How do you cure HITH?

[West1]

Dont want to de-rail someone elses thread...
I bought a fish that has HITH and want to know how I can help him better himself.

He is in a 280gl bigger tank+ 50gl Sump and want to get his HITH cleared up.
So is there a cure or should I start with will it clear up?
Is HITH cureable??

 

[TwistedPenguin]

Extremely curable. Everyone's got their own opinion so you have to decide for yourself what makes 'sense'. My advice is to keep nitrates under 10 ppm while healing and then under 20 ppm for life. Most people's nitrates are way higher than they realized because they haven't tested in so long. A good varied diet with lots of veggies/spirilina and vitamins like VitaChem. I'm sure someone is going to want to argue these points and tell you to dump meds in the tank and not do water changes, but oh well. It's extrememly rare to find an Oscar with HITH who's been kept all his life in nitrates that seldom or ever get over 20 ppm. And someone that takes that good of care of their fish is automatically going to feed a good diet also.
Lots of water changes. Oscars, of all fish, thrive from that.

 

[Dr Joe]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167891

 

[cichlid savage]

I had a pike that developed HITH. What worked best for me was lots of huge water changes and a varied high quality diet. It took a few weeks but it healed up nicely. Also add some aquarium salt (if you don't already) and up the temp a cpl of degrees.

 

[West1]

Extremely curable. Everyone's got their own opinion so you have to decide for yourself what makes 'sense'. My advice is to keep nitrates under 10 ppm while healing and then under 20 ppm for life. Most people's nitrates are way higher than they realized because they haven't tested in so long. A good varied diet with lots of veggies/spirilina and vitamins like VitaChem. I'm sure someone is going to want to argue these points and tell you to dump meds in the tank and not do water changes, but oh well. It's extrememly rare to find an Oscar with HITH who's been kept all his life in nitrates that seldom or ever get over 20 ppm. And someone that takes that good of care of their fish is automatically going to feed a good diet also.
Lots of water changes. Oscars, of all fish, thrive from that.

Im going to post a pic of my Wolf. I dont think he eats veggies... He is only eating Market Shrimp. Any other food I might be able to get him to eat to get healthy??

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167891

Thats where I started my Q, but seen the post was being pulled a few diff directions, so I just started this one. He deff has HITH on the top of his head and close to his eyes. The hole next to his jaw I have no Idea what that is, but it looks like the same way HITH looks (the inside of the hole).

My Gold Wolf is 10" and I just want him to get better, I keep up with my H2o changes, check Params every other week, and feed 4-5pcs of Market shrimp one day and the next day I do 2pcs then back to 4-5 (They always eat all the food in minutes, so I know Im not over feeding). Seems like a good idea to me to get good water quality... stuff one day then snack one day.
Tankmates are 12" GATF, 10-11" Juruenese Cat, 6" Ocell & 7" SailFin Pleco
Weekly 50% water changes with 50gl sump (Hefty bag size-full off bioballs and shoe box of ceramic rings), rena canister with ceramic rings and U/V.
I think my setup will help the HITH and my feeding should also.

What do you think, am I on my way to cure his HITH??

 

[TwistedPenguin]

Im going to post a pic of my Wolf. I dont think he eats veggies... He is only eating Market Shrimp. Any other food I might be able to get him to eat to get healthy??

You were on the thiaminase thread, did you read the links that Miles posted? Market shrimp is NOT good for a sole diet. Just quit feeding it and he'll quit eating it-you're the boss The biggest factor, by far, is low nitrates/extra huge water changes. Did you test for nitrates with a liquid test tube kit? What were they? You could feed the perfect diet but if your nitrates are sitting at 60-80 ppm the perfect diet won't do any good.

 

[West1]

You were on the thiaminase thread, did you read the links that Miles posted? Market shrimp is NOT good for a sole diet. Just quit feeding it and he'll quit eating it-you're the boss The biggest factor, by far, is low nitrates/extra huge water changes. Did you test for nitrates with a liquid test tube kit? What were they? You could feed the perfect diet but if your nitrates are sitting at 60-80 ppm the perfect diet won't do any good.

last week my params were 0.00 on nitrite, nitrate and amonia
been like this since I cycled my tank. I use the A.P.I test kit and took some water to a LFS and they got the same results
So its been like that for about 2 months... maybe 3? When I cycled, the params were throu the roof and gradually declined to 0.00

I have not clicked on any of the links (yet).
I didnt know that carnivores could eat veggies, or is it a "try to do diet"??
Just going off the reply on this thread but I have not read the link from Miles yet

 

[TwistedPenguin]

'0' nitrates is virtually impossible in a cycled tank. Especially with just 1 50% weekly water change. I've got a 4" Oscar only in a 130 gal tank right now and do two 50% water changes on her tank per week and her nitrates are 5 ppm and that's a very understocked tank (just an example). Most cichids aren't carnivores, they're omnivores. I didn't research your particular fish (wolf fish?) but I'm betting it's an omnivore also.

 

[West1]

'0' nitrates is virtually impossible in a cycled tank. Especially with just 1 50% weekly water change. I've got a 4" Oscar only in a 130 gal tank right now and do two 50% water changes on her tank per week and her nitrates are 5 ppm and that's a very understocked tank (just an example). Most cichids aren't carnivores, they're omnivores. I didn't research your particular fish (wolf fish?) but I'm betting it's an omnivore also.

I highly agree with you on the PPms. i think I read somewhere that with the API test kit that it detects the nitrates at a certain point. Im sure I have them over 0.00 but just low enough that a total of 3 diff test kits/ test tubes all got the same results. 2 API and 1 other brand (??).


I wonder a lil if it has to do with the 3m ColorQuartz sand.
When I put it in it was in the cycling process and I washed it real good but when I put it in it made my tank real cloudy for a few days. 3m is used in filters so I wonder if it has anything to do with keeping my params low? Otherwise, I have no idea what im doing right/wrong?

Man, that link got me confused

 

[TwistedPenguin]

I don't know. I've got the same exact 3M ColorQuartz sand in 16 of my 21 tanks and still have to do big water changes lol