Hole in the head

[MrMikeB]

All,

Has anybody had experience with 'hole in the head' disease that fish can get? From what I can tell it is brought on with poor nutrition and water conditions over sustained periods of time. I recently picked up a Tang that I "think" might have had hole in the head disease in the past. I noticed up above the eyes 2 dents, or sores that have since healed (at least appear to be). It swims and eats well and is rather active, but I was concerned of long term implications of such a disease (assuming I am diagnosing it correctly), and should I be concerned about any possibility of passing this on to other fish in the system. Any experience or advice would be great.

Thank you

 

[jlfnjlf]

Do you have any photos?

 

[Sk8r]

I have taken on a tang with the same problem. The places are just as you describe, and some by one eye, and, not knowing what nutrient is missing, I just scattershot: I feed cyclopeeze, mysis, formula 1 pellet with Garlic, spirulina, and I dose the water with micronutrients now and again, plus DT's phyto [not all for the tang, but it's in there] The places are diminishing in size and prominence, and the fish is vigorous and eating like a pig. If they're correct that this is nutritional deficiency, there's no way it could be passed on by contagion, and the fact it responds to general feeding and good water does indicate that's what it is.

Just a footnote: the disease concentrates on areas where nerve fiber is particularly abundant. That would say to me that there may be a link to a dietary problem that afflicts the nerves, maybe like shingles in humans. This would be, what? Biology people? Vitamin B in its various forms?

 

[MrMikeB]

I will post some pics this evening if I can get it to smile for the camera on the right side. The Tangs' history is relatively unknown to me but has been through 3 owners (me being the third). The previous tank looked well taken care of, and the damage was noted by the owner as being there before he had received her - so there is a good chance that the disease is no longer 'active.' Do the sores actually ever heal, or is it like a permanent scarring that they just live with? Does it cause irreparable damage to other functions or are the past symptoms more or less cosmetic?

Thank you all for the information.

 

[matttaylor]

the sores will heal, but not completely. Just like us, i know i have several scars. This disease seems to affect tangs more than other fish, and in my experience adding more algae to a fish's diet will greatly affect the outcome.

 

[MrMikeB]

Here are some pics showing those spots - I used the large files to show the detail:

 

[MrMikeB]

Sooo... is this hole in the head?

 

[raymond4133]

yep it looks like hole in head to me...My purple has a case of that...But it was when I got him..Apparently the system it was in had less than optimal nutrition and water conditions...

though it seems it is recovering little by little...