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Is Holes in the head a bacterial infection or a sign of Deficiency disease (disease cause by the fish lacking important minerals)?

In any of the case....what is the most effective way to treat the disease on a 10cm Aulonocara?

NH4 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 30ppm
ph - 8.2

Thanks for any advice!

It is a topic of debate and has not been proven one way or another.

What is known is that fish which do contract the disease will be able to be put into remission, but will be susceptible to outbreaks the rest of its life.

There are commercially available medications, but it is often recommended to just keep the fish in as immaculate of water quality as possible, remove all stressors, and feed well.

When I last treated it I did the medications (HITH specific and melafix to prevent scarring), vitamen/mineral supplements, higher quality feed, and twice weekly 40% water changes with treated water. It took one week to get 1/4 inch craters down to 1/8 inch and another week for it to be barely perceptable on the head region. Within 3 weeks there were no signs and no scarring.

Goodluck,

Koi

Empty chairs at empty tables, the room silent, forlorn.

Hole in the head means that there is some parasites in your tank what is it an oscar or somthing big?

HITH does not mean there are parasites in any tank...

The parasite, a protozoan, Octomita necatrix, is sometimes mentioned but no one has yet proven the exact cause.

I would follow Koi's regimen to combat HITH. It will work.

--garyroland.