Everyone is giving great advice regarding the nitrate situation you are having, but HITH is caused by a diet lacking variety and proper nutrition as well.
Everyone is giving great advice regarding the nitrate situation you are having, but HITH is caused by a diet lacking variety and proper nutrition as well.
I do believe if you ask 50 experts you will get 50 different causes for HITH. There has not yet been a proven cause for it to the best of my knowledge. There are many, many, many, many factors that have been correlated to it, all of which also correlate to general good fish keeping practices.
Perhaps you could provide a citation to some genuine research to back up this theory of yours?
True, most of what we know about HITH and HLLE is theory. But just as long exposure to a high concentration of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, a poor diet is just as commonly accepted as one of the main causes to HITH.
Diet is the most commonly accepted cause of HITH. It is believed that the disease is more akin to the human disease of scurvy, or rickets both vitamin decifient diseases (scurvy is caused by not having enough vitamin C in your diet over extended periods, early sailors would get it as fresh fruit could not be stored for long voyages). Just as the human body degenerates if proper diet is neglected for too long so do aquarium fish. If a balanced diet, or an out right improper diet is fed over a long period of time the fish can suffer greatly
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/headlledisease/a/aa040901.htm There are many "theories" as to why this disease occurs, but there seems to be no single definitive answer that can be pinpointed or solely connected to it. Many of the contributing theories include stray voltage in the aquarium, poor water quality and environmental conditions, high nitrate levels, lack of vitamins and poor nutrition, stress, parasitic infestation (a protozoan, Octomita necatrix), using carbon, and that some fish may just be genetically pre-disposed to this disease condition, such as Tangs & Surgeonfishes (refer to sixth discussion down).
http://oscarcichlidfanclub.htmlplanet.com/custom3.html THE CALCIUM/PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY THEORY: HLLE may be the result of deficiencies in these minerals. This theory is supported by low levels of calcium/phosphorus in affected fish and reports of adding calcium/phosphorus supplements being beneficial to the recovery of fish with HLLE. It is suggested that the deficiency is caused by an infestation of Hexamita interfering with absorption of nutrients. (2) That most flake and pellet foods provide a great deal of both minerals, yet HLLE occurs in fish on such diets suggests that other factors are involved (listed in the other theories) that interfere with the absorption and/or utilization of these minerals
My nitrates are low @ 10ppm. Just got a new Jager heater since the last one was crap. I feed Hikari Gold and blended fish with multi vitamin/ greens mixed in. My filters run with no carbon in it.
I know there is no proof to the cause of HITH but theories... but all I can do it try to get rid of it.
