Hexmita Keeps Comming Back After Metronidazole

[aibo210]

Hi

Ive been treating my fish for hex using 200mg crushed tablets in 20 liters of water in a quaratine tank for 6 days and also dosein by mouth. On about day 2-3 he was pooing normal no white-stringy only odd times having trouble with his gill plate sticking down and jerking.

The fish has a pimple on its crown this also reduced in size by day 4-5 and almost healed but now for some reason its grown back again even though im still doseing the metro and doing 50% water changes a day!

This fish has been treated a few weeks back with octozin wich also reduced the size of the pimple only to come back a week later so i gave it a dose of ehsa hex that did nothing and then a further week later the problem exploded into 2 spots on his gill plate and a hole in his anal fin!

The growths look like white heads filled with white puss they disapear and come back and have done a week later after treatment!

Im at a loss with this fish it seems his immune systems failed? nothing I try seems to shift it! im slowly giving up because its really putting me off fish keeping the constant battle with diffrent treatments!

I dont really know what to try or cut my losses and euthanize him but hes a lovely fish and hes ok other then the pimples and the sticky gill plate!


Any ideas guys?

 

[WILDER]

I would contact tolak he's a mod on this site he knows quite alot about the med you are using.
Not sure if you can use a higher dose that's why you should contact tolak.
Sounds like the dosage is not doing its job.
When you mix the med in the food how are you doing it.
Also are they eating the food with the med in it.
http/www.fishyfarmacy.com/articles/hexamita.html

 

[Brette]

Hi, I'm also dealing with hole in the head disease, although maybe not with hexamita as his poop looks normal. But he has tiny pinholes in his head that i'm trying to keep under control with good water and a varied diet. So far so good.

Have you also tried using a bit of salt in the water to help heal the wounds? Infectious stuff hates salt. Something else that I'm going to try is applying some antibacterial oitment to his head to encourage healing. The oitment is water resistant so it stays on the fish for a while. This page explains how to do it:

http/books.google.ca/books?id=ZuZHjJ6t6g...1&ct=result

 

[WILDER]

Also vitamin supplements help.
http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html

 

[Brette]

Also vitamin supplements help.
[URL="http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html"]http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html[/URL]

Wilder do you of an easy way to get vitamins into a fish? I have Centrum (human vitamins) and i'm wondering if I can crush it, dissolve it and add it to the tank. Will be absorbed by the fish?

 

[WILDER]

Think you mix it in there food.
Soak food in egg white then roll the food in the powder, then set in fridge for ten minutes.

 

[Brette]

Think you mix it in there food.
Soak food in egg white then roll the food in the powder, then set in fridge for ten minutes.

Hmm... i just read people sometime use bird vitamin powder (like Nekton) and add it to fish food, soaking it for a few hours.

interesting!

 

[mike os]

firstly what species?

what are the tank parameters & diet?


how have you been treating... describe in detail please.

if it's tropical then it is spironucleus vortens rather than hexamita (or the rarely reported octomitus) Poynton 2002, however treatment is the same.

 

[Brette]

however treatment is the same.

I'm battling hole in the head as well, possibly without hexamita. My ram has 4 very tiny, shallow leasions on his head that have developed over the past 2 months. He's not acting sick in the least though and his poo looks normal. The water quality is great, 0 readings on everything and weekly 20% water changes.

Last week i decided to treat him.

• 4 days in a quarantine tank:
• added 200mg dissolved metro in the 5 gallon quarantine tank water. daily water changes and addition of more metro.
• added crushed metro to frozen bloodworm which he gobbled up daily

after 4 days I put him back in the regular tank. He is is usual happy self but i don't see much improvement in the lesions (which are still very small)

Was 4 days enough?

 

[BigC]

Have you tried Fulbendazole.
http/www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf
I use it for Hydra control, but it can also be used for Hexamita.
Regards
BigC

 

[mike os]

the holes can take years to close, & some never do.

treatment may have been a little light, but your vet should advise on the correct dosage

generally though 250-400mg per 10gal at 8h intervals with a 25% wc between treatment for 3 days, temp 30c as there is some evidence of metro coming out of suspension at temps of less than 28c. Please be advised that I am not a vet or suitably qualified under VMR2008, & this is therefore only based on my experience & should not be taken as professional advice in any way.

 

[Brette]

Please be advised that I am not a vet or suitably qualified under VMR2008, & this is therefore only based on my experience & should not be taken as professional advice in any way.

I understand. And any personal experience is appreciated. there is a lot of conflicting dosage and treatment times floating around the net when it comes to hole in the head and metronizadole. Unfortunately my vet wouldn't have a clue as he doesn't treat fish but I've been bringing my dogs to him for 13 years. He was nice enough to give me some free metro tablets though for my ram after I explained that the fish could die without it.