# Is this really Hexamita?



## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

I took this picture to the LFS and was told this was Hexamita. What do you all think? They said to treat the tank with Metronidazole and to try and get him to eat food that has been treated with this medication (but he is not been eating regularly). I purchased the meds but was too afraid to do anything until I checked with you guys. He has had these wounds for a few months but I thought it was due to him scratching himself on the decorations so I removed the decorations and he has continued to get more wounds. This morning I noticed that his belly has lost it's color and seems to be sunken in a little.

75G
1 Oscar/ 3 cuvier's bichir
Rena XP3
ammonia 0
nitrate 5
nitrite 0
ph 8.0
temp 78F


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

So I went ahead and added 200mg for every 10 US gallon. Should I do as the directions say and repeat every 2 days until symptoms disappear? Should I be doing weekly w/c or hold off until things clear up? Or pehaps daily w/cs? Let me know what you think.


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

Anyone?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Looks like HITH and lateral line disease to me!

I would treat as you are, but would also initiate frequent water changes on the tank, as well. Oscars are dirty messy fish, so keeping the water clean is going to be just as important as using the meds.

Kim


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

I will do daily w/c and continue with the meds. He also has what looks like cataract forming on both eyes. Right now it is only on the bottom part of his eyes, but I fear that it may soon cover his whole eye. Will this blind him?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Sounds like cloudy eye, usually caused by poor water quality.

What are the water parameters on the tank?

What is your usual tank maintenance routine?

How many gph goes through your filtration?

Kim


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

I do weekly w/c of 20%

I don't know how to figure out the gph. I will see if I can find out how to calculate.

Rena XP3 
ammonia 0 
nitrate 5 
nitrite 0 
ph 8.0 
temp 78F


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

It can be almost impossible to keep an oscar tank clean. They are the pigs of the fish world. 

The Rena XP3 should be adequate filtration, but your water changes might be on the small side. When I kept oscars, I did two water changes a week of 40-50%.

I'd step it up and see if that helps along with the meds.

Kim


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

I will do that, thanks for your help!


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

As I was researching HITH it states to raise temp to 82 and add salt. Should I be doing this or is this what I would do if I wasn't treating with metro? Can I do this safely while using metro?


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## rickscics (May 3, 2006)

Yes you can.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I don't believe it will hurt anything, but it's going to make your frequent water changes a bit more difficult as far as replacing salt.

I would hold off on the salt for awhile, then maybe use it when finished with the metro. Raising the temp could stress the fish more than you want to.

Kim


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Whenever I have used metro to treat bloat symptoms in tropheus, I have treated every 8 hours with 1/4 tsp per 40 gal. with daily 50% water changes until the fish was swimming and eating normally.


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

As I am just about to do a w/c I thought of a question: If I do daily w/c of 40% do I add metro to the new water or still wait until the day that new meds were suppose to be added?


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

Now that I have been researching, I have also read that I should be doing daily doses of metro for 7 days with a 25% w/c before each dose. Does this sound correct?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I would do the water change just prior to adding the daily meds. Give the substrate a good vacuuming, as well. It may turn out to be more than a 25% water change, but that will be fine.

Kim


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

I am only on day 4 of the tx as I had to wait for a new supply of metro to be shipped to me and the oscar seems to be the same. (Still just sitting under the heater.) I have been doing daily 25% w/c. He has not been interested in eating at all. I just rec'd some vita-chem today but without him eating, I'm not sure how much good it is going to do. Any further suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
I am attaching a picture I took on 6/7 and then a pic I took today (6/11). His body looks the same but his eyes seem worse. Before they were just cloudly and now there seems to be a white growth on them.
4 days ago:









Today:


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Try mincing up some garlic and see if he will eat that. If he'll take it, you can soak the next bunch in the vitamins.

There is also a frozen food sold for salt water fish that I've had really good luck getting fish to eat when they wouldn't eat anything else...It's called "Emerald Entree". It's a veggie based food, so the oscar might not go for it, but it's worth a try and will be fine to feed your other fish if he doesn't like it.

Kim


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

Yesterday was day 7 of metro tx. Now what? He is still acting the same. I have yet to get him to eat. I am not sure if his not eating is due to the daily w/c as he does not like it when I mess with his tank and always sulled for at least a day. So doing daily changes has really made him sulk. The temp is at 79F and I did add 2 bubble wands. Should I be adding epsom salt? If you could please let me know where I should go from here. When do I determine if I should do another round of metro tx?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I think I would back off the water changes and the meds for a couple of days and see if you can get him to eat. If we can confirm that he's just pouting and sulking, then you might go back to water changes and metro for another week. (That's what I would do...)

HITH doesn't happen over night, and sometimes the damage can't be undone. So, at some point you have to convince yourself that you've used enough meds to make sure nothing else is going on, and focus on diet and water quality to do the rest...


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## Donna &amp; David (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks Kim, I will do that. Since yesterday's tx, I have not done a w/c, should I do a w/c and then leave things for a few days or is it better to leave the treated water in the tank until my next w/c.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Just hold off for now, and try enticing him to eat and see if he will.

I know how weird oscars can be about clean water!


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