# Hole in the head ?



## fisherman85 (Dec 15, 2008)

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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Africans get hexamita which is considered a cause of hole-in-the-head. I don't know if they get the classic symptom or just waste away.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

fisherman85 said:


> Is hole in the head mainly an oscar thing or can other cichlids like yellow labs or bumble bee cichlids get it to?


Cichlids in addition to other species can become afflicted with HITH.

This is the *best treatise* which I have read concerning HITH.

TR


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## fisherman85 (Dec 15, 2008)

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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you had any disease in the tank, I would advise a diluted bleach rinse of tank, filter, and ornaments before you fill it up and add new fish. This would mean repeating the cycling process, though.


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## fisherman85 (Dec 15, 2008)

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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

fisherman85 said:


> im planning on changing my substrate and get all new decor and dont really wanna start the cycling over again. thats why i wanted to know if africans can get it. Is there any chemicals that could treat the water to kill the disease?


fm:

Chemicals are, IHMO, a last ditch effort and, IMHO, counterproductive here.

Please read the reference which I cited in detail as no easy answers are available here.

HITH is not, IMHO, a true disease but as set forth in the treatise is most probably due to environmental conditions which produce stress and/or diet.

The cure for your Oscar's HITH is set forth at the end of the treatise.

Your Oscar is obviously not a happy camper with HITH and if you add other cichlids but do not address the underlying problems which caused your Oscar to become afflicted with HITH your other cichlids will probably also become afflicted although not by transmission.

TR


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

hexamita is succeptible to anti-parasite meds like Prazi-Pro. You could dose the tank for a week before you bring home any new fish.


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## fisherman85 (Dec 15, 2008)

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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

I agree with Jones - oscars generally get hole in the head because somethings not right - IME it usually means insufficient space, insufficient water changes, or improper diet (or all 3 at once)

Any of those causes would also cause problems with Rift Lake cichlids, but they would likely show up differently than in the oscar (most likely as dead cichlids before you knew anything was wrong)

Bala sharks need a bigger tank than 75g IME, and will NOT like the water chemistry (high pH and hard water) needed for the Rift Lake cichlids. Plus many Rift Lake cichlids would kill bala's small enough to swim comforatably in a 75g... 

If you're considering Rift Lake cichlids, I would examine your setup carefully. 

Do you have gravel that will buffer your pH (Dolomite, crushed coral, aragonite, etc) ?
Do you have sufficient filtration ?
Do you have a high range pH test kit ?
Do you have buffers to bring your pH to about 8.4 (Lake Malawi) or higher (Lake Tang.) ?
Do you have enough rockwork for mbuna or rock dwelling Tanganikans ? (skip this for utaka, peacocks, or sand-dwelling/open water Tanganikans) - the tanks should be "filled" with lots and lots and LOTS of rockwork.
Do you have the right foods for Rift Lake cichlids (varies depending on type, but lots of veggies for mbuna or tropheus, and no feeder fishes ! )
Are you prepared to pre-mix your water to the right chemistry before making water changes (ie do you have a 30g barrel, with heater and powerhead pump, so you can adjust the new water before you add it) ?
Are you prepared to do partial water changes on a biweekly basis (say 20g every two weeks to start, larger or more often if the bioload requires it) ?

If yes to all of those, then I would remove any current fishes, remove any unsuitable gravel, drain the tank as much as possible, replace the gravel with suitable gravel (if needed), add rockwork, then refill the tank with dechlorinated water of the correct pH and hardness. I would then add a small bacteria booster (Seachem Stability, Tetra Safe Start, etc) when adding the initial fishload. Assuming your existing filter has a good bacterial population (don't clean it during this time), with the use of the booster you should be able to stock the tank heavy enough to minimize aggression injuries.


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