How to PREVENT lateral line disease

[Christine22780]

I did have a fish afew yrs ago who developed this, and I read about it and it wouldnt eat Anything that it was suppose to to prevent this.. My water was good and everything, I did water changes, and tests all the time.
I fed them, reg. sm. pellets, dried seaweed, brine shrimp, clams, plankton, and a variety in those frozen cubes!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I think soaking food with any of the HUFA supplements like Selcon will help in preventing/curing it - but if your fish wouldn't eat it not sure what else.

 

[Christine22780]

I did infact soak the seaweed for this fish, didnt help...Infact I did all this before the lines showed. I was mad when I first noticed it. Its permenant isnt it? The fish lasted quite awhile, and grew nicely...Id like another but I didnt like how it ruined the fish....My husband & kids started calling it "scarface"

 

[haykay]

oh your poor fish! I'm sorry i know nothing about LLD but I know that the little bit of info i have read suggests there was nothing more you could do to prevent it...or cure it

 

[Leaf]

What kind of fish had this happen?

You say your water parameters were good, what did you test and what did the results show?

What else was in the tank?

Water quality, stress and diet seem to be major causes for this.

 

[Christine22780]

Koran Angel Fish, I tested everything I could in my sw kit and everything was in the accurate level. It was very happy also, it didnt seem stressed to me, a clown, a niger trigger, and a snowflake eel.
This fish just wouldnt eat anything that would prevent lateral lines, it was picky! I think Ill just try again someday and see what happens...I dont want an ugly fish though, they are so pretty.

 

[Leaf]

This fish just wouldnt eat anything that would prevent lateral lines, it was picky!

Perhaps a blender mash of several foods would have helped or may help next time?

 

[CaptainAhab]

I'm confused, why does anyone think that there is some magic food pill that will prevent this disease? TBOMK there has never been any definitive cause determined. Poor nutrition is one of the theories floated out there but so are many other things. When vitamin supplements are added many see results but these results are all anecdotal evidence. IMO, as with most aquaria issues good water, good food, low stress and a ground probe go a long way toward prevention. Though as in any species some are just more susceptible to certain diseases.

 

[Christine22780]

So, even if my fish wasnt a picky eater...the lateral line disease still could of been in my fish? Strange, I guess they get things just like humans do! Im not saying Ill never get a fish thats prone to this again BUT Ill use caution...B/C Its such an eye sore...to a nice looking good fish!

 

[cmor1701d]

The captain gave you the best advice. Regular pwc's to keep pristine water conditions helps prevent most diseases. There is a theory that small electric currents could cause it, hence the recomendation for a groound probe. That has never been proven. You are correct, that just like people sometimes fish just get sick and die.

 

[melosu58]

I found this on one of my online sites. HTH

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (hole-in-head disease)

This disease can affect discus, other cichlids, and many saltwater fish. The fish develops holes in it's head and sometimes along its lateral line. Causes are unclear but as in any disease, stress and poor water quality likely play a role. The Manual of Fish Health states that HLLE is probably due to nutritional deficiency, especially of vitamin C. Fish in planted tanks rarely get HLLE, which supports the nutrition idea, since fish can nibble on the plants and obtain extra nutrition. Untergasser also observes that the protozoan Hexamita can be found in the lesions. Untreated cases can eventually prove disfiguring or fatal.

Remedy: First, make sure water quality is optimal and reduce stress. Stopping carbon filtration may help as it can remove nutrients from the water. Then feed a vitamin-enriched food, paying particular attention to vitamin C supplementation. For stubborn cases, some books suggest metronidazole (Flagyl) to eliminate Hexamita (a mildly pathogenic protozoan) from the lesions. Your mileage may vary with that one. Metrozole and Hex-a-mit are commercial medications with metronidazole.

 

[roka64]

Cool, I have the Untergasser book, great info in there!
He also states dry feed is useless after two months and should not be fed. "Atmospheric humidity decomposes vitamins and leads to mold and fungus."

 

[stephanieluis]

The best way to prevent this frustrating problem is to avoid keeping species that are susceptible to the syndrome. If you do keep HLLE-vulnerable species, then you will want to provide them with optimal environmental conditions, including: a fresh, balanced diet, artificial sunlight, preferred water temperatures and crystal clean water with frequent water changes.
----------------
Stephanieluis

 

[DJLiquid]

I used a ground probe. It's a wire placed into the aquarium and connected to the nearby outlet (right into the little screw that holds your outlet cover on) It works. No problems after I installed that. Most LFS's sell them that carry salt water fish. My groupers were very susceptible.