I need help! What could this be?

[Au Duong Phong]

I've used Fungus med, tetracyline, and now using hole in the head med for Hith.

This stuff, I dont know how it came, but it's eating away my fishes. Has anyone experienced this before? The only thing I havent tried is parasite med. I will be getting that next tonight. What the heck is this?

It starts small, then it will start eating away. Please help. Thank you.

[TwistedPenguin]

What's your reading for nitrates?
All the medicine in the world isn't going to help if you've got that beautiful fish living in high nitrate water. Even if it's HITH (suspicious of it) then meds aren't going to help-just pristine water and a good diet.
Nitrates need to be low for healing to begin.

[Au Duong Phong]

Thank you for your input, I do regular water changes. But Because you brought it up, I just went and put Amquel+ for nitrate.

[TwistedPenguin]

I know what the bottle says but Amquel does NOT lower nitrates, only water changes do that. I'll look for the article about it later on. But basically-a couple people emailed Amquel and 'claimed' their nitrates were a tiny bit lower after using Amquel (you know how people are). So the company that makes the stuff decided to use that as a marketing ploy. No testing and no research was put into it.
Just do a water change.
Lots of Water + Fish = Success

[Au Duong Phong]

I did water change before I put in the med yesterday. I will do it again tomorrow.

[Au Duong Phong]

ok. Im desperate. Is ok to mix different meds together? Im about to go get parasite med and throw it in too. Since I dont know what it is and it's just eating awat my fishes. And it's happening under the their eyes only!!

[Pyramid_Party]

The medication cocktail might kill your fish. Just relax and do the water changes and keep the water quality good.

[TwistedPenguin]

In your mind it's 'ok' to wait until tomorrow to do the water change yet you're so 'desperate' that you'll combine meds and NOT do a water change. It's the fresh clean water that's going to help your fish, not a conconction of meds.
This is assuming you're not using water softener water, or straight RO water or anything but fresh tap water that has no nitrates/nitrites or ammonia in it.

[Au Duong Phong]

I didnt want to keep doing water changes because that can shock and hurt the fishes too. I did it yesterday, and just wanted to wait a bit. I just did 25% a bit ago when adding pima and melafix. Those are the right medication for it. My friend had this problem and he cured his fish. I saw the fish he cured when it had it, and also when he cured it. His fish was baaaad. But it did not happen in the same spots as my fishes so I didn't think about his fish. So as I was desperate, called him just to try and ask then he brought up his fish then I remembered.

Yeah.. Thanks Ksane and Pyramidpatty for your replies trying to help me. Very much appreciate it.

[Oddball]

Whenever HITH is suspected/diagnosed, the key is WATER CHANGES, WATER CHANGES, WATER CHANGES. Water quality parameter drops is the leading cause for fish immune systems to be open to contracting HITH.
Treating with salt (teaspoon per gallon) can force an increase in osmotic regulatory systems to break up the infection in localized areas. Adding Metronidazole at the dosage of 250mg/10 gallons will help in killing off the parasitic bacteria causing the damage. Providing a proper varied nutritious diet (to include plant matter/spirulina) will help boost the immune system to help fight off the infection.

Treatment should start with a 50-75% water change (gravel washing will help, too for the 1st step of treatment). Add full dose of medication. DO NOT FEED. Add salt. 3 days later, perform another large water change and remedicate with a full dose. replace lost salt. Still do not feed. After another 3 days; water change, replace lost salt, full dose of medication. If symptoms appear to be improving (actually, looks like it's not getting worse), you can start providing light feedings. By now, the infectious bacteria should be gone or reduced to a point that the body can fight it. Keep up on the systems maintenance, monitor the fish, and in time the scarring should fill in with fresh granulations of healthy tissue.

With multiple tanks, beware of cross contaminations/reinfestations. Keep hands clean, sterilize nets, and other shared implements to keep reoccurrences down.

Good luck and keep us up to date.

[TwistedPenguin]

Oddball's got a handle on it.
It's not true that water changes hurt or shock fish. Far more fish have been 'hurt and shocked' because of that myth than anything else.

[Oddball]

Usually, a big 'shock' occurs to fish in tanks that have languished for a long time since the last water change. Fish adjust to increasing pollution levels over time (However, their resistance bottoms out and they risk nitrite poisoning). Evidence of this buildup is routinely evidenced when introducing new fish that die almost immediately to soon after being let out of their bags. Quickly dieing feeders is also a huge indication that the tank is souring.
If it has been a long time since any water was changed (refilling evaporated water doesn't count since the toxins are still in the system), begin making small regular water changes. Each week or two, increase the amount of the water being changed until reaching around 50% without seeing signs of stress in your fish. Then, of course, keep up a regular schedule of water changes
(remember the gravel washes, too).

[black_monster]

i can't see what's wrong?
can someone fill me in here and point it out in the pictures?

[oscarsftw]

i can't see what's wrong?
can someone fill me in here and point it out in the pictures?

It's like a small sore around the eye area on his Flowerhorns...

I have to agree, all these meds don't equal up to clean fresh water. I suggest just increasing water changes. I change my fishes water so much it's become a routine :ROFL:. About 50%-75% water changes every 2 days.

[Au Duong Phong]

are you serious? That's lots of changing! Is that ok?

Anyways. Thanks for everyone in on this. I cure them with PIMAFIX.

[P.Bass]

Try Maracyn and Maracyn 2 sounds like a fungus or form of popeye. I'd change the water and use both of these meds together.

[rallysman]

are you serious? That's lots of changing! Is that ok?

Anyways. Thanks for everyone in on this. I cure them with PIMAFIX.

Pimafix is a bandaid.

Change water more frequently, test water more frequently, and feed a little bit of everything (minus feeders).


I've healed horrible cases of HITH with nothing more than clean water and a varied diet.

[TwistedPenguin]

are you serious? That's lots of changing! Is that ok?
Anyways. Thanks for everyone in on this. I cure them with PIMAFIX.

I change 50% then 75% every 3 days on my Oscar tanks, definitely not too much. Best medicine in the world is fresh clean water and a varied diet.
What's your nitrate reading with a liquid test tube kit? (You never answered when I asked at the beginning of the thread). The sort of problem you describe is basically unheard of in nitrates under 20 ppm.
Primafix/melafix are my own personal pet peeves, I refuse to use something that fresh water does a better job of treating.

[rallysman]

Primafix/melafix are my own personal pet peeves, I refuse to use something that fresh water does a better job of treating.

I almost agree with that, but melafix does work wonders for torn fins or scrapes from other fish. I've also noticed that it calms rowdy fish (which could be cause for alarm I suppose)./