You can save a ton of money by buying metronidazole from the horse meds aisle of a feed & grain store. I bought a bottle of 50 250mg tabs for $9.99. That's much cheaper than Cloat at the lfs. It also goes by the brand name Flagyl in the pharmacy but, I'm not sure if it's over-the-counter.
Somebody help, quick!!!
- Thread starter ZBT3091
- Start date
Leave the meds for a last resort.Take the carbon out of the filter(ive read repeatedly that oscars are sensitive to it)Minimum 20% water change weekly More if the readings call for it.Your tank is too crowded an oscars the first to sho the effects.
I agree with alot of what is being posted here about this problem. Espcially about making sure that water quality is correct and that a good diet is being fed. I also agree that in this case, attempting to medicate the fish would be the last thing I tried. I would only medicate if a couple weeks of excellent water quality and diet didn't improve the condition.
The thing I don't agree with or understand is all the suggestions for administering medications that treat external parasites. Head pitting and laterline eurosion is not caused by a parasite feeding on the fish's skin. It is most often a reaction the the enviroment it is in or nutritional defecencies. Copper treatment is known for actually causing head pitting and laterline eurosion. THis is most often seen in salt water fish but is true for fresh water as well. Medications for external parasites is not going to fix the pitts in your fishes head or fix what caused it. If your fish have an internal parasite such as heximeda, the medication must be soaked into the food you feed them to get the meds into the digestive tract. Fresh water fish do not drink water, having medication in the water will not get into thier digestive tract.
I'm not trying to step on anyones toes here. I have delt with this condition many times and treated the condition as a external parasite with very little + outcome. I started treating this condition as I discribed above many years ago, mostly on discus, with a much greater success rate. The garlic trick works suprisingly well, even on external parasites. Kent marine and Sea Chem both sell a garlic extract to soak your food in.
Joel
The thing I don't agree with or understand is all the suggestions for administering medications that treat external parasites. Head pitting and laterline eurosion is not caused by a parasite feeding on the fish's skin. It is most often a reaction the the enviroment it is in or nutritional defecencies. Copper treatment is known for actually causing head pitting and laterline eurosion. THis is most often seen in salt water fish but is true for fresh water as well. Medications for external parasites is not going to fix the pitts in your fishes head or fix what caused it. If your fish have an internal parasite such as heximeda, the medication must be soaked into the food you feed them to get the meds into the digestive tract. Fresh water fish do not drink water, having medication in the water will not get into thier digestive tract.
I'm not trying to step on anyones toes here. I have delt with this condition many times and treated the condition as a external parasite with very little + outcome. I started treating this condition as I discribed above many years ago, mostly on discus, with a much greater success rate. The garlic trick works suprisingly well, even on external parasites. Kent marine and Sea Chem both sell a garlic extract to soak your food in.
Joel
This pretty much sums up the HLLE or Hole-in-the-head.....
http://www.aquariumpharm.com/disease/hlle.html
(I posted this link in my previous post, API is a great source for fish diseases and their cures.)
I have lost an Oscar to hole in the head about a year ago, it was a hybred oscar. We tried everything to try and get her well again, and nothing seemed to work, as a result of the parasite, she eventually lost her swim bladder function, and could not swim around anymore. She also lost her appitite, we had to humanely put her down. The male oscar, the one I still have now, got it too, but, we were able to save him. Now he is hole in the head free! We treated him with a parasite food, he ate it, and got better!
I wish you luck with your Oscar!
Jen
P.S.
Here is another type of medication by HIKARI, which works really well, you should look into...
http://www.uskoi.com/metro+.htm
http://www.aquariumpharm.com/disease/hlle.html
(I posted this link in my previous post, API is a great source for fish diseases and their cures.)
I have lost an Oscar to hole in the head about a year ago, it was a hybred oscar. We tried everything to try and get her well again, and nothing seemed to work, as a result of the parasite, she eventually lost her swim bladder function, and could not swim around anymore. She also lost her appitite, we had to humanely put her down. The male oscar, the one I still have now, got it too, but, we were able to save him. Now he is hole in the head free! We treated him with a parasite food, he ate it, and got better!
I wish you luck with your Oscar!
Jen
P.S.
Here is another type of medication by HIKARI, which works really well, you should look into...
http://www.uskoi.com/metro+.htm
jenBLKAROWANA said:
I have to do a source check here. This IS published by Aquarium Pharamaceuticals, so of course they are going to tell you that you need to buy their meds to treat the disease! It's just not true. I've owned and known several oscars cured with only good nutrition, vitamin supplementation, and clean water (0ppm ammonia and nitrites, less than 20ppm nitrates)--has anyone ever cured an oscar (or any fish) just with meds, without changing the diet and improving water quality? Because I'd like to hear about it. Hexamita, where it occurs at all, is now generally considered a secondary infection.
A much less biased and more accurate article:
http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html
"It is believed that hexamita when found in relation to HITH is actually a matter of a secondary infection brought on by the suppressed immune function and not the cause of the HITH."
If you feel you must treat for internal parasites, it is really best to purchase or mix up anti-parasitic food so you are combatting things directly.
Laura
if you truly have hexamita causing the HITH try using hex-out by aqurium products as well as a better diet. I like the garlic extract by kent and seachem, also try zoecon by kent , this stuff really helps overall growth of all fish as well as reversing HITH. Good luck.
Ornatapinnis said:
So there's no confusion, Metronidazole is not a medication to combat parasites. This med is used to treat bacterial infection. Bacteria has been found to be associated in HLLE, lateral-line erosion, and bloat.
I completely agree with maintaining proper water conditions and diet to fend off onsets of these diseases. I also contend that chemistry exists to facilitate the treatment of these diseases. When I have symptoms crop up in a tank with several thousand dollars of prized specimens, I don't want a treatment that will work in a couple of weeks. I want a treatment that will work now.
Joel- You hit the nail on the head concerning the benefits of garlic to fend off parasites. An alarmingly high percentage of my puffers arrived with internal, gill, and external parasites. I routinely feed all of my puffers (and all of my wild-caught fish) Wattley's frozen community food w/garlic. Clears all of my fish of parasites in quick fashion.
I get alot of wild caught fish in too, more salt water than fresh but garlic is one of my little secrets that helps fix problems. I'm hesatent to dose stressed out fish with medications when they first come in. THe meds them selves can be stressful.
I looked at that link that Jen posted for aquarium pharm. I not a big fan of that company but that advise IMO is right on!!!!
Joel
I looked at that link that Jen posted for aquarium pharm. I not a big fan of that company but that advise IMO is right on!!!!
Joel
I haven't been following this thread and don't know if it's been covered but your hole in the head is a vitamin K problem. That can be caused be many things.... internal parasites, lack of a good diet, crappy water conditions. Find out what is causeing it and fix that. Your meds "might" kill internal parasites..... but why treat for it if it's a lack of a good diet or crappy water conditions.
Which brings me to my next point. If fish could catch farts I beleive they would. Just seeing if your reading this.
Which brings me to my next point. If fish could catch farts I beleive they would. Just seeing if your reading this.
