Hole in the Head disease

[stripes]

Can someone please tell me more about this disease in Angel fish.

What cause this?

[veegal]

I thought it would be easier to understand by taking this from a book....

Taken from The Manual of Fish Health (Dr. Andews, Exell, and Dr. Carrington).


Hole-in-The-Head Disease:

Caused by:
The flagellate protozoan, Hexamita, is usually involved. (This is known as Octomitus).

Obvious symptoms:
Small holes appear in the body, especially the head region, which gradually develop into tubular eruptions. Very often, yellow, cheesy strings of mucus will trail from the lesions, leading some aquarists to believe that their fish are suffering from "worm infestation."
Affected fish often go off their food and develop a hollow-bellied appearance, with pale, stringy feces. Lesions may also develop at the base of the fins and near the lateral line. Somewhat similar symptoms occur in a disease known as "head and lateral line erosion" (HLLE), which often affects marine fish such as surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae).

Occurrence of the disease:
Hexamita often exists as a low-level infection in the intestines of a variety of coldwater and tropical fish, notably affecting cichlids- such as Discus, Angelfish, and Oscars-and gouramis. Such infestations proably do the fish little harm. However, various factors, such as overcrowding, low oxygen levels, and unhygenic conditions, changes in temperature and poor diet, may cause the parasites to multiply and then develop the acute symptoms described above. HLLE may be a complex disease syndrome related to poor diet (lack of Vitamin C), as well as environmental factors.

Treatment and control:
The best way of treating hole-in-the-head disease is with medicated food. Unfortunately, affected fish often stop feeding and it is difficult to mix medicated food on a small scale. Fortunately, there are a few drugs which may be added to the water of the tank. Among these are dimetridazole and metronnidazole.

I recently got my metronidazole from my local pharmacist without a prescription - try your pharmacist and tell them it is for the treatment of fish.

Hope this helps.

[JayMeister]

i heard if you put mecura crome on the sores it cures HITH

[Carping]

Do these parasites that Angels have effect any other fish outside of the cichlids families ?

[Zafgak]

J the mecurachrome is a fallacy - probably do more harm then good.

[JayMeister]

yeah i thought so