HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion, also Hole-In-The-Head) is the progressive erosion of pits or holes along the lateral line and head. Caused by nutritional deficiency, activated carbon overuse, or stray voltage.
Vitamin deficiency (especially A, D, C), low-quality dry food, excessive activated carbon, stray voltage from equipment.
Multiple effective treatments exist. Pick based on your tank type, livestock sensitivity, and severity. Always treat in a separate quarantine/hospital tank - most medications are toxic to coral, invertebrates, and live rock biology.
Feed varied, high-quality diet from day one. Soak dry food in Selcon or VitaChem twice a week. Don't over-rely on activated carbon.
Small pits or holes along the lateral line. Erosion around the eyes and head. Color loss in affected areas.
Vitamin deficiency (especially A, D, C), low-quality dry food, excessive activated carbon, stray voltage from equipment.
Diet upgrade: Switch to high-quality varied diet: frozen mysis, brine shrimp, nori, Selcon vitamin soak. Add fresh garlic juice to food. Most cases improve within 4-8 weeks of diet change.
Feed varied, high-quality diet from day one. Soak dry food in Selcon or VitaChem twice a week. Don't over-rely on activated carbon.
Mild but disfiguring; reversible if caught early
Always treat in a separate quarantine or hospital tank. Most medications are toxic to coral, invertebrates, and live rock biology.
Browse the full disease database for 45 aquarium conditions with treatment protocols, or check the care library for prevention-focused husbandry guides. Use our symptom matcher to rank likely diseases from observed signs, the water parameter checker to diagnose related water-quality issues, or the QT timeline calculator to plan a treatment schedule.