What Is This?

[rdd1952]

I have been gone for a couple weeks and just came home to find one of my angelfish with what looks like a parasite. It is protruding like worms or something. None of the other fish in the tank seem to have it and there have been no new fish (or anything else for that matter) added to the tank in over 2 years. I have been totally free of disease or parasite problems over the last 3+ years so I am clueless as to the different varities. What is it and what do I need to treat with? Thanks for your help.

 

[WILDER]

Can you describe the parasite rdd1952 they look like white blobs in the pic.
Doesn't look like anchor worm, fish lice, or gill maggots.
Does the parasite have legs, though I doubt it if you have describe it like a worm.
Does it have pinchers or hooks, or a tail.

Warty like growths on fish can be lymthocystis.

 

[rdd1952]

I can't see any legs. When I say it looks like worms, I mean that they protrude from the body rather than just being spots. There is some movement of them but that could easily just be the water flow causing them to move. The longest one looks to protrude maybe 1/16th of an inch. The fish is acting completely normal, still eats and is showing no signs of problems. I looked up some photos of lymphocystis and don't think that is it.

 

[Colin_T]

it is hole in the head or head & lateral line disease.

 

[~T~]

I had a tbar cichlid that had that, the sores came and went. Sometimes it was worse than other times. He eventually went blind in one eye and a while after that I euthanised him as he wasnt doing very well and the sores never cured.

 

[rdd1952]

Honestly, it doesn't look like HITH as these protrude from the body rather than being pits or holes as the descriptions I have found describe. Oddly enough, as I was looking at him from a face-on position earlier today, they almost appear to be symetrical, at least 3 of them anyway, on both sides of the head.

 

[WILDER]

The only thing I can suggest is wrapping the fish in a cloth soaked in tank water to see if they are a parasite out of the water.

 

[WILDER]

Would you say the pic is similar to what your fish had.
http/www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/pimples.gif

 

[rdd1952]

Kind of hard to say from that photo as I can't tell if those spots are holes or pits or if they protrude. I had thought about netting him to get a more close up picture but don't want to stress him. I will see if I can get some more photos from closer range. The problem is, when I go to the tank, they think they are getting fed and end up facing me so I can't get the photo I need.

 

[Colin_T]

Hole in the head disease is often associated with puss oozing out of the pits before they turn into pits. It is brought about by poor water quality encouraging various nasties to infect the fish. Do more water changes and make sure you gravel clean the tank each week. Also clean your filter every month even if it looks clean. Then if it hasn't cleared up in a week treat it with something like Metronidazole.

You also need to feed the fish lots of different foods to help build up their immune system.

 

[WILDER]

Any redness to the white bits as it says in this article small white nodules there will be redness.
http/www.fishyfarmacy.com/articles/hexamita.html

 

[rdd1952]

After more reading, I am convinced HITH is the correct diagnosis. Oddly, several of the articles said it really isn't known what causes it. I honestly don't think the water quality is an issue. This is a 75 gallon tank and the current stock is only the 2 angels, 3 SAEs, 2 tetras, 4 corys and a 6" pleco. Tank is heavily overfiltered. Even if I go for 3 weeks without WCs, nitrate never gets over 5 ppm.

I did another water change and fed some frozen bloodworms. I will pick up some other frozen foods (think I have some tubiflex already). Do you think medication is needed? From taking a good look at the other fish, it appears this one is the only one with a problem. The other angel looks fine. I have had both of them for over 3 years.

Thanks for the help.

 

[WILDER]

Rdd1952 pm tolak he knows alot about angel fish and hole in the head.
You might need this med.
Metronidazole 4 mg/L for 3 to 4 days Hexamita change water with each treatment. Poorly soluble

 

[Colin_T]

After more reading, I am convinced HITH is the correct diagnosis. Oddly, several of the articles said it really isn't known what causes it. I honestly don't think the water quality is an issue. This is a 75 gallon tank and the current stock is only the 2 angels, 3 SAEs, 2 tetras, 4 corys and a 6" pleco. Tank is heavily overfiltered. Even if I go for 3 weeks without WCs, nitrate never gets over 5 ppm.

Not everything written online is correct. Also not everyone who writes articles for the web has all the information. Many people have seen one or two cases of a disease and often that is what their experience comes down to.

Plecos and SAEs are messy fish that produce lots of waste. It is the waste and other fish gunk that encourages diseases and fish health problems. Often in a well planted tank the nitrate levels will stay low, (because the plants use it up) but the disease organisms will continue to grow in the water and live in the gravel among the gunk that is trapped in there. This means even if the water has little or no nutrients, there can still be disease outbreaks caused by a build up of gunk in the gravel and filter.
Regular gravel cleaning and filter maintenance is the best way to prevent diseases.

Do you think medication is needed? From taking a good look at the other fish, it appears this one is the only one with a problem. The other angel looks fine. I have had both of them for over 3 years.

Often older fish, especially cichlids, will come down with this problem, but younger fish in the same tank won't be affected. Chances are every fish in the tank will be carrying the disease but only those with a weakened immune system will show any symptoms. You can monitor them over the next week and if no more problems occur then don’t bother treating them. However, the organism will still be in the tank and future outbreaks could occur. Treating the tank now should prevent the disease recurring in the future.

 

[rdd1952]

Most all of the fish in the tank are old. The angels, tetras and 2 of the SAEs have been in it since it was set up in March or April of 2005. The other SAE was added about a year later and the corys and pleco were 6 months after that.

Unfortunatly, in this tank which is heavily planted, gravel vacs are very difficult. I get as much as I can but it's hard to get back into the plants. I did do some rearranging on Monday and did a good vac. I mentioned going 3 weeks without a WC but that is not the norm. I usually change about 10 to 15 percent weekly.