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Oh no! I think that my beautiful dwarf gourami may have hole-in-the-head. Here is the best photo It looks like a small whitish crater.

I have had him for about three weeks. He is about 2.5" in length. I have not observed any changes in behavior. He is still very active and has a good appetite. His coloring is brilliant. He always comes to the glass to greet me.

He shares a 42-T gallon tank with 2 keyholes (about 1.5" each), 2 blue rams (about 1" each), 4 mollies (about 2.5" each), 1 swordtail (about 2" ), 1 platy (about 1" ), 6 kuhli loaches (about 2.5" each), 5 dainty cories (less than 1" each), and four otos (about 1.5" each). The tank is well planted and has rounded fine gravel substrate.

I do 25-30% water changes weekly and use RO water. I add freshwater aquarium salt and BioSpira as directed on the packaging. I also add a mineral supplement to replace the minerals stripped during the RO process. The water parameters are tested weekly and there haven't been any alarming readings in four to five weeks. I feed them tropical flakes, shrimp pellets, and dried blood worms twice a day.

On a side note that may or may not apply, about a week ago I noticed that the swordtail had a few white spots on his fins. Following the advice of my lfs owner I gradually increased the temperature from 79F to 85F over a period of 3 days. I have also been leaving the tank lights off, inducing a "quiet time" for the fish. Because of the loaches and cories I have been treating the tank with half-doses of RidIch for five days. The swordtail seems to be improving and I haven't noticed any spots on any other fish. No other fish shows evidence of HITH either.


Current water parameters are:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: < 0.5
Nitrate: < 20
pH: 6.8 - 7.2
Temp: 85F

What should I do? Can I treat this? Will it be fatal? Is it contagious?

Any info is welcomed!

Thanks.

Last edited by zoeandmaia at 12-Feb-2005 05:17

Hasn't anyone out there had any experience with this disease? I'd really appreciate some advise.

thanks.

Keep an eye on the nitrites. It looks like you've finished cycling, assuming this tank is fairly new and you do have appreciable nitrates.

Was there any mark at all on the fish in that area when you received him? Are you sure it is recessed? I must admit, I'm not knowledgeable about compatibility of some of the fish you have and am wondering if he took a poke or two on the head, if he wandered too close to someone's territory.

If it is HITH, there are varying theories out there. Among the latest is that the fish are losing out on critical nutrients, possibly due to an overabundance of hexamita in the intestines. Many fish have them, but if they get out of control, they cannot absorb nutrients as readily. High nitrates are thought to contribute as are one-sided diets. You are feeding a varied diet, provided the food is opened less than 60 days. Some researchers have zeroed in on specific nutrients and there are even recipes available on the net for you to make your own mix in like a knox gelatin.

The pits can get infected and can emit a slime that may even resemble worms and in some cases, worms may actually inhabit the pits, but they are not considered the cause. It is best to have an antibacterial in the water to help keep the pit from infecting. I would use Pimafix and Melafix.

You can feed the fish the new Jungle Anti-Parasite Medicated Food if you would like to provide metronizadole orally as it is effective against hexamita in the intestines. This new food is most available at PetSmart. It's not a cure-all, but one thing you can try. As it states in the article, some find luck with the drug, some don't.

Here you go and note the recipe link in the article:

http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html

Diane




Last edited by Cory_Di at 12-Feb-2005 18:40