HitH in clean water? On my Satanoperca sp. Red Lip.

I made a thread about this in the CA/SA forum but figure it'd get more views here.

Background and two pics:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317393

I thought it was getting better but now tonight it looks like it's hollowing out more. Now the white mass in the middle of the crater seems almost as if it's floating, as it hollows out around the edges and down below it. Hard to describe and impossible for me to photograph (though I did fix my camera today... still, the flash washes it out, and without a flash it's blurry. I suck at photography.). And now the fish is starting to look like it fears me when I come to the tank. It doesn't dart away, but it'll float backwards and avoid me. Maybe from the flashes before.

Anyway, it's one eartheater in a tank full of sensitive geos, satanoperca, and Uaru. There's no sign of it on any other fish. My adult orangeheads are about to breed, even (which sucks because I was going to put them in the 20 to see if the eggs survived, but now I might have to use it as a QT).

Then again, I could just treat the entire tank as a precaution. Metronidazole is fairly cheap...

I ordered 100 tablets of it as well as medicated food. DFS usually ships to me next day, so I should have it wednesday.

- Is my diagnosis/treatment correct?
- should I use something else in the meantime?

I put melafix in yesterday but I'm afraid to do it again because I have a random labyrinth fish - the only non SA one (left from another tank I took down) - in there and that makes me nervous. Though he has survived it plenty of times before.

My stuff is scattered about so I'm not sure what else I actually have on hand. Maybe some maracyn (but if so, only one of them, not sure which), maybe one or two jungle parasite tabs (for the QT) if I'm lucky. Tons of Prazi and Levamisole though, if those anti-parasites would be advisable here... I don't know if I have any anti-bac stuff around anymore.

I put it in a QT with the metro that showed up today. He was very unhappy at first, but seems to be back to normal now. Hopefully this will be helpful. Still no sign of anything on the other fish, though. I'll treat the main tank if necessary. I'm still just guessing at this stage with a hexamita diagnosis.

I've done two doses of Metro and I can't tell if the holes are healing or if it's just less noticeable because the area is caving in so the edges are closer together. The actual space between edges of the holes have been reduced by about 75%.

I will say that the fish is really really unhappy in there and is showing dark color and sort of clamping most of the time (but I've snuck peaks and seen it be fine too, I think it kind of gets nervous when I come into the room). I also have not seen it eat, though the food is too big to get sucked into the filters and it does eventually disappear.

The unhappiness is worrying me the most. Stress is never a good thing.

Also, is there a temperature that is more or less preferable for this kind of thing? He's still in very warm (84) water. Would cooler be better for parasite destruction? Hotter, like with ich? I haven't seen anything mentioning that.

The woman insists it's getting better. I'm still worried it's just collapsing inward like a rotting jack-o-lantern. Time will tell, I guess. I wish there was an appetite... that would encourage me.

Interesting.

Mine has been through two doses of Metro and now is getting daily melafix. He still hates being in the tank alone, but is eating and it definitely seems to be healing. I'm tempted to put him back in the main tank soon, just so I can break this tank down... we're going to be showing the place a bunch this month since we move May 1. Would probably look better in that room without the tanks. When would you all think the fish would be OK to go back to gen pop?