28 replies to this topic

[Jules]

I thought HITH was dietary related.

Its seems some species are more susceptible to it then others.

[kamalau]

One of my old terms got hith that was due to overcrowding and high nitrates, I had a lot of fish in my tank then lol

[Westie]

I like big fish. It's just a shame you can't get some cool fish, not just tankbusters but also oddballs. I have always thought that birchirs are cool, but the cost of them has stopped me from buying any. If I lived in the USA I would have some cool fish. I was reading the December 2013 issue of TFH magazine today, and it stated the Polypterus Lapradei is mass produced in the Indonesian fish farms. Can't import them though according to a friend on another forum. That sucks big time!

[Jules]

we cant important anything. give it ten years and tetras and will be tank busters I wreckon.......

who ever controls what can and cant come into the country is a clown. I remember when I first started fish keeping and seing RTCs, aros, bichirs of many different species< tiny clown knives, heaps a cool stuff and it was all 1/3 the price it is now and several LFS had them, now you have to save a weeks whole pay and get ready to bring it from over east literally to get what you want, hence why ive slowed with fish and headed towards reptiles.

Heck they expanded our reptile list to let us have more snakes but hold up, we cant keep any more fish..........

[Peckoltia]

I agree the 'tankbuster' scene isn't what it used to be. Prices are higher and less are available.

 

But if you really want the rare/cool stuff it is still around. Have the cash ready, and when something comes up, buy it. Don't umm and ahh over it. People need to also realise that they aren't always going to get that tiny cute Arowana or catfish and sometimes you will have to settle for something that is full or partially grown.

 

Large growing exotics in general are more scarce. But 5-7 years ago we mainly had just motoro's, now look. Mantilla and Leo's and hybrids of all three. Just about every pleco imaginable are also available now (if that's your thing). Have to take the good with the bad.

 

All it will take is one savvy breeder/keeper to amass a few exotics and get them breeding or give them a jab to somewhat 'save' the scene and make a killing the process.

[bigjohnnofish]

I am a bit up in the air when it comes to HITH. HITH is associated with Hexamita infection, and everything that I have ever been told and read over the years points back to bad water quality bringing the pits on. I am sure the bad water quality wouldn't help the situation, but it seems many people point the finger at bad water quality when it comes to HITH, I'm positive their are other factors that effect the on-set of HITH. I have seen CA cichlids kept in pristine conditions their entire life develop pits. The only thing I have ever successfully treated HITH with is metronidizole tablets, by either soaking food or placing small pieces of the tablet within a piece of food.

hmmm after reading through this thread for a bit and doing some googling - and what den posted up not long ago about hexamita... im thinking this maybe the possible cause or an associated cause.... hexamita doesnt seem to have too much of an effect on predatory fish until such time poor water conditions weaken the fish then the fish dies... 

seeing metronidizole (sp) is a cure for hexamita and hith do you guys think the link could be more than just a coincidence ?

plus dens point hexamita is rampant in the cichlid hobby... i have a feeling its been around for a while and been passed around with the sale(s) of cichlids in the hobby without anyone knowing... the occasional loss of a cichlid without an obvious reason could well be hexamita... most people when you lose a fish thats under $10 you petty much accept it and thats the end of it... its only when we have mass loses in a tank or lose expensive fish that we become more concerned with a prob cause and reason...

[Peckoltia]

There are spotted gars, tiger bichir and leo X all on plecoplanet at the moment. Prices are high, but there are still fish out there.

[Jules]

yes see then this morning, but prices are high.

leo motoro aren't a bad price I think.

[Morley Aquariums]

Hi all I have been staying away a bit from the HITH discussions, but thought it time to put in my 2 cents worth.

 

 My understanding is that HITH is a stress related condition (the sudden multiplication of protozoa/bacteria in the gut such a heximita or spironucleus which often exist in the gut in small numbers without causing problems).

 

  the initiating stress can include any of the above mentioned causes - all water conditions, all diet factors (lack of vitamin C was considered a major cause for a long time), age, genetic issues (hybrids with short bodies, oversize heads etc), aggression & one of the hardest to deal with - psychological stress.

 Psyco stress I think is a major cause in larger fish such as oscars as they are such intelligent animals & as such will suffer from something as simple as not being the dominant fish or even depression from boredom or similar.

 This would explain why a fish that has been bashed will often recover from the wounds, only to come down with a dose of HITH shortly after.

 

 I also consider HITH to be more a symptom than an infection itself, basically the result of another underlying issue such as those mentioned above & as such no cure will be effective until the cause is identified & eliminated. At this time meds such as metro may work. Just adding metro without working out the issue is pointless.

 

  A good example to prove this is in many African cichlids HITH just goes away by itself with just a water change or 2 or the addition of suitable salts, this may indicate the cause as being as simple as high nitrates, low GH or KH or high levels or organic compounds in these situations.

 

 When it comes to tankbusters I think there may be another issue, these guys seem to get what could almost be described as a 'chronic' form of HITH, this is where it appears & no amount of effort seems to have any impact on eliminating it - even when stress is identified, eliminated & treated. I suspect in these cases earlier suggestions might be onto something, possibly a separate bacterial/viral or protozoan infection is present, this may come in through damage to the slime coat or by other means, this may be something that has not been identified, these infections could then trigger HITH as a secondary infection. It would be worth taking an affected fish to Richmond Loh & getting a full necropsy performed to see if maybe he can isolate this cause.

 

  so Treatment - identify the stress, eliminate & then treat. Metro, epsom salts whatever works.