Water quality(as it pertains to HITH)

[FishKeepingNoob]

I took a close look at the oscar today and noticed a lot of small pinhole size indentions in his head. I started researching and most people say poor water quality leads to this. They look fairly symetrical but there are some spots that are different between left/right sides.

Can water quality be bad although all the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels are acceptable? I always have 0 ammonia/nitrite and 10-20ppm nitrate before each water change(~25%) which I do once a week usually. One time I skipped a week to see and the nitrate was the same. The water is very clear and he seems happy. Good appetite, and always comes up to me when I go to the tank.

I don't understand when water is "dirty" if the beforementioned levels are ok. Seems like you'd want to minimize the stress on fish with reduced water changes but I see plenty of people suggesting 50% or more 2X week with similar setups to mine(1 oscar in a 75 gallon).

 

[rhodes_96]

Few key steps to help with hith. These are not a cure but are a safer method than using antibiotic treatments. If you search the forum you will find many answers.

Are you using carbon in your filtration on a regular basis ? if you are, remove it.

Water change every few days and clean the gravel substrate.

Feed a good balanced diet with (vitamin in take is important)

You can add aquarium salt around 1 tbs per 5-10 gallons

You can increase temperature to around 80-82.

 

[pacu mom]

I took a close look at the oscar today and noticed a lot of small pinhole size indentions in his head. I started researching and most people say poor water quality leads to this. They look fairly symetrical but there are some spots that are different between left/right sides.

Can water quality be bad although all the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels are acceptable? I always have 0 ammonia/nitrite and 10-20ppm nitrate before each water change(~25%) which I do once a week usually. One time I skipped a week to see and the nitrate was the same. The water is very clear and he seems happy. Good appetite, and always comes up to me when I go to the tank.

I don't understand when water is "dirty" if the beforementioned levels are ok. Seems like you'd want to minimize the stress on fish with reduced water changes but I see plenty of people suggesting 50% or more 2X week with similar setups to mine(1 oscar in a 75 gallon).

Here's an article on Oscarfish.com which talks about the difference between normal sensory pits and HITH. Perhaps this will help you.

http://www.oscarfish.com/article-home/oscars/67-hith.html

 

[FishKeepingNoob]

Thanks. I'll look again tomorrow as the lights have gone off. But if it is HITH, it's the beginning stage at most. There is no discoloration at all so it could be sensory pits I suppose.

Right after I posted, he started acting differently...He didn't eat the usual 10-13 pellets before he started spitting them out the gills. He only ate a couple. Only change recently is the increased lighting and I added a goldfish too large for him to eat(came from other tank and was tearing up the plants).

I always run salt in the tank. 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. I'll put a new heater in there and bump the temp. And I guess I'll remove the filter media that has the carbon in it and just run filter floss.