Killing HITH Parasite?

[Fishguy2727]

I did A LOT of research on this based on primary scientific articles and the experiences of MANY aquarists. The article I wrote on this has been accepted by and will be published in Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine.

One major issue is that since the symptoms are so similar (but not identical) almost everyone lumps HITH and HLLE together. Because of this when it is discussed you end up with people with discus who had HITH discussing it with people who have oscars who have HLLE.

There are primary research/scientific articles demonstrating that HITH in discus and angelfish is caused by Hexamita spp. and/or Spironucleus vortens. The symptoms are narrow, deep holes that may include white discharge. These holes are isolated to or directly adjacent to the head. HITH can be treated with metronidazole.

There is not much of anything outside of aquarists' experience with HLLE (in oscars, jaguars, severums, etc.). In these cases the holes are wide and shallow and do not include white discharge, but may extend well past the head along the body, usually adjacent to the lateral line. These cases do not react to metronidazole or other medications, but are treated with an improvement in the quality of the food and water. In some cases the aquarist thought they reacted to metronidazole or some other med, but they also improved the quality of the food and water at the same time (thus failing to isolate the medication as the cause of the improvement). Since it is not consistent that they react to medications independent of an improvement in the quality of food and water but they do very consistently improve when the quality of the food and water, it is well demonstrated that these are the main causes of HLLE in species such as oscars (although treating an illness is never 100%).

A few cases have shown that carbon filtration can cause HLLE. I talked to multiple aquarists who had cases go like this: They either acquired a fish that already had HLLE or one of their long term pets developed it. They tried improving food and water quality and even treated with meds, but nothing improved the condition. They hear of other theories like carbon filtration, so in desperation they remove the carbon filtration. Almost immediately (within days) the condition improves. After it has cleared up they try to get back to normal, or want to verify it was the carbon, so they return carbon filtration. Almost immediately (within days) the HLLE returns. Again they remove carbon and again the HLLE goes away. They do not return the carbon filtration and the HLLE never returned. This doesn't mean that carbon is THE cause of HLLE, it means it was the cause in these cases and should be considered in other cases if the condition of the fish does not react to an improvement in the quality of the food and water.

I am not trying to be argumentative or prove to anyone that only I am right. I did a lot of research on this so I would like to share it to get it out there. As we all know there is a lot of debate about the causes of HITH and HLLE and a lot of it has to do with how we think of these conditions (we think they are the same). The science is out there, the data from aquarists who have had to deal with it is out there. When I looked at this information it is clear that at the least they are not the same disease/condition. So yes, when it comes up I will share my opinion on the subject and discuss the shortcomings of some other theories if it comes up.

I hope this information helps people. This is a problematic issue in the hobby and the more people know, the more likely they are to help their fish. Maybe something about my theory is wrong, and I hope we figure it out soon, but based on the current information I think this is the most thorough explanation of these issues.

 

[HUKIT]

I hope we figure it out soon

There is the one thing I agree with you on.

 

[Fishguy2727]

All of the informatoin presented is based on facts. Facts about actual scientific research done on this exact subject and facts about the experiences of many hobbyists. It may not agree with your opinion or that of someone in a link you posted (which is just another article regurgitating the mixed up information from others that continues to feed the msunderstanding of this issue), but that doesn't make it less accurate. TFH magazine thought it was accurate enough to accept it for publication. If you have something real to discuss please explain it, but that kind if reply helps no one.

 

[HUKIT]

There are plenty of other published articles that disagree with you, since your so quick to state the others must be "regurgitating the mixed up information" since it doesn't go along your your opinions. Even in the February 2011 issue of TFH theres a article on HITH/HLLE by Radek Bernarczuk that states some of the possible causes right down to the presence or lack of spironucleus in some cases, now by your standards he's published in the same magazine so who's right? I'm not going to sit here and debate with you regarding this issue in someone thread asking for help but the arrogance in your response is offensive to say the least.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Very good point. Lacking the presence of a particular pathogen in SOME cases still supports the idea that they are not all the same.

Again, one of the absolute biggest mistakes is thinking about and discussing these illnesses as if they are all the same. That is why there is so much debate. The evidence just doesn't support the idea that they are the same. The symptoms are not even the same.

Many of the explanations are not based on any facts, but are just unsupported hypotheses. For example, carbon dust causing it is rather specific, but I have NEVER seen anything supporting this idea. Almost every aquarist rinses carbon dust off of carbon before using it in an aquarium, not to mention no explanation on how carbon dust could even cause such an issue. The cases that have found carbon filtration (not dust) to be the cause may be an extreme example of what many planted tank and reef keepers have found, if everything else is balanced carbon filtration can remove some vital micronutrient or trace element, evidenced by the tank doing better without it (even if we don't completely understand what is being removed or going on exactly).

One of the studies I read (scientific study of affected hobby fish) found Sprionucleus vortens in the pits and multiple organs of every single fish in the study (of discus and angelfish). Both pathogens can cause the illness and both are treated with metronidazole, explaining why it may be treatable with metro but may not come up positive for one of those pathogens in particular (such as a study looking specifically for Hexamita spp.).
http://www.int-res.com/articles/dao/45/d045p197.pdf

Not to mention that even with positively infected individuals, not EVERY SINGLE sample will come up positive. A lack of a positive result does not mean the animal is negative for that pathogen. (We tested dogs and cats for intestinal parasites at the animal hospital I worked at. If we didn't find anything we concluded 'no significant findings' not 'negative' because it was possible they were positive.) Other studies found Hexamita spp. to be present in many other body tissues (liver, blood, etc.), going against the usual argument that it is just an intestinal parasite. This is all ONLY in reference discus and angels, not oscars and other species.

Anyone can publish an article online that would conflict with actual research and data. I am not saying my opinion is scientific research, but it is based on that and not just a regurgitation of 'HITH and HLLE are the same thing. It is unclear of what causes it but some cases point to things such as Hexamita spp. parasites, water quality, food quality, and even carbon filtration...'.

It is pretty well supported that with discus and angelfish it is Hexamita spp. and/or Spironucleus vortens, treated with metro. However, this consistency drops off completely when you get into other species. In most cases with oscars (well over 90%) an improvement in the quality of food and water is enough to reverse the condition (with or without meds), indicating it is different from HITH.

When I was researching I asked for anyone with experience to help me out. What species? What symptoms exactly (wide/shallow pits or deep/narrow)? Any discharge? What treatments did you try? What worked? What didn't work? Etc. Out of all the results it started to be pretty consistent that they were different diseases, explained in my previous post.

My responses are not meant to be offensive or arrogant and shouldn't be taken that way. It just bothers me to see the same information repeated over and over when there is more information that people (and their fish) cna gain from.

 

[ozzydafish14]

I tried feeding Ozzy some baby pellets that were left over from when he was smaller, but I got the same results with the bigger pellets; he sucks it in, holds it there for a while, and then it floats out of his mouth. Will he get hungry enough that this will stop?