A hole in my head, what's going on?

[aquaboy8]

Just got my fish from Imperial Tropical and I'm really happy with the variety they sent. Quarantined them as soon as they arrived and treated with geneflake cure, ick guard, and fungus cure - one med at a time, following the instructions. Started seeing signs of Hole in the head disease a few days in (gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I see it). Finished the treatment and they seem to be doing alright now.

My question is, do the holes actually go away? Got any tips to help speed up the healing process?

[gripit]

I'm glad you're seeing improvement in your fish. The holes from Hole in the head disease should fill in over time. I'd recommend swapping out the carbon in your filter - it's a big help. Large water changes, like 80% or so, can also speed up the healing process. Your fish look great, by the way.

[aquaboy8]

That's great to hear the little guys are on the mend. I've got a setup with 2 hang on backs and a canister filter for filtration. I've read that activated carbon might be a contributing factor to HIH, so I'm curious about your suggestion to replace it - are you saying to remove it entirely or just take it out during treatment and then put it back in afterwards?

I'm with you on the water changes, and I couldn't agree more about the fish - they're absolutely stunning. The quality from Imperial Tropical is top-notch, and while there's always a risk of disease, I'd definitely recommend them.

[gripit]

Just got my fish from Imperial Tropical and I'm really happy with the variety they sent. Quarantined them as soon as they arrived and treated with geneflake cure, ick guard, and fungus cure - one med at a time, following the instructions. Started seeing signs of Hole in the head disease a few days in (gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I see it). Finished the treatment and they seem to be doing alright now.

My question is, do the holes actually go away? Got any tips to help speed up the healing process?

I've got a new 170 gal tank in the works and I'm considering Imperial Tropical for the fish. I've always been under the impression that when medicating, it's best to ditch the old carbon and swap it out for new once you're done. Carbon's main job is to remove meds from the water, so it makes sense to start fresh. Maybe @Deanasue can chime in on the exact timeline for putting new carbon back in.