unclenedsfishfactory.com

One of my peacocks has a round hole in the side of it's head below it's left eye and to the left of his mouth? I know that cichlids can get hole in the head disease????? Any idea or thoughts ?

Also aside from that the fish appears to be healthy...he is active and eating....

well
mature peacocks
are supposed to have holes in their faces

(I haven't checked this but
someone told me
Aulon o cara
translates from ancient greek to
hole face)

anyway
they are supposed to have small pits in the face which supposedly help them detect worms and shrimps and other food in the substrate

on the other hand
I have seen nasty cases of hole in the head
on african cichlids

the worst case was a large central system
with elaborate carbon and other cartridge filters,
ozonizers
and all kinds of expensive gadgets
EXCEPT
a good water changing / gravel cleaning system

the carbon may be doing one or both of 2 bad things:
stripping essential vitamins from the water
or
adding a chemical
which enables the hole in the head condition

the other possibility of hole in the head
is loose electric current from old wire insulation from heaters or water pumps

We usually see hole in the head
on south american cichlids
like oscars
which are filtered with
low grade, seldom changed carbon
and which
seldom get substantial water changes

so
my question is:
do you use carbon in your filter?

actually funny you should ask...I have a fluval 404 and filled 4 of the chambers with carbon (I never usually use it) just recently because I was trying to remove a Clout treatment I had done last week.

(I had a minor case of bloat and fish flashing/scratching, so I treated the tank with Clout. The fish appeared to be healthy after a one week treatment so I used the carbon to remove the Clout and did a big water change)

I do know about the smaller pits that peacocks have (never knew what they were used for though. good info..thanks) but this is definitely a "hole" almost just below the pits on his left side and actually kind of merging into the pits....actually notice a couple of the fish still flashing just a bit, but all are eating with no problem....??

Thanks Ned!

hmm

it is a good use of fresh carbon
to get rid of the last of the clout or other medicine

just remember to throw the carbon away inside 3 weeks

why your fish are still scratching
I don't know

not sure what to do about the enlarging hole

certainly check all your electric (craked heater, frayed power cord, etc.)
making sure there's no charge
getting into the water