Oscar - Hole in Head disease

[jruth27]

My Oscar just passed from Hole-in-Head Disease. I kept the regular water changes, but I had to seperate him from my more aggressive Oscars and only had a 30 gallon to keep him in. He was approximately 10" long. I know this size tank is not recommended, but do you think this caused the disease? It had only been 4 weeks.

 

[Jchillin]

Stress can be a possible cause. It's possible that he contracted the disease prior to you removing him to the new tank.

Did you treat the disease?

For more info, check here.

 

[Tiffi]

This illness is caused by a mineral deficiency. This mineral deficiency is caused by an infestation of intestine flagellates or bacteria. Those make it nearly impossible to take the required nurtrients out of the food.

You should make sure to feed your fish a varied and high-quality diet. I've heard that regularly adding some mineral salt can help to prevent this disease.

If your fish died because the quarantine aquarium was too small? - I don't know, but I also can't imagine that that was the reason. Maybe his digestion was so much disturbed that he starved or after-infections caused his death.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Stress and poor water quality, and a non-varied diet are what cause HITH. That's why its so hard to cure and most fish can't recover from it.

The small tank I'm sure didn't help.

 

[DeFeKt]

Stress and poor water quality, and a non-varied diet are what cause HITH. That's why its so hard to cure and most fish can't recover from it.

I disagree with that.
It is very rare that I have seen or heard of a fish die from hith.
Mineral and vitamin deficiency is the main cause, although if the tank is underheated the fish will be more prone to getting it.
My oscars only get it when the heater stops. other then that it is never an issue.
I've heard of people using vitamins in they're fish food to help treat it and raise the imune system, but a steady and varied high protein low fat diet will be fine.
.
Now, your post doesn't make much sense to me. .You say you seperated him from the others because of the disease and they were aggresive, but then you ask if moving him would have caused the disease. Which one is it then?

Seperating would not have caused the disease.
An uncycled and unheated tank may have let down his immune system hence allowing the disease to take control
If he was attacked in the other tank, it would have let down his immune system.
(I recently had this with a native)
If he was moved after the disease appeared i'd recommend checking your fishes diet.

Matt.

 

[jruth27]

Re: Treating Hole In Head Disease

I actually did not know what it was at first and thought they were maybe from knicking the rocks, because they look like small whitish pockets at first. When more starting showing, I starting treating him with Parasite Clear because I thought it was either fish lice or flukes.

What is the treatment for Hole in the Head disease?

 

[jruth27]

He was moved prior to symptoms of the disease. The other Oscars(2) were ganging up on him and he had some knicks from that, so I removed him so he could heal. I was also using Melafix, which healed his knicks from the other tank.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I disagree with that.
It is very rare that I have seen or heard of a fish die from hith.

Not die, But not recover. To the best of my knowledge, the holes are just sort of sent into remission. The problem can arise again with stress, more poor water quality, or lack of a varied diet.

Mineral and vitamin deficiency is the main cause, although if the tank is underheated the fish will be more prone to getting it.

Hence stress and poor water quality, and lack of a varied diet. If you feed your oscar flake food everyday, this is not a varied diet, thus he is lacking vitamins and minerals, and thus is prone to HITH. Feed a varied diet.

 

[Devilishturtles]

What is the treatment for Hole in the Head disease?

Start be keeping your water clean. Good water quality is key when trying to treat HITH. You can also start feeding a varied diet. There are vitamin supplements as well that you can add to food.

What is your temperature at? Raise it up to around 82-83F while treating. If over a while you are still experiencing HITH, you can treat for Hexamita, which is a known, but usually doubted parasite that could be causing it. More times that not however, it can be treated with a simple change of habits.

Best of luck with the oscar.