Flowerhorn and Hole in the head

[Vixor]

Few weeks ago, I had to cut off a tumour on my flowerhorn( which is growing back again). After that he stopped eating, and he got HITH. I can't get rid of his HITH problem. I used metro+ and took out the carbon, none of them worked. The flowerhorn use to eat cichlid excel, cichlid gold, cichlid bio gold abd cichlid staple. I change the water 2-3 times a week and I haven't seen any signs of improvement. What can I do to get rid of the HITH?

[Diann62]

Just a question...........did you cut that off yourself?

[jpappy789]

What are your exact ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings?

HITH is hard to diagnose as there are no studies that pinpoint exact causes for the disease. Poor diet and water quality seem to be the most common theories for the reasons behind HITH. Unfortunately I do not know enough about FH's and their needs to point out anything wrong...

[Vixor]

yea i cut off the flowerhorns tumour myself.

[dent20]

How deep is it? From my very limited experience with it there seems to be a point of no return. I've had cichlids with a nick on their head that heals quickly with treatment and one that had a deep wound that wouldn't heal.

[Pittbull]

Possible euthanize may be the current path..

If you cut out a true tumor and not a fatty deposit than more than likely you didn't get the whole tumor which could be well down inside the head region in any case if your fish is experiencing secondary issues the humane thing to do is euthanize to prevent further suffering..

[petluvr]

I am having the same problem with mine now to. I also am using metro and WC's daily but it seems to not be helping-although I have only been treating him for less than a week. If I do not see improvement within a week I will euthanize him to end his suffering.

[Rallysman]

I've never seen a flowerhorn with HITH. Clean water and a varied diet will cure the most prone fish (oscars), so I'm sure it would work with a flowerhorn as well.
As far as killing it for having HITH...Don't. It takes a long time and a lot of stress or neglect for a fish to get HITH. It takes even longer to cure it.


Also, do you have pictures of the "tumor" is it a chance that it was a natural growth??

[petluvr]

I am not convinced that HITH is caused by ANY of the common beliefs. My FH has HITH and he is in a 55 with an M. Callainos and a Jewel cichlid so no stress. WC's and gravel vacs AT LEAST once a week. I have determined mine was caused by the fact that he will eat nothing other than bloodworms. Poor water quality and neglect is used as an excuse when the TRUE reason behind something is not known IMO.

[RiftLakeRosco]

vitamin c. hith, as i understand it, is a vitamin c defiency. caused by over loading the diet with protien and nothing more. (feeder fish seem to be the major factor) seen most in oscars whose owners chose to feed them only fish and lacked proper w/c's and such. liquid vitamin c in the water. tablets dissolved in the tank, or vitamin c soaked food will help it along. no matter what u do, it is going to take awhile to get him healed.
now.... i am curious. how exactly do u know what u cut off was a tumor??? i hope u are aware that f/h's grow a large hump of fatty deposits on their head as a natural thing. i hope you didn't start slicing your f/h's head for no reason.....
don't mean anything by this comment, just making sure the "tumor" you cut off wasn't a natural growth...

[lucy42083]

So, how exactly did you know this was a tumor and not just a natural growth of fatty deposits? And how did you go about removing it? Do you have pics?

[Rallysman]

I am not convinced that HITH is caused by ANY of the common beliefs. My FH has HITH and he is in a 55 with an M. Callainos and a Jewel cichlid so no stress. WC's and gravel vacs AT LEAST once a week. I have determined mine was caused by the fact that he will eat nothing other than bloodworms. Poor water quality and neglect is used as an excuse when the TRUE reason behind something is not known IMO.

I was putting lack of varied diet into the neglect category. Do you have pictures of the FH that has HITH? I'm just curious, I've never seen one with it.

[petluvr]

I was putting lack of varied diet into the neglect category. Do you have pictures of the FH that has HITH? I'm just curious, I've never seen one with it.
Here is a pic of mine. unfortunately I euthanized him this morning. He has been laying on the bottom of the tank and swimming straight up and down for two days, I couldn't stand to see him suffer any longer.

[Rallysman]

Wow that's strange. Maybe it was just genetically weak or something too..
Was the HITH the only thing wrong with it, or was there another sickness that caused the stress and then the HITH?

[petluvr]

Sorry but i am not really trying to hijack this thread:) HITH was the only thing that was wrong with it but i have read that this particular strain, pearl of the orient, is a very stressed fish by nature.