Septicimia and HITH?

[jhues]

Sorry I made an account just for this, but I wasn't sure where else to ask. I just saved this guy from a pet store where he would have died. He is in quarantine, I've added aquarium salt, methylene blue, erythromicin, and furan 2 over the past 3 days with 50% water changes every day. I originally thought he was wounded so I added all those things to prevent infection. His wound hasn't gotten smaller or larger. His activity has gotten a bit better, he's pretty curious and eats well enough. However I'm not sure what is particularly wrong with him now.

He's gotten slightly redder on his fins, and I'm wondering if he's got septicemia. I'm not familiar with HITH or sept. so I'm ready to treat unless I know what I'm doing.

 

[FishGuest5123]

You’ve treated him with so much already! Slow down and take things a little at a time. What I would do is a 75% water change daily for the next week and see how he looks. You can add a little aquarium salt at 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of dechlorinated water. The salt will help fight bacteria in the wound. Each day when you do a water change, add that much salt back into the water. For instance, if you remove 75% of water then add 3/4 tablespoon of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons back in each day. Be sure to dissolve the salt in a little tank water before adding to tank so it doesn’t burn the fish. Use a good dechlorinator too. Thank you for rescuing him! Please keep us posted. I think clean water will take care of this but If he worsens, then let us know.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

This is not hole in the head disease and it is not septicaemia (blood poisoning).
HITH disease is commonly found in cichlids that are kept in poor water quality, and appears as small white lumps that look like pimples. These pop and the fish ends up with little holes pitted throughout the head and face.

Septicaemia is caused by bacteria getting into the blood and the fish deteriorates very quickly and dies within a day.

--------------------------
I'm assuming you have concerns about the red dots on his head?
This appears to be a wound from where a couple of scales have been pulled out. The red stuff being blood.

Like Deanasue mentioned, big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate should be all that is required. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

--------------------------
The following link has information about what to do if your fish get sick. It's long and boring but worth a read. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/​

--------------------------
Erythromicin and furan 2 are anti-biotics. These should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medications. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics causes drug resistant bacteria that can kill people, animals, birds and fish.

 

[jhues]

You’ve treated him with so much already! Slow down and take things a little at a time. What I would do is a 75% water change daily for the next week and see how he looks. You can add a little aquarium salt at 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of dechlorinated water. The salt will help fight bacteria in the wound. Each day when you do a water change, add that much salt back into the water. For instance, if you remove 75% of water then add 3/4 tablespoon of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons back in each day. Be sure to dissolve the salt in a little tank water before adding to tank so it doesn’t burn the fish. Use a good dechlorinator too. Thank you for rescuing him! Please keep us posted. I think clean water will take care of this but If he worsens, then let us know.

Hah yeah I might have went overboard. I didn't do a full dose, just a quarter dosage of both the furan 2 and erythromicin. The methylene was a small amount but most fish are shipped in MB so I didn't think it would be nearly as potent or extreme as the other things I added.

I wasn't so sure about having him in salt for the rest of quarantine, but I can do a salt bath for him every day to prevent infection and keep him relaxed while keeping the quarantine tank water pristine and clean. It's got nothing but an almond leaf and a coconut in there for him along with a heater to keep it nice and sterile.

He hasn't gotten worse at all, he's very active and curious and does like to eat. I only worry that the red on his head hasn't appeared to go down or scar or anything like that. It's just bright red almost like it's supposed to be a marking.

Hi and welcome to the forum

This is not hole in the head disease and it is not septicaemia (blood poisoning).
HITH disease is commonly found in cichlids that are kept in poor water quality, and appears as small white lumps that look like pimples. These pop and the fish ends up with little holes pitted throughout the head and face.

Septicaemia is caused by bacteria getting into the blood and the fish deteriorates very quickly and dies within a day.

--------------------------
I'm assuming you have concerns about the red dots on his head?
This appears to be a wound from where a couple of scales have been pulled out. The red stuff being blood.

Like Deanasue mentioned, big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate should be all that is required. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

--------------------------
The following link has information about what to do if your fish get sick. It's long and boring but worth a read. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/​

--------------------------
Erythromicin and furan 2 are anti-biotics. These should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medications. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics causes drug resistant bacteria that can kill people, animals, birds and fish.

I won't add anymore anti-biotics, I just wanted to make sure he didn't get an infection. He was in a cup and I couldn't imagine dirtier water for him to live in with a wound on his head. The LAST thing I wanted was the wound on his head to get infected. It's in such a sensitive area, you know?

I have tap water conditioner and do water changes every day still, so I'll keep on doing those. Do you also agree that salt baths would be helpful?

 

[Colin_T]

I didn't do a full dose, just a quarter dosage of both the furan 2 and erythromicin.

That's even worse than doing a full dose because partial doses don't affect the bacteria and simply makes them resistant to the medication.

----------------------
Salt baths are not good for fish and neither is any type of bath. Every time you catch the fish and lift it out of water you can injure it.

Adding salt to the aquarium is fine for a couple of weeks. But just add it to the main tank and keep the salt level constant.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I agree with Colin. Baths stress the fish out and could injure them. Just add salt to the tank. Please keep us posted on how he’s doing. He’s a beautiful betta!