose effect when it’s expired?

i do use teststrips in my water, and the water should be very clean

Kind regards

 

[FJB]

With all respect, 11-20% water changes weekly sounds grossly insufficient. I would guess that has contributed to the declining health of your fish, and it should be one of the main items to consider improving.
In addition, the white things on the anterior part of the fish may not be hith, but instead something along the lines of lymphocystis. I don’t know for sure but it does not look like hith. Others may be able to offer suggestions for treatment. Good luck.

 

[Erilc]

Hi! Have you been able to solve this? My channa pulchra has something that looks exactly the same.

 

[jjohnwm]

With all respect, 11-20% water changes weekly sounds grossly insufficient. I would guess that has contributed to the declining health of your fish, and it should be one of the main items to consider improving.
In addition, the white things on the anterior part of the fish may not be hith, but instead something along the lines of lymphocystis. I don’t know for sure but it does not look like hith. Others may be able to offer suggestions for treatment. Good luck.

While I agree with this ^ statement, I can understand why and how the OP came to the conclusion that his/her water change schedule was adequate. I have read on several occasions how Channa species are found in nature in water that most people would be horrified to have in their tanks, and how a great many experienced keepers in some parts of the world seem to be frightened into a state of apoplexy by the mere idea of changing their water.

Here's a thread from awhile back here on MFK; I questioned the idea of no water changes and was quickly told I didn't know what I was talking about. I couldn't argue too vehemently; my Channa experience is limited to one species (microlepis) kept many years ago, back when tanks literally squirming with huge numbers of tiny bright-red microlepis young were a common sight in any aquarium shop. I kept them like any other fish, i.e. with plenty of water changes and clean water. The "experts" in that thread and elsewhere said that was wrong:

Post in thread 'My cobra snakehead has stopped eating'

Jun 10, 2022

I believe in most fish preferring clean water, but not snakeheads, as they seemed to have evolved to survived in conditions that is uninhabitable for most fishes, because if they evolved that way, and then us humans anthropomorphize them, thats actually going against nature and i personally try to avoid going against what nature intended, Another reason for totally no filter would be for some snakeheads having super high flow filter you can actually see them being stressed and displaying signs of sickness. Or having poor development of wild physical attributes like the marulioides...

• jjohnwm

• 

I was instantly attracted to this new thread because the idea that HITH would or could be an issue with fish that apparently can survive and thrive in slightly diluted urine was interesting. I look forward to some other perspectives from folks with a lot more experience with Channa species.

Lacking that, my advice would be to keep your water clean, clean, clean as a first step towards solving this...or any other...problem.