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| FAQs on Freshwater Head & Lateral Line
Disease, HLLE, HITH (Hole In The Head)... 2
Related Articles:
Head and Lateral Line Disease (HLLE),
Freshwater Diseases, FW
Disease Troubleshooting, Ich/White Spot
Disease, Freshwater Medications,
Related FAQs: Freshwater
HLLE 1, & FAQs on FW HLLE:
Causes/Etiology,
Cures,
Non-Cures, FW Case Histories,
SW Case Histories, & Marine HLLE:
HLLE 1, HLLE 2, HLLE
3,Nutritional Disease,
Aquarium Maintenance, Freshwater
Medications, Freshwater Infectious
Disease, Freshwater Fish Parasites, Ich/White
Spot Disease, African Cichlid Disease 1,
Cichlid Disease,
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Tank help
Cichlids With Hole-In-The-Head 7/1/09
Hello WWM crew, My name is Ryan. I was referred to your site from Brian
MacDonald "The Fishman".
He came out to look at my tank and get my water chemistry back on track, (my
pH and alkalinity were always bottoming out) which we got to a 7.0 for pH
and a good rating (120-180) for the alkalinity. My tank is 210 gallons, with
2 Xp4 Filters (added an extra one almost 2 weeks ago now as per Bob's advice
to Brian) 2 Power heads, 2 heaters. Water temp is always 80. One of the
filters has a snorkel attachment on it which I use on full tank till I get
any scum on the surface then I switch it for about 30 min to full skim then
put it back, while the other Xp4 has the factory blue downspout.
My Fish include: 2 Tiger Oscars, 4 Jack Dempsey (3 female 1 male, which have
had eggs 3 times now) 2 Green Terrors, 1 Convict, 1 Green Severum, 1 Parrot,
1 Royal Pleco, and 1 Leopard Sail-fin Pleco.
2 Pictures of my tank with the canopy off are on Brian's site
http://www.carefreeam.com/testimonials.html (these pics were taken before I
added the 2nd filter)
I feed them Hikari Bio Gold Large pellets, Hikari Gold smaller pellets,
Tetra Pro Flakes (the ones that don’t break apart) Hikari Blood Worms,
Sally's Brand Frozen Krill, and Hikari algae wafers for the Pleco. I feed 2
times a day the pellets (which I switch up day to day to keep them
interested) and sometimes instead of pellets the second time of the day I
will add one of the frozen food, a few blood worms or some krill. When I
turn off the lights I wait for about an hour and then I will throw in some
algae wafers, but that is only maybe 2 times a week.
Also I feed them live earthworms as a treat when I get them from the
gardens, with my worm catcher. My cleaning schedule is 2 times a week Monday
and Thursday water change and gravel clean, service the 2 filters every 2
weeks, and change the micro filter pads and the 4 bags of carbon (2 in each
filter) every month to a month and a half depending on how dirty they both
are in the rinse off process.
I was using a lot of Cycle product but after reading on your site I have
stopped using it and as well as the Nitra Zorb pouches I was using in the
past.
(Great info on your site)
Now with the stepped up water and gravel clean, those two products are not
needed. Thanks for saving me lots of money.
OK after all of that back story this is my problem, after keeping the tank
nice and clean and doing this scheduled maintenance for about 2 months now,
If and when would I notice the fish to recover from Hole in head disease?
The 2 Tiger Oscars were given to me around a year ago, and they were kept
for about 7-8 months in really poor conditions at the other guy's house,
which I rescued them from. They both were in bad condition, but the whole
time I have had them they have come back and have grown double in size. They
both suffer from Hole in Head disease, and I am worried my other fish will
get it or are getting it from them or my water. Brian suggested that I send
in some pics and contact you guys direct for some help because he thought
with my new schedule of water cleaning, they should have started to heal up.
Also I forgot to say but every month I add some API aquarium salt to help
them with the electrolytes and healing. I am including 4 pictures of close
up night shots so they aren't moving, 1 of the 2 Oscars which you can see
there hole in head, 1 of the Severum with a line running down his body I am
not happy with, 1 of the female Dempsey with the same
line forming as the Severum and 1 of my bigger Green Terror who never seems
to heal his 2 Pectoral fins, and he has them always ripped and fluttering.
Every time one side seems to heal for him his other is torn. So thanks for
letting Brian know I needed better
filtration already. I am so glad to have people who know what they are
talking about helping me since I was lied to and pretty much screwed by the
Big Al's people of Brampton into spending about $2000 in chemicals and Nitra
Zorb and Cycle and pretty much anything else they could sell me, and not
ever get my tank into proper standing, as your site and Brian's help did. So
Please let me know what to do from here, and thanks again.
< Check the nitrates regularly. You are feeding lots of different foods
which is very good, but these materials create lots of nitrogenous waste.
The ammonia and nitrite concentrations should always be zero. The nitrates
should always be under 20 ppm. If the levels exceeded this limit you need to
do more frequent water changes, change more water when you do your water
changes or reduce the bioload by having fewer fish. The alkalinity issue you
are having may be a sign of your problem. You fish may not be getting enough
calcium in their diet. I have a theory that calcium is not found in soft
acidic water. Fish found in these areas need to get the calcium from their
diet since there is none to be found in the water. If you water is very soft
and you have alkalinity problems then the problem may be that their is not
much excess calcium to build and replenish bone structure. The skull is s
very large bone on the fish and may be the first sign of a calcium
deficiency. Many people who make their own fish food have added calcium to
their fish food recipe and have had some success. Many of the foods you are
feeding are very high quality but usually have high protein amounts that
encourage grow. Growing fish need lots of calcium for growing bones. You
could try to add some crushed coral to the tank to increase the calcium
content of the water and try to get the alkalinity up to 200-300 and see
what happens. This disease is very common on large new world cichlids but
seems very rare on African Rift lake cichlids of similar size. The pH of the
lakes is well above 7 with alkalinity well above 300. Some treat the fish
with Metronidazole. This may he a case of treating the symptoms and not the
disease.-Chuck>
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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>
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Old Frontosa With Hole In The
Head 06/03/09
Hi guys, I have a frontosa. He is about twelve years old. I have medicated
him with every thing I can think of, Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole. If I
am not mistaken it is hole in the head?, You cannot see it very well in the
picture but that is a deep hole on the side of his face not just surface.
and he also has transparent grape like clusters by his eye and his face is
pitted pretty bad, am I right about the hole in the head?
< That is definitely Hole-In-The Head.>
He has had this for a about two years, I have been thinking about putting
him down with Finquel. I am sending you some pics. If the pics are to big,
please let me know and I will try to make them smaller. Thank you Michelle
W.
< Thanks for the pictures. Your frontosa is very old and may not respond to
the medication. First lets start with the water quality. The ammonia and
nitrites should be zero. The nitrates should be under 20 ppm. The pH should
be as close to 8.0 as possible. The water temp should be around 82 F. The
diet should include a high quality pellet with fish meal as a major
ingredient. Now that he is sick you should try and feed him some medicated
food with Metronidazole in it. Your fish has been sick for a very long time
and his age makes recovery a very slow process. You used the right
medications, it is just that in hard alkaline water these medications are
not as effective.-Chuck>
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Hole in the head?? Angelfish with Internal Infection
2/20/09 Hi Folks; I love your website. A goldmine of information I
wish I knew about a year ago. My problem- I have an angel fish who started
acting lethargic, and would float around the corners of the tank (55 gal) at an
angle. I didn't know what to do, so I hoped it would just pass. I waited two
days and my wife noticed a red spot near his gills that is now a hole. Two
days after I first noticed his symptoms, I found your site. I immediately setup
my old 20 gal as an emergency hospital tank. I couldn't wait for cycling so I
transferred him. < Usually cycling is not needed because if you do medicate
the tank, the treatment would affect the bacteria anyway.> Before I
transferred him he had taken to lying on his side in the tank. I have removed
the carbon filter from the hush 35 filter I use for that tank and medicated with
Jungle Tank Buddies Parasite Clear, as it contains Metronidazole (which you
recommend).Since transferring him, I can't say he is any better but he also
doesn't seem to be worse. If I tap the tank gently, he gets up and swims around
for a couple of minutes and then settles in again. I am unsure of how to
proceed, what to watch for. or if he will make it. He came from my 55gal tank
(which I have also medicated the same way. I have noticed some different skin
markings on one of my Gouramis and one of my Bala sharks. History of the 55
gal tank is good. I almost always do a 20% water change every week. I did miss a
week just before I noticed my angel fish acting strange. I keep a computer log
of all my water readings, observations and treatments and I have a full year of
data. My pH occasionally drops to 6.0 in a week, but usually only drops to
6.3 I try to maintain 6.8 to 7.0 My ammonia is almost always 0, same for
nitrites. My nitrates usually climb to 20 or 30 in a week, but the water change
seems to correct that. My water is almost always crystal clear. I use a penguin
350 filter with bio-wheels to keep the water clean. I have a leopard Plec,
another Plec I inherited from my daughters tank (pepper Plec I think) a small
striped orange and black algae eater, 3 Bala sharks, 2 Gouramis, a red tail
shark 2 neon tetras and 3 fish I don't know the names of (sorry). Feeding has
always been Nutrafin flake food and occasional freeze dried bloodworms. In the
last 2 months, I have twice put zucchini in the tank, and today a small piece of
carrot. < The squash and carrot contain land based plant cell walls that may
not be digestible by the angelfish. If the fish cannot digest these things then
bacteria in the gut start to work on them. This may cause an infection and a
blockage. This may be the cause of the problem.> I think that the tank has
been well looked after and maintained, and because of that I rarely have to add
anything but tap water conditioner and Prime (by Seachem) at water changes. I
keep the 55 gal tank at 76 F and my emergency hospital tank has been 78 to 79 F.
I am currently raising this to 81 F because I understand that the angel fish
will do better in the warmer water. Can you see anything I have missed? I
tried to find Jungle hole in the head treatment, but it is not available in
Canada. Regards Floyd Abbotsford BC < I would recommend using
Nitrofuranace in addition to the Metronidazole. The Nitro is a wide spectrum
antibiotic that may be absorbed into the fish.-Chuck>
Hole in the head?? FW Angel, dis. 2/20/09
Hi Folks; <Floyd> I love your website. A goldmine of information I wish I
knew about a year ago. <Ahh!> My problem- I have an angel fish who started
acting lethargic, and would float around the corners of the tank (55 gal) at an
angle. <Unusual beh.> I didn't know what to do, so I hoped it would just
pass. I waited two days and my wife noticed a red spot near his gills that is
now a hole. Two days after I first noticed his symptoms, I found your site. I
immediately setup my old 20 gal as an emergency hospital tank. I couldn't wait
for cycling so I transferred him. Before I transferred him he had taken to lying
on his side in the tank. I have removed the carbon filter from the hush 35
filter I use for that tank and medicated with Jungle Tank Buddies Parasite
Clear, as it contains Metronidazole (which you recommend). <Yes> Since
transferring him, I can't say he is any better but he also doesn't seem to be
worse. If I tap the tank gently, he gets up and swims around for a couple of
minutes and then settles in again. I am unsure of how to proceed, what to
watch for. or if he will make it. <Mmm... best to wait at this point... Am
suspecting something internal... not really/easily treatable>
He came from my 55gal tank (which I have also medicated the same way. I have
noticed some different skin markings on one of my Gouramis and one of my Bala
sharks. History of the 55 gal tank is good. I almost always do a 20% water
change every week. I did miss a week just before I noticed my angel fish acting
strange. I keep a computer log of all my water readings, observations and
treatments and I have a full year of data. My pH occasionally drops to 6.0 in
a week, <Mmm, I'd be bolstering the alkalinity. Please read Neale's excellent
piece here re: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsoftness.htm and
the first linked FAQs file at top> but usually only drops to 6.3 I try to
maintain 6.8 to 7.0 <This is a huge variation in a week... Again, I'd avail
myself of a simple prep. even just Baking Soda...> My ammonia is almost
always 0, same for nitrites. My nitrates usually climb to 20 or 30 in a week,
but the water change seems to correct that. My water is almost always crystal
clear. I use a penguin 350 filter with bio-wheels to keep the water clean. I
have a leopard Plec, another Plec I inherited from my daughters tank (pepper
Plec I think) a small striped orange and black algae eater, 3 Bala sharks, 2
Gouramis, a red tail shark 2 neon tetras and 3 fish I don't know the names of
(sorry). Feeding has always been Nutrafin flake food and occasional freeze dried
bloodworms. In the last 2 months, I have twice put zucchini in the tank, and
today a small piece of carrot. <Ah, good> I think that the tank has been
well looked after and maintained, and because of that I rarely have to add
anything but tap water conditioner and Prime (by Seachem) at water changes. I
keep the 55 gal tank at 76 F and my emergency hospital tank has been 78 to 79 F.
I am currently raising this to 81 F because I understand that the angel fish
will do better in the warmer water. <Yes...> Can you see anything I have
missed? I tried to find Jungle hole in the head treatment, but it is not
available in Canada. <Is largely Metronidazole/Flagyl as well... Again... am
suspecting that this Angel has other than an Octomita/Hexamita issue. Only time
can/will tell here.> Regards Floyd Abbotsford BC <Thank you for
sharing, writing so well. Bob Fenner>
Follow-up to hole in the head?? question 2/22/09
Follow Up Treatment of Angelfish Thank you for your responses. I
went out and bought Furan2, it contains Nitrofurazone (couldn't find a treatment
with Nitrofuranace). I medicated with 2 capsules of powder ( the recommended
dose on the label). I also bought a general and carbonate water test kit.
General hardness was 3.92DH and the KH was 40mg/L as CaCO3. I will stay on top
of the situation and hopefully save my little angel fish. Observation - after
the Metronidazole treatment but before Nitrofurazone treatment, I found he had
even less energy, but seemed to be gasping a little bit less. Also, his sense of
balance seems to have improved slightly. I hope the resolution of this problem
helps others as well. I had no idea that the pH swings were caused by poor
reserve of alkalinity. Regards Floyd Abbotsford, BC Canada < The
medications will take time to work. The Furan II should be as effective against
internal bacterial infections. Go back to the WWM page and search alkalinity to
give you some idea on where you are.-Chuck>
Help with sick Severum
Severum Starting To get Hole-In-The-Head 9/9/08
Hi, I have a 200 litre aquarium which has 5 angels, 1 Oscar, 1 silver
shark, 1 bichir, and a breeding pair of Severums.
All fish are totally fine expect for the Severum which has been getting
strange white bumps around his eyes and on his head for the last few
days. I have attached a picture, I wonder if you could advise what is
wrong with my fish and how to treat it?? Many thanks Jason Ingold
< It looks like you Severum is showing the first signs of
Hole-In-The-Head disease. After the pus filled blisters pop a hole is
left in its place. The holes continue to grow eating away the skull.
There are some ideas to what the cause of this disease could be but no
exact pathogen has been identified. The stress of breeding could have
weakened your fish and made them vulnerable. If it was my fish I would
place it in a hospital tank with clean warm(82 F) water. Treat the tank
with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. If the fish is still eating then
feed a medicated food with Metronidazole in it. Generally I would try to
improve the diet with a quality pellet food. If you fish is still eating
I would try a little trick I stumbled on a few years ago. I had an south
American cichlid like yours that just started to get the disease but was
still eating. He especially love black worms. I took the portion of
black worms in a little plastic cup with some water and medicated the
worms with the dosage of Metronidazole. The worms died right away and I
quickly fed them to my fish. The fish were unaware that the worms were
dead and ate them all up. The lesions turned black the next day. I did a
major water change, cleaned my filters and got some fresh fish food that
was high in vegetable matter. I felt that this would provide the
minerals my fish may have been missing. Hope this helps.-Chuck> |
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Cichlid problem, hlth.
8/17/08
Hello again,
My T-bar cichlid has got hole in the head, all my fish are scratching,
twitching and have all there fins down.
<Likely caused by Hexamita, and almost always trigger by environmental or
dietary deficiencies, i.e., overcrowding, high nitrates, lack of fresh
greens. Treatment is only possible via Metronidazole, couple with correction
of water quality/diet.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
>
They are all eating normally except my T-bar with hole in the head and they
have been doing this for 3 days now and they have no signs of any spots so
it cant be white spot.
<Hexamita is most common when cichlids are overcrowded. Quite possibly
latent in all cichlids, when their immune system becomes weakened the
Protozoans spread from the digestive tract into the body and out to the
lateral line. It's the ones in the lateral line that cause the distinctive
pits and lesions.>
What could be wrong with them all?
Thanks
<Review environment, diet, and act accordingly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: cichlid problem 08/18/2008
Hello,
When you said "review environment" what did you mean? My tank has lots of
bogwood and a few plants with fine gravel.
Thanks.
<Simple. Take a look at all the requirements for the fish you have. Look in an
aquarium book (or search this web site) to find out more about each species.
Note things like water chemistry (pH, hardness), diet, space requirements,
compatibility with other fish, etc. Write all these things down. Then compare
them to the environment in your aquarium. Any differences between what your fish
need and what you are providing will be likely sources of potential problems.
Also check nitrite and nitrate; nitrite should be zero at all times, and with
cichlids nitrate should be as low as practical, ideally less than 20 mg/l.
Cheers, Neale.>
What type of filter media should I use? (RMF,
comments on Hexamita, carbon?) 7/13/08
I have been searching for many answers in your forum for the past
few days, and I must say "thank you" for all of this information. I have
answered most of my questions using the search. To explain myself, I
would like to give a little background.
<Ok.>
A friend of mine moved out of the area and asked me to take his
aquarium. There is one very large Oscar in a 35 gallon Hex aquarium with
an Marineland Emperor 280 power filter.
<Ah, first problem: the tank is _way_ too small for an Oscar, arguably
even for a juvenile, let alone an adult. A tank twice this size would be
much more reasonable. All cichlids are sensitive to dissolved
metabolites -- that means ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. So you need
both good filtration (to deal with the nitrite and ammonia) and aquarium
capacity to dilute the nitrate. Water changes of 25-50% per week are
needed to further dilute the nitrate. Without this sort of regimen,
cichlids are extremely prone to disease, especially Hexamita and
Hole-in-the Head.>
The Oscar started getting HITH disease even though I do weekly water
changes and according to my LFS, all tests show very good water quality
for this type of fish.
<There you go. Am I good or what? The point here is that the tank is too
small. While it is (theoretically) possible to keep cichlids in small
tanks by doing massive (e.g., 90%) water changes on a daily basis, the
only practical way to keep them as low-maintenance pets is to use a big
tank so that water changes can be spaced out.>
I read on your pages about Oscars that HITH may be caused by stress from
the aquarium being too small, as well as the use of carbon.
<Both these things have been cited in the past as possible triggers. But
the balance of opinion nowadays relates HITH to the protozoan Hexamita,
an organism that probably lives harmlessly enough in the digestive
tracts of many aquarium fish, including cichlids. But when conditions
decline, e.g., nitrate exceeds 20 mg/l, the fish's immune system stops
working properly and the Protozoans can spread, causing harm. The
precise symptoms depends on where the Protozoans end up, which is why
Hexamita and HITH had been considered separate diseases for a long time.
Both diseases fall under the category of "easy to prevent, difficult to
cure".>
My friend, and now myself, has always used Marineland Diamond Blend
Filter Media in the Emperor 280's media basket…which is carbon and
ammonia remover combined.
<Not a huge fan of chemical media, either carbon or zeolite, in
freshwater tanks. Neither serves much purpose when compared with the
much bigger benefits obtained by doing large (50% weekly) water changes
instead. Zeolite is doing something your filter bacteria is doing
anyway, so is utterly redundant except in tanks (e.g., hospital tanks,
sub-pH6 tanks) where it isn't possible to use biological filtration. In
the past the theory was carbon removed dissolved organics from the
water, letting you minimise water changes. When I started in the hobby,
"old water" was recommended for freshwater fish, with aquarium books
often suggesting 10-25% water changes a month as reasonable. Over time
the dissolved organics made the water more acidic and gave it a yellow
colour. If you do big, weekly water changes, none of this happens, so
the carbon is redundant. Furthermore, to actually work properly, carbon
needs to be replaced at least monthly, something hardly anyone in
freshwater fishkeeping does. So all you get is carbon behaving as an
(admittedly reasonably good) substrate for filter bacteria. Instead I
would recommend using exclusively top-notch biological such as Siporax
together with mechanical filter media that can be cleaned/replaced
according to your budget. You should also have a filter offering not
less than 6 times (and ideally 10 times) the volume of the tank in
turnover per hour (irrespective of the "recommended aquarium" size
offered by the manufacturer of said filter, as these assume best-case
scenarios of tanks with small, clean fish like Neons).>
I purchased a 75 gallon aquarium, and an additional Emperor 280 power
filter. I plan to use both of the 280 filters on the 75 gallon.
<These filters offer filtration of 280 gallons per hour each, and for
your tank I'd recommend at least 450 gallons per hour total and ideally
up to 750 gallons per hour. With big, messy fish -- the more the better.
I am not wild about hang-on-the-back filters though because they don't
seem to be as flexible as canister filters. I want filters that can have
the inlet and outlet put where I want them, not limited by the design. I
don't like filters that use proprietary "modules" either -- I want to be
able to put whatever media I want in the filter. Hence I'd always
recommend a decent canister filter such as the excellent value and
highly reliable Eheim 2217. At about 260 gallons per hour, two of these
would provide adequate filtration and three would provide excellent
filtration. They are basically empty buckets into which you cram in
whatever media you want. For an Oscar, a mix of sponges/filter wool for
solid waste and then lots of ceramic noodles for biological filtration
would be ideal. Eheim filters may be slightly more expensive than
generic Chinese brands, but they last forever (or at least 10+ years)
and such spare parts as you might need (like the rubber seals that will
wear out after a while) are cheap and easy to obtain.>
From the reading on your site, I have used water from the old aquarium
in the new aquarium.
<Makes absolutely no difference. The bacteria are not in the water
column or even sitting on the gravel (much) but in the filter media.
Unplug a mature filter from one tank and connect it to another tank with
similar water chemistry, and you it will carry on working perfectly. You
can also donate 50% of the media from a mature filter to a new filter to
instantly cycle the new filter without causing any harm to the mature
filter.>
I also placed the new filter on the old aquarium in order to ready the
new filter's bio-wheel.
Since you do not recommend carbon in a freshwater aquarium, and this
could be causing the HITH disease, what would you recommend I use in the
filter media baskets?
<As stated above.>
Also, the Marineland "Rite-Size E" filter cartridges come packed with
activated carbon. Should I slice these open and remove the carbon?
<Nope. Just consider them money down the drain. Or at least that's how I
view them. Activated carbon is a posh way of saying "charcoal", and a
great way for manufacturers to sell you something at a premium that
costs very little to make. These "filter cartridges" are overpriced for
what they are anyway, and that just adds insult to injury. Over the long
term, a plain vanilla canister filter into which you can add whatever
media you choose will work out so much cheaper, as well as working MUCH
MUCH better.>
Thank you for all your help,
Jay
<Cheers, Neale.> <<I am in agreement.
RMF>>Re: What type of
filter media should I use? - 07/13/08
I understand what you are saying about filtration, but given my budget
and what I have already spent, do you think the two Emperor 280's
hanging on the back plus one Eheim 2217 (as you suggested as a good
canister) would suffice for this 75 gallon with the one large Oscar? The
280s come with empty media chambers and I will pick up Siporax as you
suggested to fill these with. The Eheim is 260gph and the two Emperor
filters are 280 each. This would bring my turnover to approx 820gph
(manufacturer spec).
Thanks again,
Jay
<Hello Jay. What you propose should work. But you'd want to be clever
about where you positioned all these filters to that they weren't all
pumping water around just one end of the tank. With big aquaria, it's
important to make sure the bottom of the tank receives lots of water
current. So perhaps you'd arrange the Eheim so the spray bar pushes
water downwards rather than forwards. Even better (and not expensively)
you could couple the canister filter with an undergravel filter plate to
create a "reverse flow undergravel" filter. This works by the filter
pushing water into the filter plate via what would ordinarily be the
uplift. The water then comes upwards through the gravel, further
supporting nitrifying bacteria and incidentally also keep the gravel
much cleaner than otherwise. While not much used nowadays, undergravel
filters work amazingly well, and provide good water quality at low cost.
A 75-gallon tank should work nicely for an Oscar (or a mated pair).
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: What type of filter media should I use? - 07/13/08
Thank you for the quick responses and for the great information. I would
have never thought about using an undergravel filter to create uplift.
<Used to be very common during the 1980s, and much appreciated in tanks
such as Mbuna systems where you want to combine good biological
filtration with the chemical buffering provided by a calcareous
substrate. Out of fashion nowadays because undergravels generally don't
work with plants, and that's the direction advanced freshwater hobbyists
tend to go.>
The Emperor 280 filter's water intake tubes have a dual intake. I will
have one at each end of the 75g aquarium, so water will be pulled into
the filter from the bottom and middle of the tank and at both ends.
Should I position the Eheim pickup in the middle of the aquarium near
the water surface?
<Without seeing these filters _in situ_ it's difficult to make any
pronouncements here! But here's my test. Put individual flakes of food
in the aquarium at different positions and depths. Watch the flakes
drift around. If they move about constantly wherever you put the flake,
then you're fine. If they collect in certain corners, then you have a
"dead patch". If you find the flakes drift slower at some points than
others, you have inconsistent water flow. In either case, review the
position of the inlets/outlets and try again. As always, theory is fine,
but actual experimentation is better!>
Maybe even build a skimmer box that the Eheim pickup could pull water
from in order to clean the water surface??
<Largely a waste in non-planted tanks. Surface skimmers are great for
removing bits of leaves and such that float about. In non-planted tanks
this isn't an issue. Rather, your problem is going to be faeces and
uneaten food collecting on the substrate. Water changes will help (stir
the gravel a bit each time) but my "tip of the day" is to buy a turkey
baster. These are great for spot-cleaning waste in large tanks. Cheap
and very effective. Also very useful for catching fry and separating
eggs from mouthbrooding fish. No aquarist should be without one!>
Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Jay
<Cheers, Neale.>
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My Frontosa, HLLE tissue damage
- 7/1/08
Hi, I wrote you before about my Front, Georgie and his
hole-in-the-head problem, and that I treated him with Medizole and
Furnace, I then noticed it looked like fungus so I treated him again
with just the Furnace, It looked like it went away but his holes
didn't look any better, so I then treated him with some medication
called Hole-in-the-Head by JUNGLE, and he still looks like this, is
there any hope?
<To heal the wounds from the neuromast destruction? Mmm, yes... with
time, good nutrition, water quality...>
( I sent you a couple pics) I have had him for a long time( we think
he is around thirteen years) and he has always been healthy but know
I am at a loss, usually when I treat my fish I have good luck if I
catch it right away, I am sending you a few pics and see if you can
see what you think,
Thank you for your time,
John Cline
<Have seen worse cases remit. Do try feeding Spectrum pellets
exclusively, being religious re weekly water changes... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs3.htm
and the linked FAQs files in this series above. Bob Fenner>
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POSSIBLE DISEASED GOURAMIS, HLLE – 06/28/08
Hi Team,
I currently have a 35 gallon tropical tank, PH 7.2, Ammonia = 0, Nitrite =
0, Nitrates = 10-20. I have 2 Pearl Gouramis, 1 male and one female and both
have small holes around the top half of their head around the eyes and 'nose'.
They are not filled with puss etc. They are empty like bore holes.
<Sounds like Head & Lateral Line Erosion disease (HLLE), a syndrome that
may, or may not, be related to the Hexamita parasite. I would treat for Hexamita
anyway, and also review water chemistry/quality.>
The male is a much paler colour than normal.
<Again, consistent with HLLE/Hexamita.>
The female still looks a normal colour. The holes are only on the Gouramis.
All other fish seem unaffected (1 queen arabesque Pleco, 1 Betta, 9 neon tetras,
1 swordtail).
<Hexamita/HLLE doesn't affect all fish species equally strongly. Cichlids
are by far the most prone, but Gouramis can develop the symptoms too. I've never
heard of Catfish, Livebearers or Characins developing the disease. This isn't to
say they don't, but it isn't common.>
I feed them on Tetra Pro flake food/varied sinking pellets and a weekly
treat of frozen daphnia or brine shrimp. I would guess that this is hole in the
head disease from the info on your site but I change 10-20% water weekly and
feed high quality and varied food so I am not sure how this would have happened
as this often relates to poor water.
<Indeed this is the case. But the infection can be latent in store-bought
fish, only to develop a few weeks or months after purchase. Inbreeding may
weaken the immune system of some fish species. Nitrate is likely the triggering
factor with cichlids, but 20 mg/l nitrate is "safe", so not really sure what's
going on here. Regardless, treat first, worry about the science later.>
Is hole in the head disease infectious??
<Not really, no; Hexamita quite probably sits inside the guts of most fish
harmlessly, and only causes problems when their immune systems are otherwise
impaired. If it is in your system, then all fish have been exposed, so isolating
any one fish won't make a huge difference. Since only certain fish develop the
disease (or diseases) there isn't any need to worry about the catfish, tetras,
or livebearers. By all means isolate the fish if it makes treatment
easier/cheaper, but beyond that there's no overbearing reason to do so.>
Are my other fish likely to catch it from the Gouramis??
<Possibly the Betta.>
Are there any treatments available in the UK that you could recommend??
<Yes. eSHa make something specific for Hexamita/Discus Disease. Not used it
myself, but I rate their other medications very highly.
http://www.eshalabs.com/hexamita.htm
>
Or is it maybe too late to save them??
<Fish can, do recover from Hexamita provided they are treated and properly
fed/maintained.>
I would like to treat the entire tank anyway if poss. as a precaution.
Thanks
Brian
<Cheers, Neale.>
".... like I need a hole in my head."
Hi!
<Hello!>
I appreciate your time and any help or expertise you can offer. I have a 4.5
inch discus that we treated for hole in the head last month, it had white pussy
matter coming out of holes above the lateral line.
<Sounds classically like hole-in-the-head indeed.>
We treated with Paragon II and it cleared up after 2 rounds of medication. Now
a month later it has started again. Will this keep coming back do I need to
retreat?
<I would re-treat, but with Metronidazole in food rather than in the water.>
Is there a better medication that you can purchase at a pet store that you would
recommend?
<Metronidazole can be found under the name "Hex-a-Mit" (Aquatronics). It would
be best to administer this via food, *not* just in the water, as the package
directs. Perhaps try mixing it into a frozen food (er, thaw the food to mix it
in, then re-freeze). Aim for about 1% medicine by weight.>
We are currently feeding quite the variety of foods so I would find it hard to
believe it is from a vitamin deficiency.
<Might be worthwhile to look into vitamin supplements anyway.>
Lastly what is the minimum size you would recommend for a hospital tank, we just
put our 75 gallon tank away and aren't too excited about setting it back
up.
<For a single, 4.5" discus? You could manage with something even as small as a
10-gallon tank (or even Rubbermaid container), if necessary. A 20g might be a
little more suited to a good sized fish like that. Be sure to provide something
for the fish to hide around and feel safe. PVC pipe elbows are good for this,
and cheaper than plastic plants. Wishing you and your discus well, -Sabrina>
HLLE, Oscars, Etiology, Cures
Hi Robert...
<Hello>
I am sure with the volume of mail that you receive, you don't recall who I am.
I had the two gold Oscars that had HLLE.
<I recall>
Though I followed everything that was explained to do, tonight I lost one of
them.
For some reason, this one just did not respond to anything I did. The other
seems to be at least remaining the same, if not slowly healing, it is difficult
to tell.
I have some generic questions that I have found no answer to.
Is HLLE an actual disease, a skin condition, a bacteria, or most importantly,
contagious?
<There are a few theories as to root causes of HLLE... most favor nutritional
deficiency syndromes (mainly vitamins, iodide/ine)... some suggest protozoan
involvement (esp. Hexamita spp.), others stray electrical potential (sellers of
grounding probes), general "poor water quality"... Myself? I believe the first
is a principal cause with all others being contributory. Please read through
"the three sets of factors that determine health" piece here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm
For a "more rounded" view/glance of what goes on in the real universe>
Everything I've read says that it cropped up about 15 years or so ago, and the
likely hood of the causative action being Hexamita is slim.
<Was about way before this time... know because I was there...>
As this is what killed one of my Oscars, I would like to know more about what it
actually is.
<I understand your provocation... treatments more often kill off livestock...>
You spent a great deal of time working with me on fixing this problem, and I
truly do appreciate it.
<An honor to help>
One just didn't have it in him to make it though. I still have hope for the
second one.
Thank you again
cj.
<Please do read over the HLLE FAQs and environmental disease sections on the
Marine Index part of our site (WetWebMedia.com) as well. The same etiology/ies
for marine fishes pre-dispose them to this "disease". Bob Fenner>
C.J. Moody
Re: Cichlid i.d., Vitamins, Iodide/ine
I am sure I am about to drive you crazy.... but....
<<Mostly there already, no worries>>
>Do you mean that I can actually buy baby vitamins for human babies and use
them??
><<Yes, the actual molecules are identical>>
How do I know how much of this to give them? Should I treat the food with the
same amount as listed for an infant?
<<Hmm, a "few drops" total (irrespective of food amount, size of system) will be
sufficient and no problem...>>
>However, I know that table salt does have iodine in it. If I were to put a few
teaspoons of table salt in there, would this be a bad thing or a good thing?
><<Better than nothing>>
Sounds a bit ominous... Will track down some of the advised product:)
<<Ah, good>>
Thank you again:)
cj.
C.J. Moody
<Be chatting. Bob Fenner>
Re: Cichlid i.d., Vitamins, Iodide/ine
>>1 random cichlid [about the size of a convict]
>I would like to figure out what this cichlid is.
><Oh yes: fishbase.org The family cichlid is quite large... maybe start with
Spilurum, the various re-do's of the genus Cichlasoma... and a very large pot of
tea/coffee (to stay up late). Have fun.>
*Thank You*!! I may well find out what she is with this:)
<<Yes... a long, but fun search>>
><The same causative mechanism/s exist in both marine and freshwater... lack of
essential nutrients>
Can I overdose them on vitamins?
<<Yes, this is possible... not practically though...>>
><There are prep.s that are made/labeled for fishes et al. aquatics, but the
compounds involved are the same as for tetrapods (like you and me), so "baby
vitamins" (liquids) will do...
Do you mean that I can actually buy baby vitamins for human babies and use
them??
<<Yes, the actual molecules are identical>>
> or pet-fish ones like Micro-Vit, Selcon... Add these to the food a few minutes
before offering.>
Yesterday I bought something called Hex-a-Vital, and it is a vitamin product
that specifies treatment for HLLE.
I can see a difference in one of them, but the other still looks fairly nasty.
<<This "curing process" takes weeks to months generally. Be patient>>
In this product is A, D3, C, E, Calcium Phosphorous and Calcium Carbonate.
There is no iodine.
<<I would find a source and apply it. Lugol's Solution will do, potassium iodide
would be better>>
However, I know that table salt does have iodine in it. If I were to put a few
teaspoons of table salt in there, would this be a bad thing or a good thing?
<<Better than nothing>>
I have always understood that iodine will kill fish, which is why one should use
rock or aquarium salt.
<<Hmm, much to say here... Iodine (the element) is indeed toxic... Iodide (same
element, different valence state) is a way to supply this essential nutrient...
not toxic in small concentrations>>
><Me too... do try the vitamins... they can/will effect a reversal at this
point. Bob Fenner>
I can tell there is an improvement.
You are a wonderful person, taking the time to work with me on this. Thank you
so very much.
cj.
C.J. Moody
<You are welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>
Hole in the head
Hi from Australia,
I have a problem with my tropical tank so first some background info (sorry,
this could take a while); It's a 55gal and has been up and running for about 3
months with an Eheim 2229 wet/dry, It has been on 0 nitrites, nitrates and
ammonia all the time (had LFS double check this), the ph has been 7 constantly.
The tank is well planted and the plants are healthy and growing well (I used
undergravel plant tablets for them).
I introduced my fish slowly first 8 Neons, one week later 4 dwarf Gourami, 2
weeks later 3 small bristlenose, 1 week later a small angelfish and a pearl
Gourami all the time maintaining zero levels of everything.
<This all sounds very good>
First one of my dwarf gouramis got bloat and died, research done so more varied
diet (peas, flake food, mosquito larvae.) introduced and reduced amount of
feeding. By the way weekly water changes of 1/4 have been going on since 3 weeks
in.
<This is probably a bit much on the water changes. If you want to do them weekly
cut them back to about 10% unless you notice your levels start to rise.>
Then introduced Siamese fighter, (2 weeks later) left the tank in fathers care
for 3 days when I returned it was hanging on the surface and looked like its
fins were all stuck together, it refused to eat and consequently died and when I
took it out I noticed blood oozing from its fins (the fish was a red colour so I
didn't notice earlier) there was no evidence of damage to the fins though, up
until then it had been very happy in the tank exploring and eating fine (Betta
bits+mosquito larvae).
<Sounds like he might have died of septicemia. Info here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm >
Now to the current problem, one of my other dwarf gouramis has hole in the head,
the LFS had given me tablets to treat the previous bloat problem and they said
this is also for HITH, I can't remember their name but they were large white
tablets, sorry I'm sure that doesn't help much.
<Unfortunately, I don’t know what the tablets would be. Possibly Maracyn but
there are others that look similar. And without knowing what they are I can’t
tell you much about their use.>
I put 15L water from the tank into a bucket with some plants and a heater I
worked out the tablet dosage as 1 per 25L as they had told me to put 10 in my
240L tank for the bloat so I put 1/2 a tablet dissolved in the bucket and left
the fish in their overnight by morning it was swimming erratically and blowing
bubbles at the surface, I immediately moved it to the old tank and it is almost
back to normal now. Does it look like I could have overdosed the fish? The
dosage for the bloat in the 240L (55gal) was 10 tablets every day for 3 days
than a 50% water change.
<You said you put in plants and a heater but did you put in an airstone or pump
or anything? If not, this is probably what was making the fish go crazy instead
of the medication.>
What is happening to my fish? My LFS has no idea they say HITH and bloat are
often caused by stress but with few fish, many plants and excellent water
conditions I doubt it. The gouramis do occasionally chase each other but not
excessively. The fish are neither fat nor thin so I must be feeding the right
amount of food.
<Most diseases can be brought on by stress but that’s not always the cause. And
even just the introduction of a new fish can cause stress. Imagine you live
alone in a 4 bedroom house. Someone you don’t know moves into the house with
you. You still have plenty of room, the air is still good, you have plenty to
eat, but you’re still nervous right? It’s the same thing for your fish. So this
could have been triggered by stress even though their conditions are excellent.>
Could there be any other problems with my water? I use 1/2 rainwater, (very
alkaline) and 1/2 bore water (very acidic). Are there any other tests I could
carry out?
<This should be fine as long as you are acclimating all of the fish to it
slowly.>
The only thing I know I have done wrong is not having a quarantine tank so I
went out and bought one yesterday and I will not introduce any more fish without
quarantining them first.
<Good. I would isolate the guy with the HITH and medicate him in that tank.
Don’t put him back in your main tank until you know he’s completely well again.>
Sorry for the long e-mail but I'm at my wits end I have told this story to 3
different LFS and none of them have a clue what is happening. Thanks Emma
<Well, I hope I was of some help! Ronni>
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