hole in head problems (seemed like the best forum since i only seen cichlids have it)

[syddakyd]

they say feeder fish is the main cause of Hole in head but i have 2 parrot cichlids. one i had for 6 years....i was in 10th grade when i got it and i graduated in 03.

anyways, its diet is mainly prepared foods but a large variety. freeze dried krill/plankton....flakes, hikari cichlid pellets, algae wafers...etc.

sometimes cooked shrimp or other things.


anyways...for the past 2 months i noticed it started happening and now it is worse. i have a python so i do water changes and have alot of water movement.

the only fish in that tank are 2 parrots and an african knife. the parrots bodies are the size of a hand (minus the fingers) and the tank is a 40 breeder. they have plenty of room so i know they aren't overstocked.


wtf do i do

[jpappy789]

Can you post your water params? how often do you change water and how much?

[ansbfish]

I've read it can be caused by high nitrates, so I agree, params might tell you something

[syddakyd]

i only change the water if it looks slightly cloudy. other then that i just top off. i vacuum out the poop and stuff with my python though.. i do changes about once overy 1-2 months. that seems like very little but i have not that much of a bioload in the tank plus like i said i got the filters and powerheads.

[syddakyd]

also i forgot to mention i had fish for so long and never had this problem before. can its age be playing a role in this?

[zoowks]

nitrates may have built up, and might be ots thats brought on hith, 1-2 months for a water change is a long time even with a low bioload, especially if its not planted

[jpappy789]

I agree. Even low bioload tanks need to be at least monitored for build ups of nitrates and 1-2 months without a water change will certainly result in too much. All fish poop and all that waste releases ammonia, which progresses through the nitrogen cycle. The only way to rid of nitrates (minus plants) is by changing out the water.

High levels are dangerous...do you have a test kit?

Also, did you cycle??? That is very important.

[syddakyd]

yea i cycled and they have been in this tank for about 6 months.


yea i guess i should stay on top of those water changes but now that i think about it, i used to have alot of plants in the tank but i took them out and put them in the 30tall b/c i wanted to have a full planted tank.

i had sand in the 40g with the parrots. it keeps plants anchored with large fish but at the same time it was a pain. right now the tank is "barebottom" with just a thin (say 1 mm) layer of sand for aesthetics. there is a piece of driftwood and two rocks.


maybe i can just get some java fern and tie it to the wood.

[ansbfish]

The filters wont remove nitrate the only way to remove it is via water changes and plants

Plants would be good, but I'd definitely step up the water changes to pretty frequent to try and get their conditions better, and then you can maybe ease up to a little less frequent

I'd also start testing nitrate, so you can know for sure what's going on in your tank

[jpappy789]

Again...do you have a test kit? I cannot stress enough how important it is to monitor water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ect...) especially if you have an illness in the tank.

I hope I am not sounding too pushy but it really is important.

[ansbfish]

Just to add, if you don't have a test kit, they can be had online for less than half the cost($13 vs $30-40) of B&M retailers (petco/petsmart etc)

[pinkertd]

Definitely sounds like a water quality issue. That's way too long between water changes even with a light fish load. Hole in the Head is caused by Hexamita, a flagellated protozoan that is found in the gastrointestinal tracts of many fish species. Even healthy fish can carry Hexamita. If the water quality drops or if your fish is weakened by some other problem, Hexamita can spread from the intestines via feces in the water and attack the outside of the fish. A small sore will form above the eyes of the fish and eventually grow in to a large hole. Large fish species are more prone to hole in the head disease especially large cichlids. Clean water and diet are the two main factors in treating HITH. It is a symptom of malnutrition and high nitrates. A lot of people recommend treating it with metronidazole (flagyl). You need to watch for secondary infection of the wounds. You should be replacing at least 25% of the tank water every week, and vacuum the gravel at the same time to help keep all your fish healthy and reduce nitrates.

[syddakyd]

no i dont have a test kit and thanks for the advice pinkertd

[pinkertd]

Hope they get better for you. Start changing out water every day for now, but no more than 25% so that you don't shock them with water conditions going from very old bad tank water to new tank water. I would do that every day for a week. Make sure the temperature of the new water going in matches the temperature of the tank water. Then drop it down to 3 water changes a week for a couple of weeks and see if the holes look to be getting smaller. I've never had it but I think it takes a while to heal completely. Fresh water to them is like fresh air to us after having been in a closed stale room for a while. And the clean water will help to prevent a secondary infection from setting in.

[ScottyNorq]

I change the water in my tiger oscar tank every week. If i did a water change once every 2 months my oscar would certainly be dead.

[reptileguy2727]

Can you describe the holes? Are they shallow and wide or deep and narrow?

Either way Metro+ along with an improvement in water quality and diet is about all you can do.

I highly suggest looking into New Life Spectrum fish food. They have a nice nutrition article on their website. It is the only thing I feed.