FishProfiles.com Message Forums

My friend has a 10 gallon tank with 3 gold fish, a betta and a pleco. I believe that the pleco is a sailfin pleco. It appears that the pleco has hole in the head disease. I have not laid eyes on the fish since it has gotten sick. Is it possible for this to happen since I have read that it is prevalent in cichlids. What kind of advice can I give him to help cure the fish. Also, the fish is a juevenile and is being moved into a 180 gallon tank. Is it (if it is hole in the head) contagous? Sorry for my spelling if I did spell like a Gr.1 did it.

Hole in the head is caused by poor water quality over time. It isn't contagious, but other fish in the same conditions could be e to get it.

To cure raise temperature and perform daily water changes

I dont know if Plecos can get HITH though.

The tank is overstocked. I would remove everything from the 10g except the betta. The pleco and the goldfish are big waste producers. In a clean environment you will find the problem will disappear in time. Check the nitrates. I bet they will be sky high. Until the fish can be moved I would be doing daily water changes, reducing the food amount to one time every second day and waiting.

---

Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Hole in the head is caused by poor water quality over time. It isn't contagious, but other fish in the same conditions could be e to get it.

Sorry, but thats a kind of rubbish espoused so frequently on the net youd think its easy to believe, but ive been there and seen sample tissue testing of infected specimens, and usually hexamita intestinalis , a protozoan is at fault, though resistance to the protozoa and advanced levels of infection vary hugely, and to some extent the physical effects are varying according to level of infestation. To wit a dirty tank will often lead to reinfection, but a fish with symptoms should be treated with metronidazole and have its water quality and feeding issues addressed. Not to do so will mean a constant reinfection of all species present and that tank will remain a danger to other fish for as long as specimens with infection remain within that tank, be they symptomatic or not. It is a parasite that can be eradicated, and its occurrance should be a clear message to the keeper to begin curative treatments. Failure to do so, and some shockingly bad disease advice concerning hexamita causes is the major reason the disease has become so prevalent in the hobby. Immuno boosting the fish alone in an effort to subdue symptoms means that other fish can be infected. It should be faced down and cured. Every damn time.

Protect your fish, and those of others you supply fish to with correct diagnosis and treatment. I doesnt go away on its own, ever, even if you do partially control the external symptoms.

It is contagious , often ingested but can equally spread through wounds or anal entry being a flagellate,and highly motile. It can and will explode in number at any time according to its life cycle , feeding protocols, and fish condition in perpetuity unless it is faced down.

Personally cured several dozen fish with the parasite, and had all sample tests confirmed. Dont fall for these debunking hexamita crap essays on the net. They are written by people who know nothing about fish pathology. Excellent care levels may reduce the apparent physical symptoms, but in common with many other protozoan parasites they can reduce immuno efficiency, and an infected specimen , even if it doesnt die of blood anaemia associated directly with hexamita will usually fall victim to numourous other complaints, often its only a matter of time.

Do not believe lies spread by cichlid breeders with infected systems, who wish to save money by not treating fish and continuing sales, this is a condition that should always, always, be faced down and beaten. Time and again weve seen angels and discus breeders who use Uv for mechanical control releasing their young into the trade, who once off UV quickly succumb, even when the diet and water qualities are excellent. Its time this sort of thing was stopped.

Thanks LHG for this post! Long overdue but these urban legends die hard.

For those with affected fish: Metro is light sensitive and the tank lights should be turned off for the duration of the treatment. Lowering the water level in larger tanks will decrease the amount of metro required. You will have to treat all fish as tank mates will be infected as well. I am only familiar with dosage and treatment follow up for discus to eradicate spironucleus, but 250 mg/10g should be the minimum for non-discus. Metro increases nitrites and water changes (25 - 30%) are a must.

Hope this helps

Yeah its much the same ballgame for hexamita treatments, though due to some resistance to the drug, and an indeterminate time of lifecycle you might have to extend courses to as long as a couple of weeks, take a break and even repeat, its not the easiest infection to beat. If metro doesnt work, try dimetridazole, vets usually keep it in reserve for stubborn cases.