Effectiveness of treating Hole in Head Disease
No, it's not me
My local cichlid dealer said that treating Hole in Head disease is a waste of
money, by the time they develop actual holes it has progressed to the point that
the fish will either die or the parasite will complete a life cycle and die
itself. Does anyone have any experience treating this disease and what was the
outcome? My cichlid is a non-expensive Geo S. but he's the biggest in the tank
and my personal favorite.
Gordon Parr
No, it's not me wrote:
>
> My local cichlid dealer said that treating Hole in Head disease is a waste of
> money, by the time they develop actual holes it has progressed to the point that
> the fish will either die or the parasite will complete a life cycle and die
> itself.
I have used clear iodine in the holes of discus as well as oscars that cleared up
totally. It is worth the try if you can find the clear iodine and not colored.
Dan Winfield
In article <32815D...@visi.net>, Gordon Parr <gp...@visi.net> wrote:
>
>I have used clear iodine in the holes of discus as well as oscars that cleared
> up
>totally. It is worth the try if you can find the clear iodine and not colored.
I heard of Iodine too.... How is it applied?
On the fish itself or so much per gallon
Thanks,
Dan
Nathanael Henderson
: I have used clear iodine in the holes of discus as well as oscars that cleared up
Glad your fish recovered. Since the cause of HITH is not definatively
known, I'd recomend the following shotgun type aproach:
Get the tank as clean as you can and KEEP it clean. If that means
daily or even twice daily water changes, do it. (This is very important,
IMO. If the water is discolored or smells, or if there is much crap on the
bottom, it needs more cleaning/water changes.)
Treat for Hexamita (just in case it is involved.)
Add vitamin supliments to your fish food. Many proposed causes of
HITH involve nutritional deficiencies, and even if this is not the cause
fish will heal faster and resist disease better if given plenty of
vitamins, particularly large amounts of vitamin C.
HITH is not always (or even that often) fatal, although recovery will
take some time. Attempting treatment is NOT a waste of time, IMO.
Nathan H.
Nathanael Henderson
: My local cichlid dealer said that treating Hole in Head disease is a waste of
: money
I dissagree. (Well...depending on the case. Some fish aren't worth
saving from a purely financial point of view.)
: by the time they develop actual holes it has progressed to the point that
: the fish will either die or the parasite will complete a life cycle and die
: itself.
Nonsense. HITH is hardly a death sentance, and fish even with
horrific looking craters in their flesh can be sucessfully treated.
The parasite in question (Hexamita) may not even be involved, and at
any rate it most certainly will NOT die off of it's own free will--it must
be killed by treatment and/or be overcome by the fish's immune system.
: Does anyone have any experience treating this disease and what was the
: outcome? My cichlid is a non-expensive Geo S. but he's the biggest in the tank
: and my personal favorite.
If properly taken care of, the fish usually recover or at least
stabilize, allowing them to live out their lives. I hadn't planned to
put this out quite yet, but since there seems to be a lot of curiousity
about this ailment, here's my rough draft of a Hole-in-the-head FAQ:
******THE HOLE-IN-THE-HEAD/LATERAL LINE EROSION FAQ (ROUGH DRAFT)******
***DISCLAIMER: Although I have tried to cover the subject thoroughly
and accurately, my resources are limited, and mistakes do happen.
As such, any and all feedback, criticisms, suggested additions or
changes, additional references or suggested lines of inquiry, etc.
are greatly appreciated. This is very much a work in progress. :-)
CONTENTS:
What is Hole-in-the-head/head and lateral line erosion?
Is HLLE dangerous to my fish?
What causes HLLE?
-Hexamita species
-The calcium/phosphorus deficiency theory
-The vitamin C deficiency theory
-The vitamin D deficiency theory
-The stress theory
-The carbon theories
How do I treat HITH/HLLE?
Q: What is Hole-in-the-head/head and lateral line erosion?
A: Hole-in-the-head (HITH) and Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) are
two terms for the same problem--skin depigmentation and the formation
of holes, ranging from pin-hole sized to large craters, in the head
and along the lateral line of fish. Freshwater HLLE is most
commonly found in the larger South American cichlids, particularly
discus, oscars, and Geophagus species.
Q: Is HLLE dangerous to my fish?
A: HLLE is a chronic disease, meaning that it's presence is not fatal
in the short term. However, affected fish will eventually become
anorexic and lethargic, and the open lesions can easily become
the source of secondary bacterial and fungal infections. (1) E.
Noga speculates that these secondary infections may be the ultimate
cause of death in fish with HLLE.
Q: What causes HLLE?
A: Nobody knows. :-P There is not enough research to authoritatively
say what causes HLLE, HOWEVER, there are several theories:
HEXAMITA SPECIES: These flagellates can cause problems in tropical
fish, but their association with HLLE is not conclusive. It is
suggested that they may spread through the fish's system, causing
damage directly (1), or interfere with absorbtion of nutrients,
with the malnutrition of the fish being the actual cause of HLLE. (2)
In favor of this theory is the presense of Hexamita in many fish with
HLLE. However, cases of HLLE with no Hexamita present indicate that
while Hexamita may be one cause of HLLE, it is unlikely to be the
only cause. (Which supports the theory that HLLE may be caused by
some nutritional deficiency or stress, since either can occur
independant of the presense of Hexamita.)
THE CALCIUM/PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY THEORY: HLLE may be the result of
deficiencies in these minerals. This theory is supported by low
levels of calcium/phosphorus in affected fish and reports of adding
calsium/phosphorus supliments being beneficial to the recovery of
fish with HLLE. It is suggested that the deficiency is caused by an
infestation of Hexamita interfering with absorbtion of nutrients. (2)
That most flake and pellet foods provide a great deal of both
minerals, yet HLLE occurs in fish on such diets provides additional
support for the Hexamita and vitamin deficiency theories below.
VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY: It has been noted that adding vitamin C can aid
in the recovery of fish suffering from HLLE, leading to speculation
that lack of vitamin C is the original cause of the disease. While
vitamin C is very important to the immune system and the healing of
wounds, fish fed vitamin C deficient diets show no signs of HLLE
but do show gross deformities not found in HLLE affected fish. (3)
Because it is such an important vitamin in the recovery from
illness and wounds, adding a vitamin C supliment to the food of
fish being treated for HLLE is recomended.
VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY: Insufficient levels of vitamin D have also
been proposed as the cause of HLLE. This theory has a certain
'neatness' to it, as vitamin D has been identified as the
precursor to a hormone important in maintaining levels of
calcium and phosphorus in the blood and bones (3) which explains
low levels of both minerals in affected fish. In support
of this theory are reports that adding D to the diet of fish
with HLLE is beneficial (2), as well as observations that exposure
to ultraviolet radiation (which is used to manufacture D in
the fish's skin) may be beneficial. (4) Since little vitamin D
is found in most ingredients of fish foods, vitamin D should
be added as a supliment in most commercial fish foods. (3)
Like vitamin C, however, HLLE has NOT been produced in the
laboratory as a result of feeding vitamin D deficient diets.
THE STRESS THEORY: HLLE has also often been associated with poor
tank maintenance, and been suggested as a reaction to chronic
stress. (1) This could occur as a result of higher
nutritional needs while under stress not being met, or by
simply weakening the fish to the point where they are vulnerable
to infections like Hexamita (or other unidentified pathogens.)
My personal experience supports the association with poor
water conditions, although antecdotal evidence is always
somewhat suspect.
THE CARBON THEORIES: There are several theories that the use of
activated carbon in tanks may cause HLLE.
One version of this theory is that the carbon could
be causing nutritional deficiencies by adsorbing vitamins or
trace minerals either directly from the water, or by adsorbing
molecules that the needed nutrients could then bind to. This
theory, however, has several problems:
1. There aren't any vitamins in tap water to begin with.
2. Minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron should be
available in large quantities in most dry fish foods.
Additionally, it is reported that fish rely on food
for nutrients, trace and otherwise, making the presence of
vitamins in the water irrelevent (4) although fish have
been shown to be able to extract various minerals from
the water (calcium, iron, zinc, etc.)
A second carbon theory is that some types of carbon may
release toxins which cause HLLE. Perhaps a more specific
version of this theory is that some poorly manufactured carbons
might release chemicals that cause stress to the fish. (See THE
STRESS THEORY.)
Another theory is that loose particles of carbon dust in the
water have some caustic affect, but there is no support for this
scientifically that I have been able to find.
All carbon-related theories regarding the cause of HLLE suffer
from one other significant shortcoming: HLLE can be found
in tanks which have never had carbon of any sort used in them,
and is not found in many tanks using large ammounts of carbon.
While it remains possible that carbon may be involved in some
cases, there is no reason to believe it is a factor in most cases,
if any. There is no sound evidence for a link, or even a logical
specific theory--at best, the carbon-HLLE theories amount to a
handful of individual cases where HLLE was seen in tanks using
carbon, but appeared to improve after the carbon was removed.
Since there is little to no information on what other steps where
taken in the treatment of the HLLE, the association with carbon
is rather suspect.
ASSORTED THEORIES: Electrical currents in the tanks, a virus,
and a few other factors have also been suggested as causes of
HLLE. No data available on their likelyhood as a factor.
Q: How do I treat HITH/HLLE?
A: Lacking a solid answer as to what causes it in the first place,
I would recomend all of the following:
1. Keep the tank as clean as possible. The water should be clear
and not smell, and the bottom should be regularly cleaned, with
frequent water changes (and I do mean frequent--at least every
few days or even daily.) If your tank is anything less than
the ideal environment, it's time to get religion. Try to provide
as clean and stress-free an environment as possible at all times,
not just when your fish actually get sick.
2. Treat for Hexamita. Given the frequent association of Hexamita
with HLLE, this seems like a prudent step to take, and if nothing
else, it can help with other or secondary infections. Treatment
with Metronidazole orally and/or by adding it the water is
suggested. (Metronidazole is used in most hole-in-the-head
medications.) Also suggested are giving magnesium sulfate
orally, and raising the tank temperature to 95F (35 C) for
seven days. (1) Many commercial products like CLOUT and
Hex-a-mit are also available for treating Hexamita.
3. Add vitamin supliments to the food. Since calcium and potasium
should already be well supplied by most dry foods, adding vitamin
C and D is probably a higher priority. (And don't go overboard with
it! Overdosing fish with vitamins isn't good for them either.)
Odds and ends: Giving the fish a tank that recieves direct sunlight
for sythesis of vitamin D MAY help. Carbon should be removed from filters
IF MEDICATION IS BEING USED so it does not adsorb the medication. Given
the lack of support for the proposed carbon-HLLE link, I don't see
any sound reason to stop using carbon as a routine practice.
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Sources:
1. "Fish Disease--Diagnosis and Treatment", Edward Noga, published by
Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1996.
2. "Discus Health", Untergasser, TFH Publications, 1991.
3. "Nutrition and Feeding of Fish", Tom Lovell, published by Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1989
4. Leo Morin (Seachem), personal communications. (10/96)
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Nathan H.