From: ouyang@yoko.rutgers.edu (Ming Ouyang)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: HELP! Oscar has Hole-in-the-Head
Date: 17 Nov 92 21:07:14 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

I posted a similar question a couple of weeks ago. I've got 5 replies
which I will append at the end. Thanks to these people. As for my
Oscars, they were 3" and 4". One had several holes. I treated them
with Discomed, by Aquatronics, for 5 days without improvement. The
other one even developed a hole during the treatment. I then "put them
down".

I've seen my friend's full-grown Oscar recovered from this disease all
by itself. So I thought my Oscars could do the same and waited while
providing good conditions. I was wrong.

-- Ming Ouyang

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From: maddox@spectrx.saigon.com (Otto Maddox)

Oh man.. bad news.  Since your Oscar is so small it would probably be best to 
get rid of it and start again.  I had a fish get hole in the head, couldn't fid 
a way to get there heads to grow back.  I stopped it from spreading but they 
never looked very good again. 
 
Let me know if you find out how to get them to grow back.

Charles Durand - maddox@west.darkside.com
+1 415 969 1634

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From: wsabo@nyx.cs.du.edu (William Sabo)

Do it a favor and kill it.

It is most likely suffering.

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From: finn@redwood.ssc.gov (Finn Knox-Seith)

Hole in the head disease is a tough one to deal with.  I believe that
it is caused be an internal parasite.  As long as the fish eats the
treatment is fairly simple, which is not to say that it is always successfull.
	First isolate the fish so that it does not continue to infect your
other fish, which should all be treated at the same time as the oscar.
Isolating the oscar also protects it from aggression, fighting may weaken
the fishes ability to combate the disease (and vs versa).
	Second buy medication.  Tetra's medicated flakes (read instructions
and get the right kind) might work, but I would try to get something better.
My first choice would be discomed.  Follow the instructions which come with
the medicine.  Keep the fish isolated and try to treat the surface sores so
that they can heal quickly and not be subject to secondary infection.
	During this quarantine the water should be kept as close to perfect
as possible.  The fish should not be stressed by anything extra as it needs
its strength to fish this disease.  The tank must be kept clean to reduce
the amounts of bacteria, virus and funguses which are attacking the oscar
because its skin is open which exposes the fish to secondary infections of
any kind!  I'm not sure how much salt an oscar can stand in its water.  I
would add a little salt at a time for several days, because it stimulates
secretion of the fishes slime coat and helps the fish to heal.  You might
try one of the commercial products which claim to stimulate slime production.
	Finally after medical treatment the fish may simply get worse. :-(
If so you may have to "put it down."  Try to do so in a painless way.  Don't
just flush the live fish down the toilet or release it anywhere.
	Good luck.
		Finn

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From: irwin@ere.umontreal.ca (Irwin David)

The disease of your ocelatus astronotus is directly related to life in a tank.
Some years ago some pet shop owner told me that a medication (topic application)existed. The medication stops the hole from becoming bigger. But it does not insure that the hole will fill itself up.


Good luck .    
David Irwin

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From: darlene an  92sep02 lawry <dphantom@triton.unm.edu>

If possible, give medicated food (w/ Furazolidone) since it's still eating.  

Otherwise, bathe in Dimetridazole (@ 5 mg/litre continuous bath, may
need repeating, or @ 40 mg/litre for 48 hours).  Or, go by whatever is
recommended on the medication.

Good luck.

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