Help with HITH

[Bilbo]

I have a Blue Ram that looks like its head is caving in. All scales have gone from round the front of its head and its flesh has about 4 round pits about 2mm round and 1 mm deep from just above the eyes to the nose area. I thought he has just been bashed up by the dominant male but after isolation for 2 weeks its getting worse and is now not eating. I have dosed the Q'tine tank with Meth Blue and Fungi cure but no change. Is this likely to be the dreaded Hole in the head? and if so how do I cure it?

Thanks

Bilbo

[Wayne]

Hi Bilbo

if it's HITH disease( that is IF it is..), the routine treatment is metronidazole( an antibiotic that kills protozoa too) nothing else over the counter is gonna zap this bug, even formalin etc

Think water quality too... i usually advice checking all parameters, and performing good heafty water changes.....checking filtration etc,. can get quite intensive. Some experts put the condition down solely to poor environmental factors/nutrition.

The first step for now is isolate. little tip. don't confuse normal pit( head canals--part of the lateral line system in fish) for HITHD. check for symmetry. if it's on both sides, could b a perfectly normal thing. since the fish is a cichlid, HITHD is high on the list of possibilites. best if u can scrape the skin n chk for other more common parasites first.