eSHa HEXAMITA treatment for hole-in-the-head disease in discus and cichlids

Regular price 10,90 €
Regular price Sale price 10,90 €

This treatment deals with hole-in-the-head in discus, angelfish and cichlids, and it also acts on gill worms and intestinal disorders. The course lasts 3 days, and a 20 ml bottle treats 800 litres.

The formula contains copper: work out the real volume of water, as overdosing is out of the question. The product is intended for ornamental fish.

Ref. ESHA79004·Aquarium medication
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The summary

  • What you receive: a 20 ml dropper bottle with its instructions for use.
  • What it targets: hole-in-the-head disease, gill worms and intestinal disorders in cichlids.
  • For which fish: discus, angelfish, African and American cichlids, and all other freshwater fish.
  • How long: 3 days, with a dose that decreases from the first day to the third.
  • What to know before dosing: the formula contains copper, and overdosing must be avoided.
  • Shipping: small bottle in a tracked parcel, costs calculated at checkout.

Treatment of head holes for discus, angelfish and cichlids, 3-day course of treatment

The eSHa HEXAMITA hole-in-the-head treatment cures hole-in-the-head disease in discus, angelfish and other cichlids, as well as gill worms and intestinal disorders. The course lasts 3 days, with 25 drops per 100 litres on the first day, then 12 and 12. A 20 ml bottle treats 800 litres. The formula contains copper, so overdosing must be avoided.

This dropper bottle treats hole-in-the-head disease, which erodes small pits on the forehead and along the lateral line of discus, angelfish and other cichlids. It also acts on gill worms, intestinal problems and excess skin mucus. One 20 ml bottle covers a full course for 800 litres, which is 2 complete courses for a 300-litre tank.

🐟 What the disease causes

The parasite responsible lives in the gut, and most discus and cichlids carry it without ever showing a sign. It becomes a disease when the fish's defences drop, after transport, poor water quality, a poor diet or the arrival of a new fish. The first sign does not appear on the skin: the fish leaves the group and isolates itself. Loss of appetite follows, then a dull eye, darkening colour, sluggish reactions, and sometimes white, stringy faeces. The pits on the forehead and along the lateral line come last, and they do not always appear.

Copper means you have to count the drops

The formula contains copper, which rules out any overdosing and means you must calculate your real volume before the first drop. Remove activated carbon, resins, UV and oxidisers, which absorb the product, and leave the filter running. It is intended for freshwater ornamental fish and excludes animals raised for consumption: in an aquaponic system, the copper would pass into the biofilter and then into the crops, so the treatment is carried out in a hospital tank, never in the loop. A copper test lets you check what remains in the water once the treatment is finished.

🧪 The 3-day course

For 100 litres of your tank, use 25 drops on the first day, then 12 drops on the second day and 12 on the third. The formula contains copper: even for a fish already showing the late signs, this dose must not be exceeded. Feed less during these 3 days: nothing on the first, half a ration on the second, then a gradual return.

Support healing once the treatment course is finished

Once the 3 days are over and the activated carbon is back in place, your fish's lesions slowly close up. The eSHa Optima tonic, made from plant extracts, trace elements and vitamins, is then given every day in the tank water. This tonic does not replace any treatment: it is given after the course, once the copper has been removed by the activated carbon.

A water change is generally not necessary either before or after the course of treatment. It becomes so in three cases: poor-quality water, which you check before the first drop; a regular water change that falls within the 3 days; another treatment given just beforehand, after which you change 40% of the water 2 days running while filtering through activated carbon. Any water removed takes away part of the product, so you add back the dose that corresponds to the volume replaced, never exceeding the recommended dose, since the formula contains copper.

🔬 One treatment for several parasites

The parasite in question, Hexamita, has relatives among the intestinal flagellates, Spironucleus and Octomitus, which the formula also targets. It also acts on gill worms, fin rot, fungal infections, dropsy and other skin parasites such as Ichthyobodo or Cryptobia. When several conditions affect your fish, it is given at full dose alongside the treatment for white spot or the treatment for skin worms, but never with another brand's product. In aquaponics, tilapia are also cichlids, but they are raised to be eaten and the instructions for use exclude them; the tilapia rearing guide gathers together their rearing conditions.

Technical specifications

The essentials

Dose per 100 L
25, then 12 and 12 drops
Volume treated
800 L per 20 ml bottle

The formula

Active ingredient
Contains copperOverdosing is out of the question: work out the actual water volume before the first drop.
Dosage
20 drops for 1 mlHold the bottle upside down, squeezing the dropper.

Compatibility

Plants and filter
Well tolerated
Given with
Treatments for white spot and skin wormsAt full dose, without reducing either of the two courses.

To budget for separately

Copper testing
A copper drop testIt tells you what remains in the water once the treatment is finished.
Activated carbon
Fresh carbon, after the course

In the box

  • 1 dropper bottle of 20 ml
  • 1 instruction leaflet

Doses, treatment duration, volume treated and compatibilities taken on 19/09/2026 from the eSHa Labs instruction leaflet, then on 11/10/2026 from the eSHa HEXAMITA product page.

Manufacturer and product safety

Manufacturer
Sea Horse IPC B.V. (eSHa Labs)
Postal address
Hertog van Brabantlaan 4, 6223 CJ Maastricht, Pays-Bas (boîte postale : Postbus 431, 6200 AK Maastricht)

Information provided under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety.

One treatment for cichlids and one for community tanks

Both last 3 days and are dosed the same way. What sets them apart is the species affected and the lesion you can see.

Same dose, two different diseases A cichlid that isolates itself and a fish whose fin is receding do not call for the same bottle.

What appears on the fishThe species affected firstThe fish isolates itself and refuses foodDose per 100 L, day after dayTargets intestinal flagellates such as HexamitaDouble the dose in water below 4 degrees of hardnessContains copperCovers more than 18 ailmentsPrice
Recommended
eSHa HEXAMITA treatment forYour choice		Cavities on the forehead and along the lateral lineDiscus, angelfish, cichlidsYes25, 12 and 12 dropsYesNoYesNo10,90 €
eSHa 2000 fish medicationYour choiceSore, cotton-like film, frayed finAll freshwater fishNo25, 12 and 12 dropsNoYesNoYes8,50 €
eSHa HEXAMITA treatment forRecommended
What you can see in front of you
What appears on the fishCavities on the forehead and along the lateral line
The species affected firstDiscus, angelfish, cichlids
The fish isolates itself and refuses foodYes
The course
Dose per 100 L, day after day25, 12 and 12 drops
Targets intestinal flagellates such as HexamitaYes
Double the dose in water below 4 degrees of hardnessNo
The formula
Contains copperYes
Covers more than 18 ailmentsNo
In the shop
eSHa 2000 fish medication
What you can see in front of you
What appears on the fishSore, cotton-like film, frayed fin
The species affected firstAll freshwater fish
The fish isolates itself and refuses foodNo
The course
Dose per 100 L, day after day25, 12 and 12 drops
Targets intestinal flagellates such as HexamitaNo
Double the dose in water below 4 degrees of hardnessYes
The formula
Contains copperNo
Covers more than 18 ailmentsYes
In the shop

Doses, treatment durations, volumes treated and compatibilities taken on 19/09/2026 from the eSHa Labs instruction leaflets and on 11/10/2026 from the eSHa HEXAMITA and eSHa 2000 product pages.

Estimate your
delivery time

Small bottle shipped by tracked parcel from France, together with the rest of your order. The exact costs and delivery times are shown in the basket once the address has been entered. Outside the European Union, import duties and taxes are payable by the recipient. Once unsealed, this product can no longer be returned under the right of withdrawal (article L221-28, 5° of the French Consumer Code), for reasons of hygiene and health protection.

Frequently asked questions

6 questions

6 key questions

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