# Possible Hole In The Head?



## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Hey Everyone.

You all probably think I'm crazy by now, as I keep making posts about possible diseases in my tank, but I would rather be safe than sorry. So here goes... (sorry if I babble for a long time)

I noticed a while back that my pearl gourami has these very small discoloured holes/dents/whatever you want to call it, around its face. I saw three of them on its lower lip, and the rest are kind of scattered around the sides of its head. They do not go beyond its gills, they stop there. I did not notice any on the top of its head either. Just on the sides and on its lip. Could this be a mild form of the Hole in the Head disease? Is it common for pearl gouramis to get it?

I was reading some info on this disease and none of the things that cause this disease popped out at me as my cause. My pearl gourami doesn't show signs of stress, eats a variety of foods, acts the same as before, and I do partial water changes weekly. (Although because of my BN pleco, the tank becomes very dirty very quickly.)
I noticed that it could be lack of vitamins...... but I don't know how to tell.

Just a side question: Is Hole in the Head disease a parasite?

Anything that you think would be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

Again, I am sorry if what I wrote is too long, and if I sound too paranoid for my own good. But I want to have the healthiest fish I can.


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

Sounds like HITHD to me. But i've only heard cichlids and larger fish getting it not gouramis. ANd it's uaually caused by poor water conditions over a long period of time. I don't think there is a definate cause for the disease then agian and it can be difficult to cure i've heard. Sorry I couldn't give you more info hopefully someone else can help you out more.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Thanks. Ill keep researching.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

We need a good picture to really know, I have never heard of a gournami getting it but I assume anything can happen. If it is HITHD then it is going to be very hard to cure


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

one of the causes of hith is hexamita which is a protozoa and can be treated with anti-parasite med. http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Heximita


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Okay, so you do think that it is hole in the head?
Would the medication for internal and external parasites work?


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Tallonebball said:


> If it is HITHD then it is going to be very hard to cure


Really? Because in everything I read, it says that is relatively simple to cure.


EDIT: I have also heard of fish having sensory pits on them. Could this be what it is?


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//8000/700/20/0/38720.jpg

I dont know if this link will work, but notice the little dots around the head. Thats sort of what it looks like.
Ill try to get a picture of mine soon.


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

That pcik dosen't look like HITHD to me. Thier more like blotches and bumps. Her's a pic I found on the internet that shows it pretty clearly.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Yeah, I saw that pick too. The thing is, the holes on those guys are HUGE. The ones on my gourami are super small, but they are all over its head. I will try to get a picture, but I do not know how to upload it so you guys can see it.


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

Then I doubt it's HITH disease but I won't know for sure until I see a pic. To upload a pic you just press "manage attachments" and you browse you hard drive for the picture.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

okay thanks. I'll get right on that.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

Sorry about the quality, I couldn't find our good camera... so I used my phone

Just let me know if you want better ones.

You can sort of see the whitish specks.


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

I think I can kind of see it and It kinda looks like HITHD but again not sure.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

okay i will try to get some better pictures for you


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Yeah I can't tell anything from those pics, if caught early, you are right, HITH is pretty easy to cure, the problem is its hard to see it until the actual holes start to appear and by then, it gets harder and harder to heal as the holes get bigger and spread.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

OK, so I tried to get better pictures, and the ones I took on my phone are the only ones that allow you to kind of make out the holes. Because the holes are so small, you have to get really close to the fish. It is hard to get a pic that isn't blurry, as it keeps darting away.

I will show you the pics anyways though.

If I do decide to treat it - just in case - will it harm any of my fish that dont have HITHD?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Usually the riskiest thing about meds is having to take the carbon out of the filter. If you only have one filter, that can be most of your filter biology. I can't tell from the pic. One link said gouramis do get hithd. With cichlids, the pits take a long time to heal and it has a tendency to recur.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

I read on multiple websites that your fish can acquire HITHD from carbon in your filter.(but it hasn't been proven yet) Do you guys think that is possible?

I also read that doing more frequent water changes sometimes helps to cure HITHD. Should I do more water changes?

So should I get the medication this weekend or not?


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/edealinv...&query=hole+in+the+head&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

If this link works, it will show what medications I am thinking about getting. Which one do you think would be best?

EDIT: lol i was reading a little more on HITHD and it said that some ppl have fed their fish chopped garlic and it has helped. Have you guys ever fed your fish chopped garlic?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Water changes seldom hurt.


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