# Piranha sickness



## Hehehe I just (Jul 13, 2003)

Anyone know if Piranhas get hole-in-the-head disease? Well my gourami's have it right now and I was just wondering if Piranhas can get this disease too.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Yes they can.


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## FuZZy (Apr 18, 2003)

One of my natts have a little hole in there head, what is it from.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

hole in the head is actially caused by some paracite in the intestinal track, it is most commenly associated with cichlids and is not highly contagious, however it is contagious.

it is also often associated with poor water quality, and can be treated with a good water supply and also with medicines, however it will always have the potential to re-appear once healed (if healed)

this will slowly kill the fish over months.


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## Hehehe I just (Jul 13, 2003)

what should i give the fish to heal them? Right now I have two gourami's in my 55 gallon, but i plan on putting three red-belly piranhas in with them (or take the gourami's back to the 20 gallon) or convicts in the 55 gallon. What should I do? I will be getting new fish within the next 3 weeks (after vacation).


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I'm sure Don H will tell you the chemicals that can help, but what I would do is keep the water in perfect quality, and also ask my LFS if they have anything for hole in the head desiese.

Snowcichlid has had sucsess, but in my experience it slowly kills the fish over a period of months.
It also can cause a lack of appitite, a loss of color, and the fish to look like a swimming skeliton
Otherwise known as HEXAMITA here are a couple of handy links to help you find out more.









heres a handy link
heres another handy link


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

If the HITH is not too severe, then increased water changes and providing a good varied diet will usually help the fish improve. In advanced cases, the treatment of choice is metronidazole (Hexamit, Flagyl, Seachem's Metro) and elevated temperatures along with vitamin supplements in the food.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

DonH said:


> If the HITH is not too severe, then increased water changes and providing a good varied diet will usually help the fish improve. In advanced cases, the treatment of choice is metronidazole (Hexamit, Flagyl, Seachem's Metro) and elevated temperatures along with vitamin supplements in the food.


 Don - my salvini cichlid has REALLY bad HITH, I have tried water changes, and I gave up hope of recovery ages ago, but I was just wondering about these chemicals you suggested - are they available in the UK?

and if so were do I get them?


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

I believe the trade name for metronidazole in the UK is called Flagyl. It is meant to treat internal infection in people (thus it's more effective in conjunction with elevated temp.).

I'm not sure where to get it in the UK. You can ask your LFS if they have Flagyl or look for metronidazole as the active ingredient in the available meds that they do have. As a last resort, you can also try an online pharmacy in the UK to see if you can order Flagyl without a perscription. It's the same thing... I forget the dosage, since it's been a long time since I had to use it on discus. But if you are determined to use it and can find a supplier, let me know and I'll research the dosage for you. It is more effectivey taken orally but can be added to water in cases where the fish won't eat (very often the case).

Unfortunately, even if you fix the condition of hexamita, the scarring in advanced cases will most likely be permanent.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

well this fish has been ill for ages, it has scaring all round the top of its eye, and even down its gill - at one point their is a red patch were the erosian is so deep I think it is into the gill itself!!!

I did take a pic, but it came out really blured, I took this pic really to show how bad HITH can be and for diagnosis in other peoples fish as I am sure this fish is beyond recovery - however it has been in a bad state for ages, I did constant water changes for about 4 months with no improvement, and it has been about 3-4 months since I just went back to my normal routine.

I will check my meds and also look in my LFS when I can get to it, 
also I will ask my chemist









Thanks Don









here is the really blured pic I did get - notice how much the pic sucks


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## Hehehe I just (Jul 13, 2003)

my gourami's eat, but they are really weak. One is starting to get stuck to the water inlet for the water filter, and he can't get himself off. I feel really bad. My neighbor was so sad when her koi was dying that she took it into a plastic bag threw it in a freezer and told her husband to throw it in the trash in a few hours. I think a flush down the toilet would have been a shorter death for th koi. Anyways, what do you think about me adding new fish to my tank with the gouramis in the next few weeks if they survive? Is this a good idea? If they don't survive will the HITH disease still be present? Thanks.


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