Discus are having Hole in the Head disease !

Today Morning I was watching my Discus fish and noticed that they have some kind of tiny pits on their heads. So It seems this infamous Discus disease " Hole in the Head " has arrived to my fish tank too !

This disease is known as many names Hole in the Head, Head and Lateral Line Disease etc. So I'm reading about this in various aquarium web sites and gathering information about it. Also check about cures and medicine. It seems this disease is often confused with another disease called Hexamita ( white poo disease )because both these diseases are often seen simultaneously in the same fish.



This is an interesting summery I found about Hole in the head disease,

Under certain conditions, which have not yet been clearly specified, a massive increase occurs in the number the flagellates which live in the intestines of the fish. They pose serious competition with the fish for minerals, with the result that the fish then suffer from mineral deficiency. As a reaction to the mineral deficiency, the fish breaks down its own skeleton to obtain minerals. Since the largest mass of bone substance is in the region of the head, disintegration is particularly extreme in this area, appearing as holes. At the same time the flagellates move on to the nearest surface of the body. As the holes represent the nearest surface of the body, the flagellates can be found at the bottom of the holes. In the past, only the flagellate was thought to be responsible for this disease. In fact, a combination of mineral deficiency and a massive increase in the numbers of flagellates lead to the formation of holes.
Holes can also be caused by tapeworms, threadworms and fish tuberculosis, as well as incorrect feeding.

Treatments for Hole in the head disease are,

• Increase the mineral content of the water.
• Heat treatment can be combined with orally administered Metronidazole (sold under the brand name Flagyl) once every three days.
• Increase frequent water changes.
• Improving the quality of the fish's water supply, vitamin and minera.

Well I ll write a detailed post about this disease later.