Lateral Line / Hole In Head Disease?

[AK77]

Hi,

I've just noticed that my clownfish has developed an indentation in one side of its head, just behind its eye. Its also got what looks like a small bubble that has formed between the two gills under the throat area. Any ideas what it can be? The fish is eating well and seems very lively. I was concerned that its the start of HLLE.

Cheers,

AK

 

[jtnova13]

not sure about the bubble, but when one of my fish got HLLE, it looked more like a pinhole than an indent.

I read that removing carbon helped so I did that and it cleared up. This was on a freshwater angelfish.

 

[scott133]

Hi AK

the clown you will have to feed 3-4 times a day on a mix of frozen food that will help him with the Laterial line disease and the clown has an uslser try get some melafix for him that should help before it turns in to bacterial infection

regards scott

 

[AK77]

I read that too about carbon. I'm not running any though, so I'm buggered if I know what it is lol


*edit*

Its feeding very well at the moment on a mix of ocean nutrition prime reef flake and formula two pellet food. Will melafix cause a problem with corals or inverts mate?

 

[scott133]

melafix will be fine mate i use it on my reef tank it is good stuff just turn your prontine skimmer off

for a week and make sure it dosnt over fill

regards scortt

 

[AK77]

I don't have one of those either lol.

Ok, I'll get some melafix and hopefully it will clear up. It certainly seems lively enough and its appetite hasn't been affected it. The fat little sod looks like its got dropsy its eaten so much food lol.

 

[seffieuk]

Good luck AK

Seffie x

ps would you do me a favour and post the pictures and what you decide to do (with outcome) on the fish of the week, clowns thread - would be a good resource for people

Seffie x

 

[lizvenables]

Not sure about HIH in marines, but I know we use to have problems with the Oscars getting it in the store all the time. Not much cures it however it usually looks more like a perfect hole, not a dent but a cavity. This case here doesn't look like it to me. The holes rarely/if ever ulcerate and it almost looks like swiss cheese or something similar.
Its usually caused by poor water quality, hence dirty eaters like Oscars getting it. We usually euthanase any fish that get it just because the medications used to cure it have like a 50/50 kill cure so its not worth dosing a whole tank. I cured it in my favorite fish once, used tetracycline/cyclide? With no carbon and twice weekly 25% water changes and very light feeding. Re-dose once a week until it has not been seen on the animal for at least two weeks to ensure all traces are cleared up.

 

[AK77]

Hi,

The indentation in the clownfish's head hasn't gotten any worse, if anything it looks slightly better, probably where the fish has gained weight. I wasn't able to get to my LFS for any treatments and so just ensured that I fed the fish on the ocean nutrition pellet food and flake food as much as they would eat. The other clownfish developed had an infection a day or so later. The colours on the small fish looked bleached, his tailfin started eroding and was covered in a white mucus. Again, I just fed the fish as much as possible and performed a water change. Both fish recovered within 3-4 days and have been doing fine ever since. The ulcer went away on its own as did the infection that the little clown had.

I think its often something overlooked that, like us, fish have an immune system and like us, we are always quick to medicate. For serious ailments, medicating may be necessary or beneficial but, ultimately its the fishes immune system that has the final say.

 

[milkton]

Hi,

The indentation in the clownfish's head hasn't gotten any worse, if anything it looks slightly better, probably where the fish has gained weight. I wasn't able to get to my LFS for any treatments and so just ensured that I fed the fish on the ocean nutrition pellet food and flake food as much as they would eat. The other clownfish developed had an infection a day or so later. The colours on the small fish looked bleached, his tailfin started eroding and was covered in a white mucus. Again, I just fed the fish as much as possible and performed a water change. Both fish recovered within 3-4 days and have been doing fine ever since. The ulcer went away on its own as did the infection that the little clown had.

I think its often something overlooked that, like us, fish have an immune system and like us, we are always quick to medicate. For serious ailments, medicating may be necessary or beneficial but, ultimately its the fishes immune system that has the final say.

kent vitamin c does the trick to cure HLLE. my clown had it and cured a few weeks later.

 

[AK77]

The Ocean Nutrition pellet food that I feed them is enriched with vitamin c and probably went a long way to helping both fish fight off the ailments that they had. I should imagine that a great deal of sick fish would naturally fight off their infections without treatment, yet we largely attribute any recovery soley to dosing medication.

 

[milkton]

The Ocean Nutrition pellet food that I feed them is enriched with vitamin c and probably went a long way to helping both fish fight off the ailments that they had. I should imagine that a great deal of sick fish would naturally fight off their infections without treatment, yet we largely attribute any recovery soley to dosing medication.

ak, if your trying to say fish are hardier than people think and dont require extra medications, then i couldnt agree with you more. i do believe in vitamins and vitamin enriched foods though.

 

[AK77]

The Ocean Nutrition pellet food that I feed them is enriched with vitamin c and probably went a long way to helping both fish fight off the ailments that they had. I should imagine that a great deal of sick fish would naturally fight off their infections without treatment, yet we largely attribute any recovery soley to dosing medication.

ak, if your trying to say fish are hardier than people think and dont require extra medications, then i couldnt agree with you more. i do believe in vitamins and vitamin enriched foods though.

Yes matey, that's exactly what I mean.

I used to be guilty of dosing meds if a fish looked so much as a bit listless lol. Its where we are so attached to our pets and just want to help them but feel powerless to do so. That and the fact that we are now a "pop a pill" society, for all our health woes.