How to cure hole in the head disease?

Question

My friend has a 4" jewel fish and it has some holes in its head. He tried used a medicine called general cure which contains 125 mg of metronidazole. Is this enough of a dose or do we need a stronger medicine? It is in a quarantine tank by itself with a cave and three plants. It is very nervous and is lethargic. Will it die of starvation before it is cured? Please help.

Answer 1

True hole in the head is not a parasite, but some parasites can look much like hole in the head disease (HITH) Below is a link to one of the best write ups on HITH I have seen in a while.

HITH takes a very long time to completely cure and you will have to watch the fish careful during that time for bacterial infections as well as fungus and parasites.

The treatment you used won't cure the HITH but will help if an infection was present. Treating with a Malachite green medication wouldn't hurt either to remove any fungii and small parasites from the tank.

The key to the cure lies in excellent water quality and a good varied diet. Feed as many different foods as possible and be sure to include plenty of plant matter. The various "green" frozen foods would be an excellent addition to the diet.

http://www.oscarfish.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=3

Hope that helps him!

MM

Answer 2

Hole in the head is hard to cure and generally fatal. Do keep the fish separated as it is contagious. I think stress makes them more vunerable, so check water perameters in the main tank. It is common for goldfish to get it so take a look at this site
www.goldfishconnection.com and/ or
www.fishdoc.com

Answer 3

It's a parasite. Raise the water temp and start medicating. You can find medication at your local pet store. Make sure that when you medicate you are taking the carbon out of the filter. Meds will not work if you don't. The carbon will take them out of the water.

BTW, you can see this parasite when it's dark in the room and you have the tank lights on. It's almost like a worm. It's clear and wiggles it's head and tail back and forth to swim through the water. I have seen it actually "hatch" out of our Jack Dempsy's head. WIERD!!