Hey again! Oscar reading, again...    8/28/09
Hey guys. I contacted you guys maybe 6 months to a year ago about a Tiger Oscar I had owned that got a fungal infection (white puffy substance on the body).
Well, I've recently started a new family. I have now 2 new Oscars, a baby tiger and a baby albino. Also, with them I bought a Black Convict Cichlid.
In the tank I already had a full grown African Cichlid and a Plecostomus that is about 8 inches. They're in a 55gal tank,
<Oh my friend! This is too small a system for what you list. You will need a tank at a minimum twice this volume>
water temp usually at 78-74 degrees. I noticed my albino's fin's are starting to turn black. I've never seen this before so I Googled it, and got mixed answers from fighting to disease. Any thoughts??
<In a word: stress...>
Thanks again.
Luke Whittemore
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscars.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Please help
Oscar In Mourning, Probably Not 8/23/2009
Hi my name is Selena. I have a tiger Oscar which I'm worried about. He recently lost his mate, I have fed him feeder fish to help cheer him up but that has not seemed to work. About a week ago he has stopped eating and also been swimming on his side. He is curled like he is dead but he is not.
I have checked. If u could please help me that would be great. Thanks Selena
< I think you should be concerned with why the other Oscar died. The same disease could be affecting this Oscar too and not the death of his tankmate. Do a 50% water change , clean the filters and vacuum the gravel. Remove the feeder fish. They introduce lots of diseases. If your Oscar acts hungry then feed him a high quality cichlid pellet. If not then he may have an internal infection. treat with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. This will affect the biological filtration so watch for ammonia spikes.-Chuck>

Tiger Oscar "Shedding"   7/23/09
My 4 year old tiger Oscar looks like he is "shedding skin." He isn't eating or swimming. He just lays on the bottom of the tank and looks like he is dead but isn't. He will only move if you make him. I have checked
the water and even did a partial water change..Usually when he gets to feeling "down and out" a partial water change helps revive him (approx every 4-6 weeks).
<<Water changes should be done... every week... RMF>>
 What do I do now?
< Check the water quality. The ammonia and nitrites should be zero. The nitrates should be under 20 ppm. The water should be around 80 F. If all these parameters are within range then I would recommend doing a 50% water change, vacuuming the gravel, cleaning the filters and treating with Nitrofuranace. Follow the instructions on the package.-Chuck>

Re: tiger Oscar, hlth.  7/26/2009
Water change helped a lot! He acts like his old self again. Thanks.
>Ahhh!<
"<<Water changes should be done... every week... RMF>>"

Female Albino Oscar (6 - 7" Long) - Breathing Difficulty  7/7/09
Female Oscar With Breathing Difficulty
Thank you in advance for your help with our Oscar. We have a breeding pair of Oscars and 1 Pleco in our 120/g tank. We got all three in April of 2006. Our female looks like she is having difficulty breathing, gasping for air. We have no problems with our air pump as there are plenty of bubbles going into the water, but our pH is low, which we are working on now to raise it. What else could be wrong with her, or is it our tank that has a problem? Our other two fish are not having any difficulty breathing. We have excellent filtration (2- Rena PS3's) in our tank, and the water is crystal clear. We are located in SC and the water temp is a bit higher then we like (84º), but it has never bothered them before. She last laid eggs about a month ago. He goes through the motions, but doesn't fertilize them. Any idea as to why she would have problems breathing? She isn't eating as well as she usually does either... I don't want to lose her, if possible. Thank you!
< Heavy breathing could be a symptom of many things. First check the water quality. The ammonia and nitrites should be zero. The nitrates should be under 20 ppm. If you don't have any test kits then do a 50% water change and see if things improve. The stress of breeding could have caused an internal infection which will affect the gut and cause additional stress to the entire fish. The fact that she is breathing heavy and not eating may be the early symptoms of that internal infection. Get some medicated food with Metronidazole in it. It is sold at DrsFostersmith.com. Follow the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Oscar With Eye Problems  7/3/09 I am writing in desperation for my 2 year old Oscar "Diesel". I awoke last Wednesday to find both his eyes covered in what appears to be fungus. I tested the water and the nitrate levels were 200ppm, all others normal, I did a 25% water change. Thursday, it spread to his fins, tail, and face. I did another water change, took out activated charcoal, added ammonia remover insert to filter, and treated with Pimafix, nitrate levels still 200ppm. By Sunday, fungus was no longer on his body but still on his eyes, nitrate levels still 200ppm. I did a water change, switched medication to API fungus cure and by Monday the majority of the fungus came off his eyes but now appears like his eyes are rotting. Wednesday did a water change and added activated charcoal, and still no improvement with eyes. Today, water is still green from medication, no improvement with eyes, the nitrate levels are still 200ppm. He hasn't eaten anything since last Wednesday, even if I try to hand feed him and his eyes look like their rotting. He doesn't appear blind and has been more active the last few days but I don't want to lose him. Please help! **the first two pictures are from today and the second two are from last Thursday. < The bacterial infections have taken their toll on your poor Oscar. It is difficult to cure infections with nitrate levels this high. I would recommend a 50% water change vacuum the gravel and clean the filters. The bacterial infections may have penetrated the lenses of the eyes and lifted them off. Treat with Nitrofuranace or Erythromycin as per the directions on the packages.-Chuck>

Oscar With Eye Problems II  - 7/6/09 I really appreciate your help. I did as you said although it was difficult to get the medication, but I have noticed he now has a brown discolouration all on his underside, should I be treating for parasites as well? < For now just go with the antibiotics. If you actually see parasites then they can be treated later with Fluke-Tabs.-Chuck>

Sick Oscar 6/6/09
I have been searching your site for answers but could not find any for my particular situation. I currently have a tiger Oscar that is about 4 inches long. I noticed some white spots on his pectoral fins and before that he was staying at the surface behind my power filter. I figured he has ich because these are the most common signs of it. I currently put him in a quarantine tank for treatment. The display tank has no other fish and is set at 82 degrees Fahrenheit to speed up the life cycle and let parasites die off. I am currently using super ich cure by API. The quarantine tank is at about 84 for the same reasons. Now for my question. About a day after the first dose I noticed the spots starting to fade a bit and maybe a few
going away. Now his pectoral fins seems to be a little frayed and maybe some slight if any cloudiness in his eyes. Has my Oscar developed even more illnesses do you think? I rarely ever have sick fish so I'm not sure what to do. I appreciate your help and time. Thank you.
<Hello Jonathan. It's actually not uncommon for Ick (Whitespot) to lead to secondary infections such as Fungus and Finrot. What happens is that the white cysts on the fish's body burst open when mature, and that's how the "baby" free-living parasites get into the water and so are able to find new hosts. But the damage to the fish's skin allows infections to set in. So, as always, review water quality, since that's the thing that makes such infections probable, and also treat for Finrot and Fungus using a reliable medication of your choice (not salt, not tea-tree oil!). In the UK and Europe, I recommend eSHa 2000, but there are doubtless other products you might use elsewhere in the world. Do remember to remove the carbon from the filter while treating your fish with medications. Cheers, Neale.>

Oscar problems multiple 05/25/09
Hello, and thank you for reading this.
<Service to you!>
I have had quite a few Oscar problems and somehow have always seemed to fix whatever was going on. I've had 3 Oscars for about 4 years now. One is over a foot, the others are 8-10 inches. The largest was very aggressive and was moved to his own 55 gallon tank.
<About all there is room for>
The other two seem to be paired up. They love each other. Although they have never had any eggs, they tail quiver and lip lock and when one is sick
(seems to happen often lately) they stay by the other's side. They are also in a 55 with one 6-7 inch Pleco.
<Overcrowded...>
My first problem was my largest. He got HITH.
<... from water quality, the crowding...>
Obviously my fault, not changing the water enough. Pure laziness. It got really bad, but with enough water changes it suddenly healed. He looks
normal now! I was feeding Wardley pellets, crickets on some days and brine shrimp.  Next my other two got HITH. These two are an albino and a red. Mostly it was the red. It got so bad that I thought my red's eye was going to fall off.
<... where is this going?>
I just kept with the water changes, used melafix and salt in the water, and voila! He healed.  Everything was better, and unfortunately I went back to being lazy with water changes. No excuses, but I have a house full of animals and now I'm paying the price. My largest is in his own 55 with one Pleco. He has one decorative log, temp stays at 78 and the filter is a dual BioWheel. He has a couple holes now, not too serious (although I know it can get out of hand) but for the last few days he's been laying on the bottom with his fins close to his body. I used Jungle Fungus because it has both fungal and bacterial fighting properties, and also saved my Albino recently when he was doing the same thing. I've been using VitaChem vitamins and
melafix/Pimafix and today did a 50% water change. After the water change he's suddenly been swimming a LOT more. Laying on bottom some, but what more can a foot-long fish in a 55 tank do?
<I don't understand... what are you asking?>
I think the meds stressed him out and now that he's swimming I'm going to do one more melafix/Pimafix dose tonight and put in new carbon filters tomorrow.
<Cut the "fixes"... they're bunk>
My BIG worry is my red in the other tank. I know you are going to ask for water test numbers, but I've never done a water test in my life.
<...>
If I had the equipment I would do it right now and send. But I'm just grasping right now to save Oscar. Albert and Oscar both have a serious case
of HITH right now, as far as I know.
<... see WWM re>
Oscar looks much worse, but Albert's was so bad he really looked like some of his head was scraped down. He was floating head down for a while.
<Pathetic... likely your nitrates and other pollutants are sky high>
Then floating midway on his side, not even leaning on anything. My fish guru suggested I treat for bacterial infection, and then use Jungle HITH
Guard.
<My young friend... stop medicating... Your fishes problems are environmental in nature... You're neglecting the care of the animals in your care...>
The HITH Guard did nothing. I finally used clout,
<...>
which has worked in the past, and the white poos sticking to the filters disappeared. The floating copepods disappeared too! Of course I was doing
lots of water changes. The whole time Oscar was doing great (he's the red).  He would stay next to Albert (Albino) but he was eating great. Both heads started healing. Albert's grew back - doesn't look shaved down anymore.  Then Albert started laying on his side on the bottom, with fins close to his body. And he stopped eating. He would try to eat, but not really. And Oscar starting spitting out his food. I was feeding Hikari floating pellets
(Can't find large Wardley and they're bigger now, so....) I noticed the clamped fins and also a hole in Albert's right fin. That kept getting bigger. And I noticed a little bit of raggedness on his tail, and I thought fin rot! I used the Jungle Fungus med - and it healed him right up. Now he is my healthiest Oscar! I've been feeding them Oscar Grow large pellets floating and sinking a couple at a time, to make sure they are eating.  OK, so a few days ago both were swimming and eating great. I did a water change on Friday. And I used clout one more
<... No! Metronidazole is toxic in repeated exposures>
time, because Oscar's holes started growing again. One day Oscar was stealing Albert's food, and the next day Oscar is open-mouthed, head up as
if not enough oxygen, and not eating. His gills seem to be hard working and one side has a whiteness on it that resembles his holes. His holes have
suddenly gone crazy, like they're growing deeper/bigger within just a couple of days. They're eating away around his eyes. As he breathes it looks like there's a flap from inside his mouth - all the way around - that goes with his breathing. I've looked down into his mouth to see if any rocks are stuck, thinking he grabbed one with one of the sinking pellets, but I can't see anything, like it's swollen. He was head up for 2-3 days, and now he's gone to the bottom. Not leaning over, but sitting on his stomach with his mouth open and what looks like labored breathing. I thought it was low oxygen.
<... pollution... organic...>
That's why I did the water change Friday. He's got two filters (without any filter in them, but running) one is two-sided, but no BioWheels, the other
is a large penguin BioWheel, and there are two long airstones going. His mouth has not closed, and he's still on the bottom, with these terrible looking holes. Albert is doing great! He's swimming, looks healed (still has some holes but if you saw him a couple weeks ago you'd be amazed). I haven't fed them for a few days and I'm thinking this is the end for Oscar.  I saw some more stringy feces sticking to the filters although not really very white, so I was going to add Jungle Parasite tonight because it has the Metronidazole and the (p) med can't think of the name. Praziquantel?
<...>
I have had great luck with jungle except for the HITH Guard. But I don't know if this will help him or hurt him. I don't know if this could be some
kind of fungus or bacteria, or just water and it's the end of his days. :( I don't have a way to move him. If I treat it means Albert gets treated too. I use prime and stress coat and aquarium salt during water changes.
<Cut the salt>
I have been feeding very limited because I wanted to get rid of those copepods, and they are gone. I have also treated with melafix and Pimafix for 4 days and added the vitamins. I will wait until morning to put in the jungle parasite - but if you don't think I should please let me know! What else can I do?
<Read>
Water temp is at 78.
I also have one more question. My neighbor is giving me his 125 gallon.
<Yay!>
I planned on putting Donovan (my largest) in there so he would have some nice room to swim, since the others are smaller, but if Oscar lives should I put the two in there instead? And if Oscar doesn't survive, is there a way to put both Donovan and Albert in the 125 together or would they tear each other up? (Have been apart for a long time now).  Thank you thank you, please help me with what you think I should do next.  The water change did not help Oscar at all - but it did help my largest. I am very worried.
-Jenn
<Then apply yourself... Read on WWM re Oscars, FW maintenance... learn to/use test kits... STOP "medicating"... you're doing harm... Bob Fenner>

Overmedicated? 5/27/09
update: Oscar died overnight.
<Hi Jen, Mac L here assisting the great Bob>
I believe I killed him by overmedicating.
<Sadly I think so too but you had a combination of problems involved in this as well.>
This is the first large Oscar I've lost, I feel sick. I don't know how Albert is going to deal, because like I said they were a pair. Can Albert go on and be okay as a single Oscar when he's had a mate his whole life?
<Albert will be better as a large solo Oscar then trying to add another one because they can and they will tear other Oscars up if you try to add them and they are not compatible>
Will he get depressed? Should I introduce him to my largest when I get the 125 ready? Or keep one in the 125 and one in the 55?Thanks,
:( :(-Jenn
<Honestly in my opinion Jen an Oscar is too large a fish for a 55. I have seen their bodies become misshapen and stunted when kept in a small tank and their growth is so rapid. You obviously care about your fish. You could possibly try to put them both together in the larger tank but being aware that it very well might not work and they might have to immediately be separated. Oscars are great pets but in the wild get absolutely huge and I really wish that stores would tell people more about them when they buy them. Don't you just love it when they come talk to you or spit water at you for your attention? Good luck!. >

Re: Oscar problems multiple  06/03/09
Thank you for your reply. So far Albert is doing well and he's very active, every time I come near the tank he's there asking for attention.
<Good behavior>
Yes I love that about Oscars. They are very in tune with us. Even if it's only because they're pigs!
<Heee!>
My next objective is to get that 125 set up and ready for Donovan, my giant. I do understand that a 55 is too small. I did a nice water change for Albert yesterday and will do one every other day to help him heal. The only thing I add to the water is vitamins. Thanks again for your help.
-Jenn
<And you for this upbeat update. Cheers, BobF>

Oscar's tail (entire tail) eaten off, help!  5-10-09 Hello, I'm in a bit of a hurry (as I'm sure you'll understand why, as you read on), so I apologize in advance if this information is already posted on your site. <Likely is written elsewhere, and you would actually get a reply more rapidly using the Search box...> Our Oscar and Pacu have been tankmates since they were babies, together for over a year now. They'd been best buddies, with only the occasional bullying by the Pacu. Well, it finally happened, 2 nights ago we caught the Pacu eating the Oscar. <Pacu are omnivores with a taste for fruit, but I'm sure they'll bite small, sick, weak or moribund fish. So while they're fairly trustworthy fish kept alongside tankmates of similar size, if this Oscar was substantially smaller than the Pacu, or for some reason weakened, then that might explain what's happened here.> Fins are nearly completely gone, tail IS entirely eaten away (into the fleshy part). I'm going to attach a photo. Naturally, we moved it into a QT tank, doing water changes daily. Didn't think Oscar was going to even make it through that first hour, now here we are, 2 days later and he's figured out how to swim normally again, ate last night, poo'd just fine! My main question (and reason for writing) is...will adding aquarium salt reduce the risk of infection/fungus? <No.> Will it also aid in the healing process? <No.> I intend to add some tonight, just because I know that it does help, I'm just not sure how, haha. <The idea salt is a cure-all is an old one, but it really isn't much good. For one thing, marine fish get bacterial infections, and they're in seawater! This Oscar is in seriously bad shape. You need a robust, aggressive treatment here that deals with both Fungal and Bacterial infections, since your Oscar WILL get both if not promptly treated. I'd be looking at Seachem PolyGuard, Seachem NeoPlex, eSHa 2000 or similar. Obviously NOT something like Melafix, which is, at best, a preventative tonic. A proper antibiotic such as Maracyn would be a very sensible augment to the treatment, especially if the tissue remained red and sore for more than a week or so.> Will the tail grow back, or will our little Oscar just be tail-less for the rest of it's life (if it continues to survive and do well)? <Given time, fish show an amazing ability to regenerate fins. It all depends how much of the bone on tip of the caudal peduncle (the muscular "stem" of the tail) has been damaged. If the peduncle is basically sound and the bones intact, with luck, this fish could regrow its fins.> Thank you in advance for ANY information you can give me. It's MUCH appreciated. Patricia <Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Oscar's tail (entire tail) eaten off, help!  5-10-09 "Pacu are omnivores with a taste for fruit, but I'm sure they'll bite small, sick, weak or moribund fish. So while they're fairly trustworthy fish kept alongside tankmates of similar size, if this Oscar was substantially smaller than the Pacu, or for some reason weakened, then that might explain what's happened here." Not this little bastard, I've learned there's nothing trustworthy about him! :) While the fish is incredibly loving and docile with me (insists upon being pet during water changes and such), it will eat anything in the tank simply because it can catch it. <Ah, I see. Does happen, as I said. The idea Pacu are pure herbivores is widely quoted by erroneous; do also be careful when petting your Pacu: they are confirmed "biters" and have extremely strong teeth and jaws evolved for crushing nuts. Your fingertips will be as nothing in comparison!> Tis a naughty little fishie. I really should have known better, however since the O is just over half the size of Pacu and they'd been together so long, I made the simple mistake of believing they were fine together. Lesson learned. <The hard way...> I'm not sure why it prefers "meat" over "fruit", maybe because it's THE DEVIL?? <They're omnivores, as I said, and view both as food, much as we do. While Pacu are generally very good choices for robust communities alongside Red-tail Catfish and the like, clearly combining them with smaller Oscars isn't reliable.> Also, we will treat the Oscar, I can't tell you how much we appreciate the advice on medication. While the Oscar is in bad shape, I'm quite surprised at how much fight this little thing has in it! Maybe it's because my 5 year old sits at the QT tank all day chanting "Fight, fight, fight". Hehe :) <Hmm... is she chanting for a rematch, or simply hoping the Oscar lives to fight another day?> I'll be bookmarking this site, I'm very happy with the quick response and such detailed, helpful information. You're amazing :) <Thanks for the kind words. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Oscar's tail (entire tail) eaten off, help!  5/16/09 Hiya Neale...Just an update on my Oscar, in case you remember the conversation we had about it! "Dogfish" is doing very well, appears to have some re-growth of the fins, still not sure whether or not the tail will come back. It is eating well, swimming wonderfully, and is getting excited to see me at the tank again :) Yay! Strong little fishie, eh? <Glad to hear the good news. Clearly you're doing the right things, and let's hope for a complete recovery! Cheers, Neale.>

Oscar is literally falling apart – 4/30/09
I have a 55 gallon fish tank and have two Oscars and a sucker fish.
<Oh... well, the "sucker fish" could easily be part of the problem, or at least an exacerbating factor. Gyrinocheilus is aggressive, while Pterygoplichthys is opportunistic, and both will suck on the sores of
large, slow fish such as Oscars. So even if the wound started off fairly trivial, these fish can make things much worse. I'd bear this in mind, and observe accordingly. It also goes without saying that a 55 gallon tank is barely adequate for a single Oscar, let alone two.>
We have had the two Oscars since July 2008 and they were both in very good health. They were purchased small and both have grown at the pace the should. The larger of the two developed white spots on it over a month ago and we treated it with Ick medication.
<Now, what sort of "spots" were these. Ick is very specifically a parasite infection, and what you see is salt-grain like powder all over the body, often on the fins first. It's very different to, for example, patches of
dead white tissue caused by fighting or Finrot. Then again, Hexamita infections can cause erosion of the sensory pits on the head, and on Cichlids especially this very, very common when water conditions aren't
optimal. What you see are the sensory pits gradually getting bigger, and as they do so, they become focal points for secondary infections.>
Since then it has gone down hill fast. It has holes in its gills that are blood red and it seems to be literally falling apart. Not just his head all over his body.
<A photo would really help; if actually Ick, then Ick medication should work very effectively, assuming it's used correctly (e.g., you removed carbon from the filter before use). But if the problem is something else,
then you have to act/medicate accordingly. Metronidazole (trade name: Flagyl) is the standard anti-protozoan medication used for Hexamita, dosed at 250 mg per 10 US gallons, once per day for at least three days. Nothing else works for Hexamita. Regardless, we're almost certainly dealing with a
secondary bacterial infection as well, so an appropriate antibiotic is surely essential, for example Maracyn or Maracyn 2.>
We have gone to every store and purchased all different medication as well as keeping the water in the tank clean by changing over 1/2 every few days.
As of today, he is not doing good at all. He's developed ulcers all over, holes and chunks and today will not eat. Can you help me.
<Do send along a photo (500 KB, please no bigger) and we can try and pin things down a bit better.>
The other Oscar is in the same tank and it is fine. He does not have one imperfection.
<Hmm... this is curious. On the one hand, it isn't uncommon for Hexamita infections for example to crop up on one fish but not in another, perhaps for reasons such as genetics. But in the case of non-social fish such as Oscars, you can't rule out some behavioural aspect, either direct physical damage (leading to secondary infections) or merely psychological bullying (in which case the victim can be stressed, and so has a weaker immune system). In any case, you can't really keep two Oscars in a 55 gallon system, so part of the solution will be isolating the sick fish, treating, and ultimately rehoming. Do recall Oscars *easily* top 30 cm / 12 inches a piece, often by a wide margin. They are highly territorial, and other than mated pairs, do not live in social groups except when young.>
Thanks
Kathie
<Cheers, Neale.>

Astronotus (systems; behaviour; health) – 04/22/09
My question is like many other ones, but also different in a few ways.
<Oh? Most Oscar questions boil down to too many specimens in too small an aquarium, with too little care being taken over water quality.>
I have a Orange Albino Oscar, and a Black Tiger Oscar, and for about 4-6 months they've been great together.
<Famous last words. Let's be crystal clear about something: Oscars aren't sociable fish. They are territorial, and except in big tanks, they often don't get along. Juveniles are gregarious to be sure, but as they age, they
become less accommodating. Mated pairs generally form loyal bonds and work well together, but territorial males will be hugely intolerant of one another, and will fight.>
Until recently, My Orange Oscar, looks kind of like it's shedding, on both of it's sides in the middle.
<Fish don't normally shed their scales. So if you have a fish obviously losing scales, that tends to mean either it's sick, or it's being physically damaged, e.g., through fighting.>
It lays on the bottom (not on it's side) either normal, or very slightly tilted. He's not to active, he comes to the top when i feed them, but won't eat much. The reason i said my question was different from the ones on your site at the moment, is because i have the tiger Oscar in there with it, and it seems like almost every time i feed them, the black Oscar will jump out of the water and land on the orange one.
<Sounds like aggression or bullying to me.>
The orange Oscar is also missing it's top fin since this morning. i don't see any pieces of it's fin in the tank, so I'm thinking it got eaten.
<Again, consistent with social behaviour issues.>
Last but not least, i have a odd tank I'm not to sure of the tank size, (30-50gal)
<Dismal. You need more than 50 gallons FOR JUST ONE OSCAR, let alone for three of them!>
i know that's a big difference but it's a half octagon tank, and i don't know how to measure it.
<Easy. Empty the tank. Fill the tank up again, counting how many buckets containing X gallons of water you need to fill it.>
I run two 20 gallon topside filters,. the kind that hang on the back.
<Hang-on-the-back filters are hopeless for large cichlids. You need big, heavy-duty filters with inlet and outlet pipes at different ends of the tank. External canister filters are the ideal, but wet/dry filters and
reverse-flow undergravel filters can work well too (though the latter will need a gravel tidy to keep the Oscar from upturning all the gravel). Allow 8 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour; e.g., a 100 gallon tank would have a filter rated at 800 gallons per hour. Sounds a lot, but trust me, a 40 cm Oscar makes A LOT of mess.>
i have a air tube on the back of the glass letting air bubbles go into the water.
<OK.>
i feed them feeder minnows,
<Stop this! Feeder minnows are completely the wrong thing for these fish, and in the trade we call these "parasite bombs". Minnows, goldfish and other Cyprinidae contain thiaminase and fat, both of which cause serious health problems for Oscars. You certainly aren't doing your Oscars any favours here. See those strong jaws they have? They're for crushing shells. Oscars LOVE crayfish, shrimp, snails and other such things.>
and fish flakes, and algae pellets, which they seem to love oddly enough.
<They're omnivores, and plant foods (such as cooked peas) are a good addition to their diet.>
I do my 25% water change twice a month, and i notice that a lot of people say once a week?
<Yes, you should be doing AT LEAST 25% water changes per week. In an undersized, under-filtered tank like yours, twice a week would be better. Look up Hole-in-the-Head disease and Hexamita infections. These are difficult (and expensive) to treat, but plague Oscars kept in conditions such as yours.>
Please tell me if i should start doing the 25% change more often, such as once a week.
<Yes.>
Please help, thanks, Mike F.
<Done my best. Do read some more, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/oscars.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Tiger Oscars are real bad help please
Sick Old Oscars  4/14/09
Hi guys, I really need your help. I have two tiger Oscars and they are very old and very sick. A friend gave them too me four years ago and he had them for six years.. The oldest one is totally blind that's how I got her, She also over the last few weeks can't stay upright and she won't move very much. her scales look really old and withered,. It makes me sad to see her like this. her fins look tied and painful. Now the boy??? He is a pig and is too dominate all the time he is huge and the youngster of the two. He is healthy, probably too healthy at times. The problem with him is,, he has a hole on the side of his face, near his gills. I have changed water. have done gravel, used medications, got new filters. Temperature is ok, tested water, all is great in that area. This hole is now the size of a 5 cent piece. he looks fine but he must be in pain. I have just noticed on the glass of the tank these tiny tiny white worm things crawling all over the tank.. This must and has to be bacteria correct??
< Bacteria typically do not crawl and look like worms.>
I need your help and there is no limit I will not go to help this pair. They are apart of my family. I no there fish but I got them in bad condition, and they have had a great life when I got them please guys help me please. I have read some of the other people you guys have helped,, and I hope you can do the same for me. I have a 220 liter tank with a aqua 170 filter water heater that on 28 degrees, the diet is gold fish and feeders once a month as a treat, they get cray fish and shrimp. They eat bloodworms and Oscar pellets. can you help?? thanks for your time.
< Do a 50% water change, clean the filters and vacuum the gravel. Fluke Tabs will get rid of the "worms". These are parasites probably brought in with the feeder goldfish. Then treat with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. Change the diet to a high quality cichlid pellet and skip the feeder fish. Keep the nitrates under 20 ppm with water changes.-Chuck>

Oscar has white "tufts" of fuzz under chin   4/15/09
Hello, I was looking @ my tank today and noticed my albino Oscar is developing 2 white fuzz spots under its chin on the right & left sides.
It almost looks like a "fu-man-chu" lol! But im wondering I this is body fungus?
<Mmm, could be... not uncommon a spot for such... from these Cichlids injuring themselves>
I really have no place to treat it if it is, and what the best thing to do?
<Likely just do your best to preserve, present good water quality>
Its in the tank w/ 2 other Oscars that are about 1 1/2 times bigger.
<Oh! Maybe they are fighting... I would be keeping an eye out for aggression, be separating the smaller one if so>
One is a regular Oscar & the other is a tiger. Neither of the bigger two have this problem. Please help, & thanks!
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Sick Oscar! Please Help! - 4/13/09
I have a 3 year old Tiger Oscar named "Mo". I "saved" from a guy keeping her in a 10 gallon when she was nearly 8 inches long! I have had her for nearly 6 months and upgraded her tank from a 10 gallon to a 55 gallon, and she has been doing fine up until now. She has lost a lot of her scales, and has turned from a dark greyish black to a bright yellow. Do fish jaundice?
< They can suffer from liver dysfunction but I am not quite sure about the jaundice.>
Now she is acting erratically (attacking the back of the tank) and swimming listlessly around the tank. She has been eating her food, and she hasn't lost any weight, but now instead of attacking Bakka, the Pleco,
which she does on a regular basis, she is now attacking the back of her tank, and has been having what look like small seizures. Her whole body shakes uncontrollably for 2-5 seconds, and she seems to be having trouble breathing. I have done research for two days, and I can't find anything about them turning yellow and seizing, so I don't even know if I'm on the right track. Does this sound like something that is common and can be treated, or am I essentially watching my Mo die? She spends more time than usual on the bottom of the tank now. I'm sorry the information is so scattered, but I'm trying to make sure I get you all the information you need to help me with her! The Pleco isn't showing any signs of sickness or the yellow tint Mo is showing, so I don't think it's something contagious, but you're the experts not me! Thank you for all your help and time! Terri
and Mo
< Important information would have been water quality tests. High nitrates from lack of water changes could stress the fish and cause bacterial infections to set in. I would recommend a 50% water change then vacuum the gravel and clean the filters. Treat with a Nitrofuranace type of antibiotic as per the directions on the package. After treatment you will need to look for ammonia spikes because the biological filtration may have been affected by the antibiotics.-Chuck>

Oscar Illness
Oscar With Head Trauma   4/1/2009
I have a 7 year old Oscar that is about 14 inches long and housed in a 90 gallon aquarium. Yesterday he jumped out of the water and hit the underside of the hood of the tank very hard. When that occurred he floated to the bottom and was in what would seem like a coma. He was just laying on the bottom not moving or even breathing. I was really confused but not sure what to do so I left him there. About two hours later I checked on him and we was swimming around but seemed as if he was blind. He kept swimming into
the side of the tank and into the bottom. This morning he was on his side just laying on the bottom, gasping for air and trying to swim but cant get up. Im not sure what's wrong but he has a few scratches, one his head, one under is bottom lip, and one on each of the covers over his eyes. Im not sure if you guys have any ideas for me but, I don't want to let him suffer nor euthanize him if there is a chance.
<He may have knocked himself out and caused some form of brain damage. No real treatment except wait and see. Usually you should see some improvement in 24 hours.-Chuck>

Re: New Oscar Fish, hlth.   3/20/09
Hello again WWM,
<Hi,>
Here are the difficulties I am having with my Oscar now. I immediately moved him after our last contact to a 40 gallon tank, by himself. (My husband thought he had a 55 gallon, but it wasn't) The tank had been in
storage for several years, but I cleaned it up before we put Oscar in. We have two filters, Penguin 200 biofilters, and no heater since the thermometer was staying consistently at 76/74 degrees. (He is in a very
warm part of the house.)
<Try putting a maximum/minimum thermometer in this room for a while. I'd have thought keeping a heater in your tropical aquaria would be a no-brainer, warm house or not. I cannot stress too strongly how quickly
cichlids are harmed by sub-optimal temperatures. For Oscars, the lethal temperature is well known because it limits their (non-native) range in Florida; anything north of Tampa Bay, FLA is not warm enough for them. If you're having trouble keeping a cichlid healthy, temperature is certainly one factor to consider.>
He has been swimming all the time and eating a lot. Very playful when begging for food already. However, I noticed a couple days later a couple white dots on his fins. I thought they were just particles in the water,
but they stayed. Then I researched and learned about Ick. I bought Ick Clear by Wardley and treated the tank last night. I am going to do a 50% water change tonight, and repeat the process in three days. When should I put the carbon back in the filters?
<Only when the full course of medications has been run, usually 24 hours after the last dose.>
The ph and alkalinity and water hardness have all been high. I have been wondering how to fix those problems, but the nitrates and ammonia have been safe.
<Ammonia is only "safe" at zero, and nitrate is only safe below 20 mg/l. If you don't have those values or better, then again, this is another likely source of trouble.>
I also noticed some cloudiness on Oscars eyes, both, and learned about pop-eye.
<Cloudiness is an early warning sign of what can become Pop-eye. Again, review conditions; pop-eye (or cloudiness) in *both* eyes usually indicates chronic water quality issues.>
I can't tell if I am just being too worried and thinking he has everything, or if he is actually getting pop-eye. I have attached some pics of our beautiful Oscar, and I'm hoping you can help me get him in top shape again.
<He looks in basically good health, but I would be alert to the eye problem and review temperature, water chemistry and water quality. I'd counter any potential problems by taking great care not to overfeed, and also doing regular water changes. As you say, he's a handsome fish; let's keep him that way!>
As I said before, I have no Oscar experience, but I am used to high maintenance things, since I have two kids under 5, a husband, and a Newfoundland dog! I really believe I can take good care of him once I get
the hang of it.
<I'm sure you will. Oscars are rewarding fish, though they do, admittedly, require a fair amount of work.>
Oscar has not shown any signs of stress.
<Ah, take care here:. While loss of appetite is a good sign something is wrong, a healthy appetite doesn't automatically mean everything is rosy. If fish eat a lot, and then that overwhelms the filter, you can end up with a water quality problem a few hours later you don't notice, and then by the next time you feed the fish, things have returned to normal.>
He is constantly swimming and wanting food.
<He's training you. Resist!>
I have also been looking for info on how much to feed him.
<Less than you think. Better to offer 2-3 small meals per day than one big one. Yours looks a decent weight, but take care not to overfeed. Good quality pellets (Hikari Cichlid Gold are probably the best) make a good staple, but Oscars eat crunchy things in the wild, so offering them crickets, krill, small snails and even things like houseflies are all good and will help avoid constipation, a common problem. Conversely, avoid live feeder fish, whatever your retailer might suggest. These are the single worst food for an Oscar.>
We are planning to upgrade our tank size this summer too, to maybe a 60 or 75 gallon, and invest in a Fluval filter.
<Cool.>
Thanks again! Alison
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: New Oscar Fish  3/20/09
Hello again,
<Hello!>
What do I need to buy for my tank?
<At minimum, for Oscars you want a heater that will keep the water at about 26 C (79 F), and a reasonably robust filter. When shopping for heaters, look for one that comes with a plastic "guard" (e.g., the Superfish Aquarium Heater) because these will be less likely to be broken by the Oscars. Oscars have a bad habit of moving things about, and if they can dislodge the heater, it can fall to the bottom of the tank and potentially crack. As for the filter, I'd buy an external canister filter rated at not less than 6 times the capacity of the aquarium in turnover per hour, and ideally 8 times. So for a 55 gallon tank, the minimum filter would be rated at 6 x 55 = 330 gallons/hour, and a better filter would be 440 gallons/hour.>
Why is the water so bad?
<Don't know. Is it actually bad? Have you checked? Invest in two test kits:
pH and nitrite. You may already have them. The pH should be between 6 and 8, and while the value doesn't matter, it should be steady. For the next seven days (i.e., between one water change and the next) do a pH test daily, and see if the pH is steady. Commonly fish tanks experience a pH drop, and while this doesn't matter too much if very slight (e.g., from 8 to 7.8) if it drops a lot (e.g., from 7.5 to 6.0) then you have a serious problem. The nitrite test kit will tell you if your filtration system is adequate. It should register 0 mg/l (= 0 ppm). If it doesn't, then you likely are overfeeding or under-filtering.>
I will get a heater today and hope that helps. Should I buy any drops or anything for the eyes?
<I'd check the water quality/chemistry first, as mentioned. If everything is good, I'd expect the fish to recover. Using an anti-Finrot medication such as Maracyn wouldn't do any harm though (remember to read the instructions though).>
Did you think they looked normal?
<Difficult to say for sure, but did seem slightly opaque.>
I have been feeding him Hikari Gold and dried krill.
<Both good foods, but both are "dry" and consequently prone to causing constipation or bloating. Think about what would happen if we ate beef jerky all the time! Would augment this diet with "wet" foods. Wet frozen foods, even human foods, can be ideal. A bag of mixed seafood from a grocery store or Asian food market is an inexpensive and healthy way to feed large predatory fish. A small morsel of squid or mussel makes a healthy dinner for any Oscar. The more variety you give, the less chance of disease.>
Sorry for all the questions, but I am going to the pet store today and want to get everything I need this time. Thanks, Alison
<Do review the article on Oscars, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/oscars.htm
Hole-in-the-head and Pop-eye are the two commonest problems with Oscars, and both are "chronic" diseases that creep up on you through environmental issues rather than suddenly appearing thanks to a pathogen. So it's important to get the fundamentals right with Oscars. There are a few books about them too, any one of which might make for a good night's reading.
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: New Oscar Fish, hlth.  – 03/22/09
Sorry to bother you again, but I am really worried about Oscar now. I did 50% water change last night, added water heater, and checked levels. ph was 7.8, Alk was high still, ammonia was 0, nitrate 20.
<OK. These are borderline conditions for Oscars, though to be honest I doubt the reason your fish isn't healthy. While Oscars prefer soft/acid water, specimens here in England seem to adapt to "liquid rock" readily enough.>
All Oscar has done is lay on the bottom of the tank, fins clamped breathing heavily.
<Not a good sign.>
Gills look swollen and fins kinda torn.
<Assuming he hasn't been in a fight or you were clumsy when netting him from one tank to another, then the torn fins imply Finrot. When this comes "out of the blue" it tends to mean poor environmental conditions. Whatever your test kits say, I'd operate from that assumption. Specifically, I'd treat for Finrot, increase aeration/circulation, stop feeding, and perform water changes as regularly as the medication allows (some meds may recommend water not be changed for a period of days).>
I put Maracyn in this morning, but no improvement so far. Will it help him, or should i have gotten Maracyn Two?
<Not "instead", but certainly, if Maracyn doesn't help by the end of its course of days, then do a big water change, and start a course of Maracyn 2.>
Why was he swimming before the heater and water improvement and acting sick now.
<Simply because one thing happens after another doesn't mean they're related. Oscars demonstrably don't "adapt" to sub-optimal temperatures, and since millions of people keep Oscars with heaters, there's no reason to assume your Oscar has had some sort of allergic reaction! What I will mention is this: don't trust the setting dial on the heater! Make sure the water is being heated to an appropriate temperature by checking with a thermometer.>
he has still eaten but i am really worried and don't know what to do now.
Thanks, Alison
<Don't feed while medicating. Cheers, Neale.>