How pH would affect HITH desease is unclear. Fish vulnerable to HITH are almost exclusively soft water fish that include Oscar, Discus, Angels, Geophagus from SA, and Gourami from SE Asia. Hard water fish like Rift Lake cichlids and central American cichlids rarely get them. Marine angels area also vulnerable to HITH, but not other coral fish. So there has to be fish species specific vulnerability. Fish kept in planted tanks also rarely reported to suffer from HITH. It's uncommon hear Oscar kept in a planted tank but not getting HITH may have to do with the plants.
Tiger Oscar HITH problem
- Thread starter Kakarot305
- Start date
Actually the current O tank is the first planted tank I've had. And it is largely an experiment to see if I can have a plnated Oscar tank or if the plants will have to go later. When we talk about hard water there are many factors. Since pollution is one of the theoretical causes of HITH, it may have something to do with specific types of pollution which may vary in different sources of hard water.
As far as certain species only getting HITH, It does seem limited to only certain fish, but why is beyond my scope of understanding at this point. I imagine when we find an accurate cause and cure, we will then find out why only certain fish get it.
dave
As far as certain species only getting HITH, It does seem limited to only certain fish, but why is beyond my scope of understanding at this point. I imagine when we find an accurate cause and cure, we will then find out why only certain fish get it.
dave
To say that pollution will cause HITH contributes little to solve the HITH mystery. Pollution is the underlying cause of many deseases. Although Rift Lake cichlids don't develop HITH, they are susceptable to bloat with bad water quality. Perhaps pollution can prevent HITH because it will cause the demise of many fish before they have the chance to develop HITH. To be skeptical, I've heard people who kept Oscar in apprently clean wate with frequent water changes still troubled by HITH and they theroized it to genetic factors.
Toger 15,
I would tend to agree with you to an extent. It has always struck me as ODD that I have never had a case of HITH develope on any of my fish. I have however adopted several that had it, and in some cases they lived in the same tap water region I did. For most of my Oscar keeping days, I did not supplement vitamins, although I have always fed a variety of food, and used a good quality prepared food for a staple. I do use feeders, but not as a staple diet.
I really agree with the genetic pre-disposition idea, but proving that one would be a very difficult and long term experiment. I tend to lean more towards the nutrition side of the argument with genetics having a strong influence. Similar to Diabetes in Humans.
Either way the one thing we seem to all agree upon is that clean water, and good nutrition will help the situation both before and after HIth shows up.
I make the claim that I have never had a case of HITH develope in my fish, and at the same time, I gaurd against it and watch for it constantly. It is something I worry about regularlyAnd expect someday I won't be able to make that claim any more.
My thought with the pollution idea was maybe one specific factor such as a heavy metal etc. might contribute to the onset.
I would tend to agree with you to an extent. It has always struck me as ODD that I have never had a case of HITH develope on any of my fish. I have however adopted several that had it, and in some cases they lived in the same tap water region I did. For most of my Oscar keeping days, I did not supplement vitamins, although I have always fed a variety of food, and used a good quality prepared food for a staple. I do use feeders, but not as a staple diet.
I really agree with the genetic pre-disposition idea, but proving that one would be a very difficult and long term experiment. I tend to lean more towards the nutrition side of the argument with genetics having a strong influence. Similar to Diabetes in Humans.
Either way the one thing we seem to all agree upon is that clean water, and good nutrition will help the situation both before and after HIth shows up.
I make the claim that I have never had a case of HITH develope in my fish, and at the same time, I gaurd against it and watch for it constantly. It is something I worry about regularlyAnd expect someday I won't be able to make that claim any more.
My thought with the pollution idea was maybe one specific factor such as a heavy metal etc. might contribute to the onset.
If genetics is indeed a factor, it could have something to do with inbreeding and the lack of a diverse gene pool from wich these "pet store" Oscars come from. I wonder if wild-caught Oscars would be more or less suseptible to HITH in the confines of an aquarium?
I have wondered the same thing, I have a wild caught Oscar currently, and he is the first one I've ever owned. He doesn't have the personality of a tank bred fish, but he is healthy and hardy so far. He is extremely skittish which is something I don't like but hopefully he'll grow out of it. Being a wild caught fish, I am interested to see how he developes compared to the tank bred animals I've owned in the past.
Dave
Dave
