Keeping Oscar Fish | Hole in the Head Disease (HITH)

Hole in the Head Disease (HITH)

The flagellate protozoan, Hexamita is usually involved in causing HITH. This can also be known as Octomitus.

Basically, Hexamita is a parasite that many cichlids including Oscars have living in their gut. Normally, this parasite doesn't cause any problems and you wouldn't even know the fish has them. However, if the fish was to become distressed due to factors such as poor water conditions, unsuitable diet, adverse changes in their environment, these parasites can start multiplying dramatically. You will then start seeing the symptoms of hole in the head disease such as holes and pitting.

This disease is arguably one of the most common ailments that Oscars develop. Hole in the head disease strikes fear into any Oscar owner because it can be fatal for Oscars if not treated properly. The disease itself can cause horrible lesions and holes on your Oscars head and body. This alone makes hole in the head disease particularly nasty.

If your Oscar does start developing HITH then you may notice small holes appearing in the body, especially in the head region. These holes will gradually developed into much larger craters/pits. You may also notice stringy mucus trailing from the wounds which has often been mistaken for worms. Your fish may also go off its food and develop a hollow bellied appearance.

Possible hole in the head disease

Relatively mild cases of HITH can be cured by increasing tank maintenance, and improving the fish's diet with maybe supplements of vitamins. However, severe cases of hole in the head may need medication. A lot of these medications are meant to be added to food but unfortunately, many fish that develop hole in the head disease go off their food so it can be problematic trying to administer medication. Luckily, there are medications on the market that just have to be added to the water. Two such treatments are dimetridazole and metronidazole. These two medications are only available as a prescription in certain countries so you will have to consult your vet. There are various other treatments available off the shelf. One such medication that is available here in the UK is called Octozin and is manufactured by Waterlife. These come in tablet form so all you have to do is add them to the tank water. Photograph shows my red Oscar with possible hole in the head disease. After increased tank maintenance, this case cleared up .

Unfortunately, hole in the head disease is extremely common in Oscars. The sad thing is it doesn't have to be. If you start off by sticking to some general rules such as keeping your Oscars/Oscar in a suitable tank and feeding them on the correct diet, you can reduce the chances of your Oscar contracting this disease.

If you do notice your fish developing any of the above symptoms, don't panic, follow these instructions and hopefully everything will be okay. If things don't improve, consult your vet for advice on what you can do next.

Sensory Pits, Don't Panic

Sensory pits

I think it's worth mentioning an Oscars "sensory pits". Lots of people suddenly notice tiny little pinprick holes when they are observing their Oscar close up, or when they are looking at a photograph that has been taken using the flash. They then start panicking because they think their Oscar is developing hole in the head disease. Worry not, these are sensory pits and are totally normal, they should not be confused with hole in the head disease. The excellent photograph above provided by Rafel, one of our members clearly shows lots of pinprick holes arranged in circles, these are the sensory pits.

{comment}

[ Back ]