Hith?

[tjnelson44]

Is this hole in the head disease? http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/tjnelson44/100_0546.jpg
I just noticed the two grey areas on its head today. It is in a planted tank (algae garden) and water quality is pretty good. I try to keep the nitrates around 10 ppm for the plants but it is sometimes lower. pH is 6.7-7.0 depending on the time of day. The are 3 other male apistos in the tank and all of them look fine.
Thanks,
Trevor

 

[fishgeek]

sorry for the delay trevor , i thought i had replied

not definitely hith
looks like it may be though equally so could just be trama and a scale missing - looks if it is this that by now it will have healed

the other things i thought i had said
were
increase frequensy of water changes
supplement or broaden diet to add more vit C,D and E
remove any carbon from the filter
and if worsening then perhaps treat with metronidazol

sorry again for the slow response

 

[tjnelson44]

Andrew,
Thanks for the reply. I moved him out of the planted tank last night and when I moved him, I got a good look at the spots. They seem to be improving slightly and they don't show any pitting. In the larger cichlids that I have seen with hith, the affected area have appeared to be indented or pitted. I am crossing my fingers that it is just an injury. If worse comes to worse, I do have some metronidazole. Just in case it is hith though, is it very contagious and does it often affect other fish than cichlids?
Trevor

 

[fishgeek]

there is a lot of contention with HITH asto exact mechanisms of action

the supposed causual agent spironucleus a protozoan parasite has been found in healthy fish and also not found in fish affected with the clinical signs of HITH
It is thought that several factors may precipattae outbreaks
including nutrition, not known whether gut parasites lead to lack of certain nutrients or diet just lacking
The carbon theory seems to be a newer one and is mainly thought to be very fine carbon powder , though any carbon should be removed at this point

There is a HITH in catfish though the causua agent in this case is an edwardsiella bacterium

a german refrence i have suggests that vitamin D3 , sunlight is often required t sysnthesis this in mammalian systems , is the main factor
i would hvae thought with newer diets that deficency disease was less common
i have the german refrence for vitamin enhabced food if you wish alternatively just try a supplement with Ca, PO4 Vit B,C,D and E especially

andrew