I just got a new complete system yesterday and both blue hippos have head lateral, he has a big next reef mr1 carbon reactor hooked up, can this be causing that? Should I take it out ? Run gfo instead or run nothing? Any thing else I can do. She said they had the hippos for 5 years and they always get it and goes away Then comes back.
Blue hippo head lateral
- Thread starter iamurri33
- Start date
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Head & Lateral Line Erosion "HLLE":
Symptoms - HLLE literally looks as though the skin is rotting or peeling off the fish. Affected areas usually include the face and lateral line, and may be white in color.
Treatment options - This is more of a condition than an actual disease. Since no one can agree on the exact cause, all you can do is address all of the following theories regarding HLLE:
1) Stray voltage - Use a titanium ground probe & test your tank for stray voltage.
2) Running carbon - Don’t use it, or use only premium grade carbon.
3) Nutritional deficiency - Feed high quality nutritional foods. Some have had success reversing the effects of HLLE by soaking food in “fish vitamins” and also feeding nori.
Symptoms - HLLE literally looks as though the skin is rotting or peeling off the fish. Affected areas usually include the face and lateral line, and may be white in color.
Treatment options - This is more of a condition than an actual disease. Since no one can agree on the exact cause, all you can do is address all of the following theories regarding HLLE:
1) Stray voltage - Use a titanium ground probe & test your tank for stray voltage.
2) Running carbon - Don’t use it, or use only premium grade carbon.
3) Nutritional deficiency - Feed high quality nutritional foods. Some have had success reversing the effects of HLLE by soaking food in “fish vitamins” and also feeding nori.
hybridazn
Acro killer.....
We should clarify, carbon will not cause hlle if it's properly rinsed and not tumbling in the reactor/filter. Use a high quality carbon (example brs rox carbon) and make sure it's rinsed throughly and that it's not tumbling AT ALL.
Keep up a very nutritional diet and make sure water quality is top notch and it should heal. Depending on severity it might go back to normal or it will leave scars after healing.
Keep up a very nutritional diet and make sure water quality is top notch and it should heal. Depending on severity it might go back to normal or it will leave scars after healing.
Agree completely. I think tumbling carbon is the biggest cause and id recomend not running it
Ive read contradicting things on ground probes as well-saying that they cause more harm then good. (Theres an article i read about it, something about the ground probe completing the ciruit which is what causes harm-which makes sense to me)
You can run carbon, just not cheap carbon that contains a lot of dust. Or you don't want carbon "grinding away" in a reactor that creates carbon dust.
I agree with @hybridazn. BRS Rox 0.8 is worth the money and is the only way to go. I wouldn't use any other brand of carbon.
Now is there anything I can do to help him get over this or make it not so bad? I'm not really to worried about it bc she said they had it for 5 years and it comes and goes, but is there anything I can do?
After you've eliminated all the possible causes, start soaking his food in vitamin supplements on a daily basis. See below for more info.
Vitamins/Herbal Remedies: Used to boost a fish’s immune system, supplement dietary deficiencies, and improve overall health.
How To Treat - Vitamin supplements, such as Selcon, Zoecon and Vita-chem may be used as food additives. A DIY option is Omega 3 & 6 fish oil. I once saw a thread (with pictures) of a Purple Tang with a bad case of HLLE, where the condition was completely reversed by using Selcon & Zoecon on alternating days; in addition to feeding nori. The value of feeding nori cannot be overstated, as it contains high levels of iodine and fiber. All of the above will aid in boosting your fishes’ immune systems. Soaking food in garlic may or may not be useful.
The “pea trick” is something I want to briefly touch upon. A fish with constipation will have the exact same symptoms as swim bladder disorder. The latter is considered mostly untreatable, but the former may be remedied by feeding 1 or 2 peeled boiled green peas (same kind you & I eat). It is thought that the fiber contained in the peas help to “push things out.”
There are a slew of herbal remedies on the market and many hobbyists mistakenly believe that these will “cure” their fish or tank of some disease. Although they are not capable of doing that, these remedies may help manage the symptoms of a disease - sometimes indefinitely. Herbal remedies accomplish this by boosting a fish’s immune system to withstand the symptoms. Sometimes this strategy works, sometimes not; or sometimes it works for a while and then stops (and the fish dies). It’s largely dependent upon the overall health of the fish (and the tank in general) as well as the severity of the disease being “managed.” Examples of herbal remedies commonly available include Herbtana (for parasites), and PimaFix & MelaFix (for bacterial diseases).
Pros - Reef safe, improves overall health of your fish, may buy you time until a proper treatment (using medication) can be done.
Cons/Side Effects - May lure a hobbyist into a false sense of security, which can delay real treatment options.
