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Hole in the head? Or a parasite.

B

brittlebonez

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
so my green terror that I’ve had for about 3 years now seems to have developed what I think is hole in the head he’s had it about 5 days now.
When I found it I went to my local fish store and talked with people online I want some other opinions. The store said it’s a parasite, and to dose prazipro and melafix, which I am currently it’s not getting worse but it dosnt seem to be getting better. I’m currently doing a water change before another dose.
The tanks parameters are
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 33
Ph 7.6
TDS 600 i live in az and the water here is hard I’ve used prime to chlorinate as I have this whole tanks life. The nitrates spiked about a 6 months ago to 100 (I had 4 Oscar’s)


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Looks like HITH

RD.

Thread 'HITH - Revisited'

Over the years numerous things have been blamed as the cause of Hole in the Head disease in fish. While this is still a confusing subject among hobbyists one thing has become clear, the pathogen responsible for the ulcerated pits in the head and body of ornamental freshwater fish with this condition, is Spironucleus spp., in ornamental warm water fish, the culprit is typically Spironucleus vortens.


Water quality can often be a stress trigger among many species of fish, with excessive stress creating a lowered immune response which in turn opens the door for protozoa to proliferate to...
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Agreed, HITH.
Get some metronidazole soaked food if the fish is eating. Metro is the drug of choice for HITH.
I’m personally not a fan of melodic & prazipro is for flukes and tape worm predominantly.
Try to keep your nitrates <20 for a month or so and add salt at 1tbsp/5gal for secondary infection prevention and reduced bacterial load in your system 👍🏼
 
HITH is a bacterial parasite.
Unless you get to, and address the source of the problem, it will reinfect (no matter what med you use).
The usual source of HITH, is too few water changes that allow nitrate to elevate, and pathogens to overcome immunity,
To me any nitrate levels above 5 ppm are too high.
In natural waters where Andinoacara live, nitrates are almost undetectable, such as are the rivers where I collect Andinoacara coeruleopunctatus
Nitrates tested in the rivers where I collect, in the right tube

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My tanks average nitrate test reslts below from my Andinoacara tank.
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Agree with lower nitrates, all diseases are triggered by stress. The only parasite that I am aware of being associated with HITH is spironucleus vortens. See link above to previous discussion.
 
That's a nice looking GT, Its a shame he has what looks like HITH. What size tank is he in? Tank Mates?
I've been keeping large cichlids for over 20 years I've never used any chemicals except salt 3 80% WC a week, IME cures most of the issues that people come here with like HITH, ICH
 
troublesum said:
That's a nice looking GT, Its a shame he has what looks like HITH. What size tank is he in? Tank Mates?
I've been keeping large cichlids for over 20 years I've never used any chemicals except salt 3 80% WC a week, IME cures most of the issues that people come here with like HITH, ICH
Click to expand...
just checked back on the forum i thought i responded he has been in a 210 gallon his whole life since he was 2 inches, i def got lazy with water changes for some time and with 4 oscars and him in it. the nitrates got to about 100 and ive been bringing them down now to about 30 where its been for about 6 months noticed he had gotten it and is now in a 30 gallon with general cure a heater and a sponge filter its not getting much better he went through 2 doses of metroplex and just got a 50% water change and general cure just went in hoping he pulls through. not eating yet but still swimming around as much as he can in a 30 hoping for the best
 
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