Hoplarchus psittacus strange skin issue
- Thread starter lenkapena
- Start date
Hello, i have one queation. In sticky about hith i see metronidazole course of 3 days only. I would like to make first time profilaktic of all the tank and from hexa. I was browsing for few days and eveywere is a different dosage and duration. Im a bit confused.. Could you please assist me with the correct duration and dosage? Thank you in advance. Best regards, Jelena. P. S i do use epsom salt treatment in food. Also i do add garlic.
Can be given to the fish in the form of hex shield. Directions say for 3 days but I go for longer 7-10 days. If it’s pure metro in a powder form that can done via a dip. The hex shield pellet is way easier.
Thank you for the reply. In Lithuania i cant find hex shield, only mannaged to get human tablets trichopol, 250gr of metronidazole in it. So i will go for 10.days then, 2 pills for 50 liters should be ok? And everyday water change.
Agree about HLLE, this is very common in soft/black water species, kept in mineral rich, above neutral pH water with high nitrate (over 10ppm, as they age), which I'm guessing you have.
They seem to have a lack of immunity to bacteria that inhabit mineral rich water.
Meds may be a temporary bandaid, but the real solution is keeping them in softer, close to 0ppm nitrate water.
From your photo, it looks like they are housed with hard water species that are doing fine, this should be an indicator that the problem is species specific.
I would move it to a separate tank, and blend that tanks water with rain water, DI or RO to reduce mineral content, and considerably up the water change schedule.
I would also start blending tannins into its tank, which are naturally antibacterial in nature, accomplished by adding bags of peat, or soaking leaf litter in rain water to add to water changes.
Below is the type catch location water parameter data where Hoplarchus are found.
I looked up typical drinking water parameters in Lithuania, and it seems average pH is well above 7, and mineral content relatively high.
They seem to have a lack of immunity to bacteria that inhabit mineral rich water.
Meds may be a temporary bandaid, but the real solution is keeping them in softer, close to 0ppm nitrate water.
From your photo, it looks like they are housed with hard water species that are doing fine, this should be an indicator that the problem is species specific.
I would move it to a separate tank, and blend that tanks water with rain water, DI or RO to reduce mineral content, and considerably up the water change schedule.
I would also start blending tannins into its tank, which are naturally antibacterial in nature, accomplished by adding bags of peat, or soaking leaf litter in rain water to add to water changes.
Below is the type catch location water parameter data where Hoplarchus are found.
I looked up typical drinking water parameters in Lithuania, and it seems average pH is well above 7, and mineral content relatively high.
Thank you for detailed reply, i dont have possibility to move them to other tank. They are huge, my tank is 1000 liters. Ill test the water, point is for 2 years all was fine, just during christmass and new year eve my water changing was reduced from once a week to twice a week, might be that. Now all back to normal. Also i did a mistake and decided to give my fish something tasty and its been bloodworms, i know im silly. Now my nicaraguensis has a spot, an its hexa, im sure of it. About tanins, i do add leafs of oak and some other trees i dont know the name in english. There are a lot of wood in aquarium so water should be softer than in a tab. My other hoplarchus in perfect condition.. I would like to make one time metronidazole treatment as a profilactic. Now my water change back to normal nad its about 50-70% a week. I hope all will go back to normal. There are no white feces, fish has a good appetite. What i will not do again is giving any frozen worms again.....
That’s about right for dosing. Water change after 3 days post treatment.
The effects of hard water on soft water cichlids often takes time, it does not often produce immediate acute problems, but chronic issues seem to creep in, as cichlids age.
I would see it regularly in the US in the midwest where water is often hard, high pH high conductivity, especially with oscars, Uaru, chocolates, geophagines and other large Amazonian species. They end up getting dumped in LFSs, because after becoming scarred up, undesirable.
These cichlids do fine for a year or two, under adverse conditions, and then slowly hole in the head appears, just when the fish is coming into maturity, and when it should be most impressive.
I don't think its only one specific thing, but its often a combination of environmental stress factors like the hard water, like nitrate build up from lack of water changes, high conductivity, or even with herbivores like Uaru, too meaty a diet.
I have used oak leaves with a good result.
Thank you very much for an answer, i also have uaru, giving all my fish iceberg salad, they looooove it, spinach, cucamber and zukini. Dainichi, hikari food. Rare some shrimps, mysis, artemia. Also leafs of walnut tree ?
