Hole In the Head

E

eLeMaE

AC Members
Aug 23, 2004
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Kentucky
Well, he is starting to get it, I checked nitrate levels and they were about 60ppm. I did a 75% water change and vaccuumed the gravel, this brought it down to 0-20 ppm. I'll be checking it daily from now on.

I want to try the epsom salts, but I dont know how much to put in per gallon. Any other thoughts or ideas besides massive water changes?
 
what kind of fish???
are you feeding it feeders???
if so STOP unless you raise them your self.
Also I've had fish with HITH and large amounts of water changes seem to help.

How do you normally do water changes?? most people do them once a week.
 
No, I never feed it feeders, it is a four inch Oscar. His diet includes Wardley cichlid flakes, Hikari cichlid pellets, nightcrawlers, waxworms, and crickets.
I had got a used tank for him and I think that it was a bit nastier than I thought. It LOOKED good, but you can never tell by looks. (I finding this out the hard way). Anyway, he's been in it for about a week, and this is the 2nd water change I've done.
 
First thing first, I'd skip the epsom salt personally, you are on the right track with the nitrate reduction via water changes. next step vitamins. I use liquid Centrum from the drug store, I soak the fish food in it untill it is well saturated and then feed my fish. If he is already developing hith, you will want to give him vitamins every day until it's healed up, and then keep him on a twice a week vitamin diet. It's a bit late for this, but twice a week vitamins will help prevent/ ward off HITH as well. Here is one of the better articles I've found on hith, It a tough one but certainly not unmanageble
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/hith.shtml

Good luck
Dave
 
Thanks for the replies and the article..... The disease isn't bad yet, and I'm hoping to clear it up befor it gets worse. Oscar still hasn't adjusted to his new home, so his eating has been hit-and-miss, sometimes he will, sometimes he won't, but I will try the vitamins...

That article was VERY informative...... Again, thank you!
 
Something I've found that works especially with the juviniles is to put the staple food in a cup, add a very small amount of frozen brine or bloodworms, and then cover the mess with vitamins and let it soak about 15 minutes. the frozen brine or bloodworms seem to add enough flavor to counteract the vitamins. kind of like 1/2 tsp of bacon grease on dog food that your dog doesn't like. The dog thinks he's got a whole bowl of bacon.
 
:laugh: Well its a good thing you posted that! He spits the pellet right back out like a kid not eating his veggies! I'll have to try the frozen goodies...
Did a 50% water change again yesterday, the nitrate level was going back up. I hope I can get this stuff licked... I'm certainly not giving up!
 
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