Re: Oh no! :( Not finrot again!
#9
While I can`t rule it out, Hexamita (hole-in-head-disease) does not usually attack Rams, and furthermore in 9 out of 10 cases for any fish species, Hexamita is mis-diagnosed. Hexamita is in fact a very rare / extremely rare disease amongst any fish, but the diagnose is quickly established by hobbyists as soon as they see any holes or craters in the head region of Discus and other cichlids. Most holes in the head of cichlids are in fact NOT Hexamita, and will disappear with improved water quality, frequent water changes, and no treatment at all.Unfortunately he's wrong, thats the kind of widespread crap (usually net sourced) thats been kicking around the last few years, if he'd seen the sample tests I have, he would be in no doubt. Rams of course do get hexamita, though unusually they rarely show the actual head, pits, it doesnt however stop the protozoans from practically draining them dry. I think you just found the limit of the guys knowledge. Much of this sort of stuff sprang up when shopkeepers started wanting a plausible deniability for infections caused by all in one UV systems, and while hexamita symptoms are often masked by keeping the immune system of the fish high, its not a cure. Theres no mystery as to why so many cichlids are dying. Its importers shops, and breeders, and their huge systems allowing the spread of hexamita, and the UV lowers reinfestation, but off the system the infections increase. Many fish breeders also unable to cope with treatment protocols also started harping up that its incurable, which is a testament to their sense of economy, and lack of skill, nothing more. Its often because people dont treat , and yet continue to breed and mix specimens that hexamita has become as prevalent as it now is, and frankly, only a fool could say its rare. Misdiagnosis works both ways unfortunately.
Good diet and care was always a way for many fish to have their symptoms reduced to a minimum, the same is true of many parasite infections, and resistances vary, but there will always be a large number of fish who will not respond without treatment, and its this issue precisely that fishkeepers en masse are failing to address, and lack of treatment often appeals to the average keeper/breeder becuase its an expense to treat, unfortunately, this does nothing to stop the spread of the disease.
Even a healthy looking specimen, once infected, will be responsible for infecting many other specimens around it , in shops, at breeders holding facilities, wherever. Thanks to the non-believers as it were, were combatting this thing daily, where before, it was actually pretty rare.
If you were to get your fish sample tested if it dies, you'd soon see what was up , if of course you ask specifically for a microbiology report on the protozoan species present. You have to look specifically for them.
You will see this kind of thing regularly on forums, there was a period of "debunking" that amateur fishkeepers thought they had achieved with hexamita, unfortunately it was a load of bullcrap, and it caught on as an idea like wildfire, as you would expect for a non- treatment option, unfortunately, it geometrically escalated the spread of the disease.
Garlic and olive oils as miracle cures, etc etc, youll see this sort of rubbish a lot. You'll be hard pressed to find anyone of any authority at the heart of such rumours. Go ask a fish vet, refer to the works of people like george post et al, you'll get the truth.
I went into a shop recently to see a batch of discus with very visibly clear , and massively enlarged pits in the head, I warned the keeper they had hexamita and got nothing more than a sneer, and indeed I bought an emerald cichlid from them a few months ago that manifested symptoms as soon as it was off their system, and has since made a full recovery under metronidazole treatment, and is indeed , something of a showstopper. Of course its in their interest to deny it, because were it proven in their system, not a single fish would be allowed for sale, so its small wonder most shopkeepers deny its presence immediately, and go into a schpiel of bullcrap about what causes it etc.
Presumably I will go back to the shop in a week or two, to see a few less discus, maybe one out of 8 doing better, most looking thinner, and whatever theyre treating for, or whatever they think is causing it, wont be hexamita- obviously. If something dies it will, remain a
confirmed mystery ailment. Pathetic.
All I can say is, be very careful where you get both your information, and your cichlids from.