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| FAQs on Oscar Disease/Health 4
Related Articles:
Freshwater Diseases, Ich/White
Spot Disease, Freshwater
Medications, Oscars, Neotropical
Cichlids, African Cichlids, Dwarf
South American Cichlids, Cichlid Fishes in
General,
Related FAQs: Oscar Disease 1,
Oscar Disease 2,
Oscar Disease 3,
Oscar Disease 5,
Oscar Disease 6, & Cichlid Disease 1,
Cichlid Disease 2,
Oscars 1, Oscars 2,
Oscar Identification,
Oscar Selection,
Oscar Compatibility,
Oscar Behavior,
Oscar Systems,
Oscar Feeding, Oscar Reproduction,
Neotropical Cichlids 1, Cichlids
of the World, Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid
Reproduction,
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One of my Oscars is ill... terr. - 02/21/07
We have a albino Oscar and two red tiger Oscars in a 75 gallon tank
together. The 2 red tiger Oscars we have had for about 2 years now. They were
bought together, and are always hanging out together. I believe they have been
trying to mate for some time, but never lay eggs.
<Mmm, might be that they're both male...>
Recently though, the female red Oscar's skin on her head has been peeling off
and leaving a pinkish, fleshy look to it. Also she lays on the bottom of the
tank a lot, and has not had the greatest appetite. Just about every time one of
the other Oscars gets near her she shakes her back fin at them (almost looks
like it's vibrating).
<This is a good clue... these fish are engaged in fighting... the one is
losing...>
She will do this even when she is laying almost sideways on the bottom of the
tank. She does venture to the top sometimes, and will eat sometimes also. Do you
have any suggestions as to what might be causing this?
<Territoriality in a word>
And any treatments you suggest. I am afraid she is going to die is this
continues.
Thank you for your time,
Kelley Murry
<Mmm, well, you're faced with basically two choices... to separate these two
fish or to try "something else" to "take their minds off each other".... Like
adding "ditherfish"... I would at least put a separator twixt them... Now. You
can read re ditherfish on WWM, elsewhere. Bob Fenner>
Oscar Being Eaten Alive, env. dis. 2/20/07
Hi, I have searched the site for any reference to the problems our Oscar has
been experiencing and found some answers that might be relevant (re lying on his
side, eye problem etc) but nothing referring to the biggest issue that we are
worried about - his flesh on his gill seems to be rotting away on the outside.
We live in England (just telling you this in case it's relevant for water
purposes - our water isn't chlorinated in our area). We have an Oscar we got
about 4 months ago from a really good fish specialist locally. He was about 4
inches long when we got him and is now about 7.5 inches long, which is about
right based on the 1 inch growth per month ratio. Anyway, he is currently in a
holding tank whilst we cycle the purpose built tank we have had made for him -
the new tank is 6ft length x 2.5 ft high x 2ft wide. So lots of space for Brian
(as he is known) to swim. We regularly change the water, have two filters and an
air ball in the tank he is currently holding in (about 55/60 UK gal.). He has a
varied diet (never feeder fish - Oscar pellets, krill, shrimp), a couple of toys
& we try to interact with him as much as possible. He has always been lively,
coming to the tank for my boyfriend and I - he recognizes us that's for sure -
doing his happy dance thing (e.g. begging for food!) and pottering about around
the high part of the tank.
He did develop a problem with his eye - it got swollen and covered in a white
film. We tried to treat lots of ways - with medication, and adding aquarium
salt to the water, which seems to have finally cleared it up and it is now
getting better. However, a few weeks back he got a hole in one of his outer
gills and that has just grown in the last few days so now you can see the gill
bits inside clearly - this has got to be affecting him surely e.g. his ability
to 'breathe', it's like it is rotting away but we can't stop it. The people in
the fish tank said to keep trying different medications/methods with big water
changes which we have been doing. So, last week was the aquarium salt method,
which has worked on the eye and we did a 50% water change following that
treatment on Friday. Then we fed him and he seemed totally normal - snatching
food from the top of the tank and swimming around for us, We went out of the
room for a while then when I went in to turn off the tank lights for the night
(as we always do) he was lying at the bottom of the tank, looking like he was
dying. Since then he has been very immobile, he seems like he can't move the
fin on the side of the rotting gill very well and he's been lying at the bottom
of the tank only moving briefly and facing into the glass, seeming to struggle
to move around.
He seems very sensitive to light all of a sudden so we have mostly kept the tank
lights off over the weekend.
We have really thought he was dying and were all ready to find a way to
euthanize him as painlessly as possible because we don't want him to suffer but
he's such a brilliant fish we want to keep trying as long as possible, so long
as he isn't in pain or suffering. However, having watched him struggle about on
the bottom of the tank for 2 days, I went into the room he is currently in last
night late and without thinking switched the overhead light on only to see him
swimming around at the top of the tank, promptly dropping to the bottom when I
went in.... so now I think we have a combination of a fish hat is poorly
(because of the gill situation) and a drama queen who is having a tantrum about
something (as Oscars do!) - possibly both things are connected. This morning I
looked in on him before I went to work without putting the lights on and he was
up and about again, albeit in the dark.
For info, he fed on Friday, we didn't feed him on Saturday because he looked so
poorly but tried a bit of food yesterday and he made some effort to get it but I
don't know that he ate much at all. I know they can survive a while without
feed, just the current combination of problems is worrying me and my
partner. There are two silver dollars in with him awaiting transfer into the
new tank too - they are about 2.5" diameter each - and a small Corydoras cat
fish that cleans the bottom of the tank. Yesterday I checked the water and the
PH/nitrites were normal the nitrate was quite high so we did another water
change of 20%. I want to do another 30% tonight or tomorrow.
If anyway can help with this gill rot situation we'd really appreciate it,
because we are not sure what to try next but don't want to lose this fish unless
we absolutely cannot do anything to help him.
Thanks, Giovanna Giovanna Ashcroft
< The problem is the high nitrates. Check the well water. Wells that draw from
shallow aquifers often have high nitrates due to agricultural run off. These
high nitrates stress the fish and feed the bacteria that cause the flesh to be
eaten away. This is a common problem in agricultural areas. To remove the
nitrates is not that easy. Reverse osmosis, deionization and distillation will
reduce or remove nitrates. Plants are very effective at doing this too. Get the
nitrates to under 20 ppm and treat with Nitrofurazone. This will stop the
bacteria and the areas affected may grow back.-Chuck>
Oscar Not Happy After Being Medicated 1/21/07
Ok guys, bubba started doing better, but then took a turn for the worst.
He did stop freaking out in the tank but he did not start eating. We went to
pets mart and they told us our water was fine and that they thought he had some
kind bacteria. They gave us 10 packs of the green powder to help him.
We used as directed and then did a 25% water change after 72 hours as directed.
Now he has this fuzzy white stuff on his eyes and he is sitting at the bottom of
the tank. It has now been 5 days since the initial application. The other Oscar
(Small one) is also very timid now and will not eat. Both are at the bottom of
the tank. The water still has a slight green tint to it from the bacteria
medicine. What do I do now? I have a feeling pets mart gave us some bad advice,
seeing the situation has only gotten worse. Please help! Also if you need, I can
take pictures and send them in.
Semper Beatus Jon M Carroll
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Raise the water
temp to 82 F. Do not feed until he starts to move around and get better. The
medication was probably Nitrofurazone. It is a very effective antibiotic and it
probably affected the biological filtration. You may be experiencing an ammonia
or nitrite spike and that is why your fish are now sick. Add carbon to remove
the rest of the medication and see if he gets better. If things are getting
worse then check the water quality. You could add Bio-Spira to get the
biological filtration up and going again, but if the Oscar gets sicker you will
need to medicate with erythromycin type of antibiotic and that will effect the
filtration once again.-Chuck>
Oscar Help, dis. 1/14/07
Hi crew, I have a pair of Oscars out of which, one has developed a cloudy
eye ,loss of appetite and its fins are disintegrating, so can you please give me
a remedy for the above and can you please tell me whether an antibiotic can be
used in the tank and what temperature should I maintain for the Oscar. I would
be really thankful for your help. thanking you.
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Maintain the
water at 80 F. If things don't get better in a couple of days treat with
Nitrofurazone as per the directions on the package. -Chuck>
Sick Tiger Oscar 1/5/07
Hi there guys,
<Sophie>
Please help…...For the last few days my tiger Oscar has been off his food {very
rare}. Today we noticed that he was on his side at the top of the tank. On
closer inspection, and a water change, we noticed he is very bloated, and is not
really moving at all. He is still on his side and not eating. We are very
concerned!! What could this be? Thanks Sophie
<Mmm... I would check, re-check your water quality measures... are there other
organisms in there? Are they fine? I would administer Nitrofuranace or other
Furan compound per your reading here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Oscar brawl, Neotrop. Cichlid growth/beh. 12/28/06
Chuck (or whoever else might receive this):
<Chuck's unfortunately "out" presently>
Thank you for your response. I have cooled the temperature down to 74 degrees
and, while there is still more belligerence and intimidation going on than is
normal, I would not describe it as a brawl anymore.
<Heeeeee! Just a minor street scuffle?>
You do bring up a couple of interesting questions. First, as you believe
overfeeding by an inexperienced aquarist may have contributed to the brawl, what
would you consider a proper amount of food for these two four-year old Oscars?
Each morning and each evening, they are fed four Tetra Cichlid Jumbo Sticks - an
average of two each. Is this too much food?
<Mmm, no, not IMO... but I would supplement this fine staple food with some
live/fresh material... Earthworms, insect larvae ("meal worms" and such)... are
some faves>
Plus, how long does one remain an inexperienced aquarist?
<Heeeeee! Good question... I am guessing that this entails a subjective
evaluation mostly... And is likely till one feels experienced... "enough">
I have been at this for five years now and some day I hope to be
considered experienced, even if not expert.
<Good>
Now, onto the green terror question:
<Sounds like a TSA rating... When are the powers that be going to start
examining at air-freight? Scam! Doh!>
At about the same time that I got the Oscars, I got a green terror.
When they were babies, I had them all in the 90 gallon tank, but as he rapidly
grew, the green terror lived up to his name and rained hell down upon the
Oscars, whipping the whole tank. I soon bought him a 55 gallon tank of his own
and moved him into it. I put a Pleco in there that I figured was big enough and
armored enough to hold his own, but the terror never bothered the Pleco. I had a
couple of adult clown loaches and decided to see how they would do with the
terror and they did just fine. The terror did not bother them.
<Lucky>
He grew into a beautiful fish, with an abundance of personality.
Everybody loved him. Then, one day, I found him in a state of mysterious shock
and he died within 24 hours. I suspected that he had swallowed a stone but I
could not bear the thought of cutting him open to find out, so that is just a
theory.
<A plausible one>
I then got another green terror, a baby, along with a Firemouth and I put them
both in the 55 gallon tank with the Pleco and the two clown loaches. I have
another 55 gallon tank that includes two Firemouths among its population and I
figured that, if this terror proved as ferocious towards other cichlids as did
the original, I would move the Firemouth into that tank once it became necessary
to him.
But an odd thing happened. The terror grew very slowly. I think it has been
about two years now and this terror is only about 3.5 inches long. The
Firemouth, however, grew into a true beauty, much more beautiful than his
cohorts in the other 55 gallon tank. He can, and does, whomp the smaller terror
at will. Although no real damage has been done, this is very humiliating for the
terror, as it has a "tough guy" aura and just does not like to submit to the
rule of a Firemouth.
<This may be a real factor in the limitation of the Terror's growth... Please
read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GrwLmtChems.htm
and the linked files above>
Why is the green terror staying so small? I feed the tank two jumbo sticks in
the morning, two in the evening, plus a small pinch of flakes both times.
Thanks again,
Bill
<As stated, likely behavioral components at play here... as well as
metabolites... Bob Fenner>
Oscar breathing hard - All water levels are fine - 12/12/06
Hello,
<<Hi, Amber. Tom with you this afternoon.>>
I apologize if this question has been asked before, but I searched for a while
on the site and couldn't find anything like what I am experiencing.
<<Even if yours has been asked, it doesn’t hurt to revisit a question now and
then.>>
Background info: I have a very small albino Oscar in a 15 gallon tank (by
himself.) This is his first 78 hours in his new home. I know he's going to
outgrow this quickly, so a bigger 55 is on the way. Anyways, the 15 gallon is
completely cycled with a heater set to about 78-80 F and a "waterfall" type
filter that gives pretty good surface agitation. I just checked the water levels
today (again) and all (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite) are at zero, pH is a little
high, perhaps 7.6...I also took a sample to PetSmart and they confirmed the
water quality was fine.
<<Check the actual water temperature, Amber. Heaters are notorious for being off
by a few degrees plus or minus. 78 degrees F. would be a very good temperature
for your pet.>>
But what worries me is that the baby Oscar is displaying strange symptoms for
such good water levels. He's swimming very slowly and cautiously around the
tank, often resting on the bottom behind his plant. He's also breathing VERY
hard (his gill movement seems like he's gasping, but his breathing is not fast
like he's panting - the breaths are very slow and steady.) I've been worried
sick about this little guy
and have done two 10-20% water changes (spaced out by 12+ hours) despite the
fact that the tests say everything is fine. Stresscoat and aquarium salt were
added in small doses but have probably been diluted by the water changes. (I am
using a regular water conditioner to treat the water used for the water
changes.)
<<Increase the salt ratio to about 1 tablespoon per five gallons. If the water
is low on electrolytes, gill function is going to be diminished. The salt will
help this dramatically. Also, to reiterate my suggestion about the tank
temperature, higher temperatures will reduce the amount of oxygen in the water.
You might try slowly lowering the actual temperature (and I do mean s-l-o-w-l-y)
to the mid-70’s. You might also consider an airstone or two for even more
“agitation”. HOB filters will move the surface water pretty well but if you keep
your tank level relatively full, this might not be enough. In fact, when we
recommend higher temperatures for the treatment of certain conditions, we also
suggest lowering the water level so that the “waterfall” effect is increased.>>
Sometimes his breathing slows to normal, and he seems fine. But more often than
not, when I watch him, he's breathing hard. He's also refused to eat and shows
no interest in pellets or small mealworms. He'll follow objects with his eyes,
so I know he's alert.
<<Your Oscar is stressed right now, Amber. Food is probably the last thing on
his mind. Let’s get those O2 levels up and see if we can’t get him more “settled
in”.>>
He shows no outward symptoms of any of the common afflictions (HITH, Ick,
velvet, etc.)
<<Not yet and I hope we keep it that way. :) >>
So, I guess my question is: what's wrong with the Oscar and/or system?
<<The Oscar is stressed, based on his behavior. I’m hopeful that it’s due to
inadequate oxygen levels because that’s a pretty quick fix. Otherwise, I see
nothing wrong with the system. Easy to say from my end, but I don’t think it’s
time to worry unnecessarily. Little guys like yours can go through an awful lot
of transportation and handling issues in a short span of time and it can be very
hard on them. Keep the lighting low as an additional measure to calm him down.>>
Thank you for your time,
Amber
<<Not a problem at all, Amber. I’m sure all will work out well with a little
more time. My best to you and your new pet. Tom>>
Re: Oscar breathing hard - All water levels are fine 12/14/06
Dear Tom,
<<Hi, Amber.>>
You're amazing. I did everything you mentioned (cool off the water, add more
salt, and lower the water level) and little "Oscar" is breathing normally! I
don't even have words for how I'm feeling! I thought for sure Oscar was a goner.
Thank you so much for your help!
<<You're more than welcome, Amber, but I only supplied some advice. You supplied
the caring and the work. Well done and thanks for the feedback.
You made my day!>>
-Amber
<<Tom>>
Oscar Fish... health, comp.? 12/2/06
Hi, my name is Lindsy.
<<Hello, Lindsy. Tom here.>>
My husband and I have a Jack Dempsey, Albino Oscar and Plecostomus. My question
is about our Albino Oscar. He is still a baby about 4-6 inches long. Well, his
fins are shredded and one of his front fins is disintegrating. Also his scales
are coming off, now large chucks of scales. I was watching him earlier and a
large piece about an inch long was floating half on him and half off and I
watching him rub himself against the gravel to remove it. At first we thought
the splits in his fins were because he likes to hide in the plants and was at
first thought our Jack Dempsey was getting territorial and going after him now
that the Oscar is catching up in size.
<<Plastic plants may cause this type of damage in fish with long, flowing fins
like Bettas but doubtful, to me, that this is the root cause in the case of the
Oscar. I would, however, concur with your thoughts on the Jack Dempsey and the
Albino Oscar getting into territorial squabbles, particularly if the tank isn’t
really large and “broken up” to provide them with specific areas to lay claim
to.>>
I do believe the two have gotten into it before but for a few days our Oscar
wasn't eating. Today is the first time he's actually moved around and gotten his
food. I am starting to think it's not the Jack that's hurting him and that
something is wrong with him. I've tried to find answers online but haven't found
anything useful. I just wanted to know if you might know what could be wrong.
Thank you so much for your time and I hope my email isn't too confusing.
<<Lindsy, the possible (probable?) order of events is that the Dempsey went
after the Oscar, presumably over territory issues. The fins on the Oscar were
damaged likely leading to a possible fungal infection which further led to a
bacterial infection affecting the scales on this fish including their subsequent
“peeling away”. Whether, or not, the intermediate fungal infection has occurred,
the real concern is the bacterial infection. Treatment is best accomplished in a
separate hospital, or quarantine, tank. The reason for this is three-fold.
First, we don’t want to medicate the other fish, if it can be avoided, as this
can be stressful and lead to problems we didn’t have to start with. Second,
antibiotics aren’t discriminate about what they “control” where bacteria are
concerned. The “good” nitrifying bacteria in the tank and filter are going to be
killed, or inhibited, along with the “bad” bacteria, leading to potential
ammonia/nitrite spikes. (Don’t buy into any “garbage” about a particular
antibiotic being harmless to your beneficial bacteria. By pure definition, this
is total bunk!) Finally, there are antibiotics that shouldn’t be used on
“scaleless” fish like your Pleco. Additionally (like you really wanted to hear
more!), there are medications in this group (antibiotics) that are rendered
“inactive” in certain water conditions. The Tetracycline's, for instance, bind
with calcium and magnesium – found in “hard water” conditions that many Cichlids
are kept in – making them ineffective.
All that said, I’m going to recommend that you perform a water change in the
range of 30%. Make sure to vacuum the substrate, if any. Clean your filter and
remove any carbon media. If possible, isolate the Oscar from the Jack Dempsey
even if it means purchasing a divider of some sort for the display tank. Treat
with Nitrofurazone (Furanace) exactly according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. Watch the Oscar’s condition closely. Not uncommon for bacterial
infections to migrate to the internal organs which could entail treating with
Metronidazole as well. Above all, monitor the water parameters and be prepared
for spikes in both ammonia and nitrites. Increase aeration in the tank to keep
oxygen levels up. (Be aware that Nitrofurazone is photo-sensitive and will
decompose in the presence of light. Keep the tank darkened with a cover, if
necessary, while treating your fish. The decomposed medication will not only be
worthless as a treatment but can turn the water toxic.)>>
Thanks,
Lindsy
<<Sorry for the whole “song and dance”, Lindsy, but otherwise well-meaning
retailers might attempt to "steer" you. For example, Maracyn (erythromycin) is
most effective against gram-positive bacteria which are the least probable
statistically, by far, to be the source of the problem. Best that you go into
this with as much information as possible. Best of luck to you. Tom>>
Mysterious skin ailment, Oscar 11/26/07
I have a 13 inch Oscar. It is the only resident in a 55 gallon tank.
Filtration is at 660 gph, water changes and gravel vacuuming twice a week (80%
water change each time).
<Mmm... too much percentage at one time>
Parameters: Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrates always below 10ppm, usually
closer to 5ppm. Ph is 8.4 and super stable. Temp is 76 to 78 degrees.
When this fish was about 4 inches long (August 05 or so), he ran into the
driftwood that was in the tank. In doing so, he tore a chunk of himself off
(scales, skin and some meat) in an area between his right Pectoral and Pelvic
fins. I treated with Melafix and Pimafix.
<Am not a fan of these AP "tea" "remedies">
Area healed over nicely, though did leave a very noticeable white scar.
Problem is is that this area has continued to grow larger. It is now about
twice the size it was originally. Looks like very small cottage cheese in
texture. Bumpy, white, recessed. No slimy discharges or bleeding. A few
other small areas on his body are showing signs of scales "withering" and
losing color.
<Likely decomposing organisms, populations at work here... gaining on their
host>
The Oscar is fed a diet of high quality cichlid pellets, fruit, vegetables,
krill, crickets, worms.
<Good>
I try to mimic the diet of a wild Oscar. I do not feed feeders due to the risk
of introducing disease or infestations.
<You are wise here>
Does the description of the ailment ring any bells?
<Mmm, yes... though a possible "cure" may not be easily effected>
I have looked high and low, asked lots and lots of fish keepers, and have not
found any clue as to the cause or cure for this condition.
Thanks
Tim
<At the most likely possibil-probabil-ity is a course of actual scraping of this
wound site (with or w/o anesthetizing the Oscar), and applying a poultice of
sorts of a spreader/sticker (like Zinc Oxide) and gram-negative antibiotic paste
(mixed together)... Barring the scraping, you might try successive applications
of various antimicrobials (e.g. Furan compounds)... Even simple salt "baths",
periodic applications of moderate strength (every sixth water change let's say)
of about a level tsp. per five gallons of system water (of rock/aquarium salt)
may arrest development (for a time) here. Bob Fenner>
Wounded & Listless Oscar 11/25/06
I need your help. I have a 95 gal tank with 3-4 inch O's. A total of now 5.
<?, Five individuals presently>
What the aggressors did to a prior they are now doing to this one. Sherbert (an
albino) was being attacked by these torpedo's of an Oscar. They would nip at him
to the point that I saw scales hanging off- like skin peeling. I separated him,
although in the same tank & water flow, he cannot be attacked. I do have a
hospital tank but not sure what to add to it.
<See WWM re>
I 1st tried the hosp tank with the same temp as original tank, and I added 1
tablet of Jungle Fungus clear (I assumed the white fuzz on scar was fungus). I
also add 1tsp of Melafix to help heal wound. The hosp tank is 10 gal. I then
noticed the sideways laying & hanging out at the bottom. Just listless.
<To be expected>
The fuzz from wound is sometimes so "sticky" that the fin would be stuck. I was
scared that laying sideways was a bladder issue so I added Epsom salt. 2 TBS for
10 gal. Sherbert started to look worse - looks like the wounds are burning- due
to
the maroon / dark red coloration. So he is back in the original tank with a
separator, alone, at the bottom & sideways. I do not want to lose another O to
the aggressors. Help me!
Also all readings are fine, Nitrate, Nitrite, ammonia, pH, alkalinity, &
hardness. I do all 6 tests on a regular.
<I would have done as you have... and would leave this Albino separated, but the
water untreated for now... It may well be that this new Oscar, and much of
anything else, will have to be left out of the main tank ultimately... even one
more of the Oscars removed in time. Bob Fenner>
Re: Oscar Gone Wild 11/23/06
Hello again, I'm sorry to bother you again however I need your help. I
have a 75 gallon tank that house a 10 inch tiger Oscar, 7 inch jack Dempsey, 6
inch jaguar cichlid, 4 inch pictus catfish, and two 4 inch Plecos. The problems
began about a week ago. My Oscar was not eating, he would just lie on the
bottom of the tank breathing heavily. The water levels of the tank were normal
and there were no signs of internal disease. I treated the Oscar
with Metronidazole and after the second day of treatment he was back to
its normal behavior.
<This is a great medication to use when no external signs of disease are
apparent yet you know something is wrong.> <<Is toxic however... should not
be used casually... will kill fish (and human) kidneys with over-exposure. RMF>>
The next day I did a 30% water change and moved the rocks and drift wood in the
tank around because my Jaguar cichlid was moving the gravel and making a
mess.
After the change to the tank my Oscar started to act unusual. It is chasing
the other fish all over the tank without mercy. I assume he is doing this to
establish his new territory since I moved the objects in the tank and that this
behavior should pass soon. However this morning when I opened the tank light
I noticed that the Oscar had a white cloudy spot on one of his side fins. Both
side fins have a cloudy color to them instead of the clear look which the
usually have. But it is his behavior today is what concerns me. He is still
chasing the other fish. He is also swimming up and down the tank on his side
with his mouth open very frantically. By doing this he has injured himself by
hitting rocks in the tank. The water levels of the tank this as of
this morning are fine. The temp is 81 degrees and I last did a water change
two days ago, 30%. Any help you can lend would much appreciated. Thank you.
Jim
< As you pointed out that cichlids are territorial and now that everybody is
feeling good they are going at each other to determine a pecking order. Lowering
the temp to 77 F will help slow things down. The whitish patches are damage from
fighting and scrapping against objects. Rearrange the tank tonight and then turn
off the lights and lower the temp. In the morning they will still be picking on
each other but things will be at a much slower pace and might reduce some of the
damage until they can work things out.-Chuck>
Sick Oscar 11/15/06
Hello, I have a 10 inch Tiger Oscar who has been acting
unusual lately. The Oscar the past two days has been laying on the bottom of
the tank, no appetite, with heavy breathing.
<Something very wrong...>
Beside his behavior there are no other signs of sickness. He is in a 75 gallon
tank with a 6 inch Jack Dempsey, 5 inch Jaguar Cichlid, a 4 inch
pictus catfish and two five inch Plecos.
<Mmm, might be getting bullied by the other cichlids, gotten poked by the
Pictus...>
The tank filtration is (2) 70 AquaClear hang on filters, and an undergravel
filter with a Hagen 802 power head attached to it. I did a 30% water change
today and the water levels are fine. What can be causing my Oscar to act this
way? I should tell you that my brother feed my fish feeders two weeks ago
without my consent. Can this be the problem?
<Could be, yes>
Or may it be that I fixed one of the filters the other day with AGA silicone
and it may be toxic to the fish?
<Mmm, if allowed to cure for a day, should be okay>
The packaging states that it is ok for freshwater fish. Anyway, any advice you
can lend will be appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Jim
<I'd move the Oscar to another system if you have one... Otherwise, closely
observe its interaction with the other fishes. Bob Fenner>
Egg Bound Oscar Is Probably Sick
- 10/25/06
I have a female Oscar who is VERY full of eggs. She is acting very strangely
and differently than the times before. She is almost just floating and
hardly moving on her own at all. She looks like she's about to explode but
only in her bottom. No swelling is apparent in the head or dorsal fin area.
She's been nose-first in the tank almost all day. We don't want to raise any
newborn Oscars, we just don't want to lose her. Will it hurt her worse if a
small amount of pressure is applied to her abdomen just to get the eggs
moving out? I'm at a loss here and scared of my fish dying. Any help or
suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
< She probably has an internal infection and is not egg bound. Do a 50% water
change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Metronidazole and
Nitrofuranace
or Clout. This is best done in a hospital tank. Do not squeeze the fish as this
may force pressure on the internal organs and cause problems. The key to a
successful treatment is to treat early. You may already be too late.-Chuck>
Fish Jumped Out of Tank 10/28/06
<Hi Shana, Pufferpunk here>
My boyfriend and I have had an Oscar fish for less than a year. About a week and
a half now he had ick.
<Have you introduced any tankmates without quarantining 1st? Or feeding the
Oscar live fish? That's usually how they get it.>
At first I wasn't sure about it because I had never seen fins look eaten. But
the internet and the pet store said it was.
<Usually starts by "flashing" against objects (looks like the fish is trying to
itch itself). Then you see white spots, like salt on it's body. The eaten fins
are the last result.>
So I started looking for information on how to get rid of it.
We have other fish, 3 Tinfoils, 4 rainbow sharks and 2 danios in the tank, so I
quarantined (sp) the Oscar so the others won't get it, so far so good.
<Those other fish will eventually get eaten by an Oscar, starting with the
danios.>
I did water changes every 3 days and I did salt baths (it was a 10 gal tank so I
only used half a tbsp). Adding salt to the water at 1tbsp/5gal , raising the
temp to 86 & large daily/every other day water changes are best. The ich will
be living in your main tank, so it's usually best to treat the whole tank.>
And the last time I checked, Ick can only be killed once it starts getting off
of the body, gills and fins of the fish, so I waited until then to do the Ick
treatment.
<Bad idea. Raising the temp & adding salt will help speed up this process &
then the water changes will remove the free-swimming parasite.>
I had done everything that online info and the pet store has said.
"Oscar" was getting better, he never lost his appetite throughout all this, like
the pet store and online said he would. We fed him last night and we woke up
this morning and he had committed suicide.
I am going to bring in a sample of the water to see if it was that. But I was
wondering why he would commit suicide if he was getting better?
<I assume you mean, he jumped? Any fish can be a jumper & your tank should
always have a snug-fitting cover. Especially for strong-bodied fish.>
I feel like a failure. I did everything by the book. I kinda feel that when we
fed him, he hadn't finished totally and we turned off the light and he was
trying to get the food but couldn't judge the distance and he just leaped too
far. I know that sounds like wishful thinking but I need to know why!!!!!
<It's really hard to tell. Fish jump for a number of reasons. Bad water
parameters--if the fish is being poisoned by ammonia or nitrites, it could jump
out looking for better water. It could also jump because the tank is too small
& it's looking for more room. I had a big fish jump out of my 125g tank & it
had a heavy glass cover on it & I do 75% weekly water changes on it (perfect
water), so you just can't tell for sure why a fish does that. Just be sure to
keep your tank covered for now on, even if it's a QT tank.>
Help me!!!!!
<As far as the ich--next time, QT any tank mates (most aren't good for Oscars
anyway, unless they are equal, or larger in size--they WILL get
eaten!). Tinfoils are good but are schooling fish, like lots of vertical
swimming room & grow quite large. For a school of them & an
Oscar, I'd
recommend at least a 125g tank. Do NOT feed your Oscar any live food. ~PP>
-Shana
Oscar Doesn't Like The Move - 10/21/06
Hello everyone, I just moved my 5" Oscar to a new larger tank. When
catching him he went pretty wild however, and now has areas of missing scales on
his right side. There was never any bleeding but the entire process was
obviously stressful. He just lay on the bottom of the new tank for several hours
as if he was going to die but is now up and swimming around. He has now been in
his new tank for about 24 hours. My question is should I offer some type of
preventative treatment to help speed the healing of the wounds?
< Melafix and PimaFix sometimes work well on new open wounds.>
I have read that Melafix is not the greatest for a full blown infection but
works OK as a preventative and it will also not harm the bio-cycle. Should I
consider this or just allow him to heal on his own if no other issues present
themselves?
< For fresh wounds aquarists have had some success. If it has already gotten
infected then skip these and go straight to an antibiotic such as Nitrofurazone.>
The new tank is very clean and the water parameters are good as well but with
the stress from the move and the new environment I am worried he is weakened.
Thanks for the help, your site is a fantastic resource. Aaron
< Oscars are actually pretty tough guys and a few scales off the side should not
have down for long.-Chuck>
Albino Oscar that appears to be blind 10/17/2006
I have an albino Oscar that shares 90 gallon tank with two other Oscars.
<<A nominal 90 is just too small for 3 adult Oscars to live out their lives.>>
While the bigger Oscars can be aggressive sometimes, they have lived together in
relative peace for awhile. The problem is that the albino Oscar has started
acting like it is blind and maybe has some neurological problems. It swims over
and under the other fish or it allows the two Plecostomus to swim over it.
<<Two large Plecos and 3 large Oscars are too much for your tank.>>
When it is feeding time, the two larger fish are aggressive and come to the top
to feed, but the albino Oscar does not rush to the top to feed like it has in
the past. Because the other two are eager to feed, it is hard to get food to the
albino.
<<He is the low man on the totem pole I fear, and this will not likely change.>>
It also acts as if it does not smell the food.
<<More likely a stress-induced hunger strike. Not uncommon.>>
Yesterday I was able to get a couple of pellets to drop to the bottom and the
albino actually sat on one of them! The albino Oscar also swims with an
oscillating sideward movement. I need to solve the problem, but I also need to
get some food into the albino before he dies!
<<For long term success, the albino should get his own 60 gallon aquarium, where
he will be easier to feed and will not be bullied by the others.>>
Thanks
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Injured Oscar 10/17/2006
I have an Oscar that is about 3 months old. He is in a 55 gallon tank,
alone. There are plants, etc, but no other fish. About a month ago, I noticed
a small "cut" above his eye. I watched him closely and it seemed to heal well
by itself. However, today, he has a large scrape, with skin hanging from it, on
the top of his head.
<<Ouch!!>>
I think he's jumping for food at the top and hitting his head on the top of the
tank....but I'm not sure. Is there anything I can do to help him?
<<If you’re not sure how it happens, it is hard to fix the problem. As for the
wound, keep the water quality high and keep a close eye on it, and it will
likely heal on its own.>>
I read several emails that you had responded to and couldn't really find one on
injuries...just the Hole in the Head Dis. Also, how can I stop this from
happening?
<<Stop what from happening? Finding out how it's happening is the first step.>>
He has done this two times now and seems to get hurt worse each time. Would
lowering the water level help?
<<If you can lower it to a level that he can’t reach the lid, if that is indeed
what’s happening.>>
We also have a "hollow log" (from the fish store) in the tank for him to hide
in...He seems to like it...but could that be the culprit? I'm at a loss on
this.
<<It could be. I can’t say from here.>>
Thank you very much,
Tamela
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Oscar Stressed By Over Feeding 10/5/06
Hi, I hope you can help. I have a tiger Oscar only a few months old in a 55
gallon tank.
Lately I have noticed quite a few things go wrong pretty quickly and I'm on info
overload after reading everything.
< Thanks for looking first.>
First, there are pink bits of his poo with white almost fur like things on it
all the time. I do 30% water changes at least every week cleaning the gravel as
I go but it just doesn't seem to go. Then I noticed some white spots on him
which have gone now without any treatment, however with the life cycle of ich I
think I may need to treat! Which I will start tomorrow.
Today I noticed his poo was yellow/light green and he is really worrying me. I
think he has hole in the head but I'm not sure. He has two small (about 1mm
diameter) holes between his mouth and his eyes. Please help, I've become really
close to him and I want to make him well again! I feed him on 'cichlid gold'
regularly a pellet at a time until he stops eating about twice a day.
I do pH checks which are normal, but no nitrate checks.
I have a Fluval 3 filter in the tank that I clean in the tank water every week
(I remove some water and clean it in that then throw the water away!)
hope you can help Rachel
< Feed you Oscar once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in
two minutes. Remove all leftover food. The stress of him being overfed is taking
a toll on his digestive tract. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and
clean the filter. Add some variety to his diet by adding some chopped
earthworms, brine shrimp or Spectrum Pellets.-Chuck>
Oscar Problem.... No Idea What It Is
10/3/06
My Oscar is 12cm and has a hole like thing just behind his head.
<I see it... Ow!>
He is in a 5" tank with a Polleni, Flowerhorn, two trimacs, a silver
dollar, and two gibbiceps.
<Wowzah... I hope this tank is huge>
He has had this hole for about a month now and it looks like it's very
slowly getting better. Can you please give me some further information
on what it is and what i could do? Thanks.
<To me this looks like a too-neat cut/gouge... likely from the fish
jumping, running/swimming into something sharp... If it were me/mine,
I'd do "nothing" in the way of actually adding chemicals to the water
here... Simply keep up with water quality... Do keep an eye out for
overt aggression with this mix... Bob Fenner> |
|
 |
Oscar With Hole-In-The-Head 9/12/06
Hi crew. I have an Oscar which appears to have a hole in the
head. I am not sure whether it is HITH disease. It appears to be very
dull. Can you help me out with the cure and other things to cure it.
Thanking you
<Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the
gravel. Upgrade the diet top include more live and frozen foods.
Treat with Metronidazole and keep the lights off.-Chuck.>
Oscar With Skin Damage 9/9/06
I have two 4-5 inch Oscars I brought home together.
They are in a 50 gallon tank -One is very active alert and looks great.
The slightly smaller one came to me with a large
spot where it looked like it cut itself on a sharp
corner. The spot was about .... that far across and
eventually fell off and started to heal over.
Fish ate very little in the two weeks. But the fish seems to be shedding in
spots - kinda
pale and flaky looking. It has started eating
aggressively though -I am wondering if I am missing something serious or
if it was just stressed. Thanks Tim
< The larger Oscar may be chasing a nipping at the smaller Oscar. As the
smaller Oscar tries to get away it may be injuring itself on objects in the
tank. See if the smaller Oscar needs more hiding places.-Chuck>
White Film On Fish... from "feeder fish" 9/8/06
Hello. I've read and found that your site is very informative. I
currently
have a 29 gallon aquarium with a Fluval 304 standard (un-customized). I
used to give them feeder fish now since you've said it is extremely bad and
dangerous I stick to Spirulina. The tank has a 3 in Oscar, a 2 in green
terror
and a algae eater. Sadly the algae eater and the green terror died but I
wasn't very sure on how they died. There wasn't ich or any boating just
white film like material that would protrude from their eyes sometimes even
bubble like over the eye. I quarantined the green terror in a 5 gallon tank
but there was no saving him as for the algae eater he looked fine till the
morning he died to make a long story short I used a fungus cure made by API
the Oscar seems to be doing well but he still has a smaller film (which is
more translucent ) on his eye. I wanted to know if you have any suggestions
to help my tank so I don't have another outbreak. Also what are some
suggestions on how to keep my tank in optimized living conditions.
Thank you very much, Michael
< Sounds like a bacterial infection. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel
and clean the filter. Treat the tank with Kanamycin. This will affect the
good nitrifying bacteria so watch out for ammonia spikes.-Chuck
Oscar With Damaged Mouth 9/6/06
To whom it may concern, Thank you for taking the time to read and
respond to this question. Please know that I have read and reviewed your
site extensively to find an answer before contacting you about
this. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful in my attempts.
I have two tiger Oscars that are 9 months old. We have never had any
problems with them. Great fish! Recently, we moved from S.C. to KY. We did
not want to give them up to a pet store so we bought a small 5 gallon tank
to transport them. Along the way to KY we came into some vehicle troubles
with our moving truck, and were delayed a day and night. So we ran to
Wal-mart to purchase a battery operated filter, and heater for the trip, and
brought the Oscar tank up to the hotel room with us. The entire trip they
were coddled, and stayed right by me the whole way being sheltered from air,
and too much sunlight. Upon arrival to KY they did suffer some minor
problems (i.e. cloudy eyes, stress, and tail rot) that were quickly
corrected with treatment. However, It has been four weeks since we have been
here in KY, and by all accounts our Tiger Oscars are doing great; although,
one of them looks like the gangster "Mugsy." He has a more pronounced
under-bite now. Is this something that can be corrected with some type of
treatment? Or is this a permanent deformity from all the unavoidable
stress, and sickness from the move here? Will we have to permanently rename
him "Mugsy?" Thank you in advance for your response. I appreciate your
website offering free advice from knowledgeable experts to learn as much as
people can, allowing their Oscars to live a long and happy life. Sincerely,
Gangster Fish Owner
< Next time use a Styrofoam box lined with a plastic trash bag. If a fish
does hit the box there is less trauma to the fish. I have seen tin foil
barbs killed by moving fish in an aquarium. They just panic and hit the
glass and knock themselves out. The trauma to your Oscar's mouth may be
permanent. It depends on if the bones were broken or damaged. There is no
treatment but he is still fairly young and may grow out of it and be less
noticeable as he grows.-Chuck>
Tiger Oscar problem! 8/25/06
Hi there....
<<Hi back, Cindy. Tom here.>>
First I want to say what an amazingly informative site you have!
<<Thanks from all of us for the compliment. Very much appreciated, I assure
you.>>
My Tiger Oscar is currently in a 72 gallon tank. He's approximately 2 years old!
The last little while (approximately 5 days) I have noticed some strange things
happening with my fish....first....it seems that he doesn't close his mouth or
that he is having a harder time breathing (should I take him out and check down
his throat for anything?)
<<Almost always the case, Cindy. Cichlids love to rearrange everything that they
can, gravel/substrate included. Any time you see a fish swimming around with its
mouth open, chances are very good that something's caught in its throat.>>
.....so I of course checked the water and all levels are NORMAL! I also noticed
that his poop is not normal....it is white and stringy and with the research I
had done on your site, it is usually an indication that he may have an internal
parasite.
<<Usually, but not always. A fish that goes "off its feed" can produce feces as
you've described without necessarily being infected internally from a pathogenic
source. Whatever the problem is, your fish is certain to be stressed, which is a
contributing factor.>>
He is swimming around fairly normal but his appetite is not what it usually
is....he just doesn't seem to be hungry--once every 2 days he comes to the top
for 1 pellet.. Also every once in awhile his color seems to fade.
<<Not uncommon where stress is related...>>
He was also thrashing around in his tank quite a bit. It has gotten much
better.....but I am still pretty darn worried about him.
<<As any of us would be.>>
I will also let you know that I had NO idea that giving them feeder fish was a
chance for disease with my Oscar....and it was about 6 weeks or so since I last
gave him some feeders....
<<Ahh, the dilemma. Oscars, among many others, want these but what we give them
are not always "wholesome". Feeder fish, unless coming from a very reputable
supplier, are prone to Heaven-knows-what in the way of disease. They're,
generally, not as nutritionally beneficial as other foods - by a long shot in
some cases - but our fish can't wait to munch down on them. Better to find
substitute foods than risk inheriting a sick fish just because they'll "gobble"
another fish up.>>
So, yesterday I went to a million places and finally found some Metronidazole
and placed the recommended dosage in his tank. How long does it take to see
effects of the medicine working if he does have an internal parasite?
<<In case of an internal parasite, I'd say it's a matter of 3-4 days before
you'll see some improvement. However, this presupposes that this is what's
wrong. I'm not convinced of that, frankly.>>
Tomorrow will be day 2 of the medicine and I will be doing a 30% water change
and will add another treatment of Metronidazole.
<<If I were a betting man, I'd go back to your original premise. Your Oscar got
something caught in its throat, which, by now, may have passed. It became
stressed - along with you :) - leading to the screwy behavior. (Not yours, the
Oscar's.) Continue with the Metronidazole but don't get carried away with it.
I'm not sure that medicating your fish is going to change what I think will be a
positive outcome anyway.>>
Thanks so much for all your help,
Cindy
<<I hope all works out well for both of you. Tom>>
Re: Tiger Oscar problem! - 08/26/06
Hi Tom,
<<Hi, Cindy.>>
Thanks so much for the reply.
<<You're more than welcome.>>
I checked down Chopper's throat and I do not see anything....though I'm not sure
if it's normal, but it does look a bit reddish right at the very back of his
throat. He is still swimming while opening and closing his mouth continuously.
Because I don't see anything, do you believe that this will pass soon?
<<Cindy, what's going to tell the tale here is how quickly Chopper begins to eat
normally. If the obstruction, if any, caused irritation and swelling in his
throat, he may still think something's there much like we do if we get something
in our eye. Gone but not forgotten, so to speak. Additionally, if he swallowed
it rather than coughing it out, it could be giving him a bit of a tummy ache,
which could also account for the off-color feces. If you can, try to entice
Chopper to eat with something soft and small. Beef heart, for instance, comes in
frozen cubes and, when thawed, is plenty small enough that Chopper may "risk"
eating some. You will want to be more attentive to cleaning up after him if he
continues to be reluctant, though. Easy to become more focused on our pets than
their water conditions especially if we keep tossing in one type of food after
another trying to find something they'll like.>>
Also, is it normal for a Tiger Oscar to love to chase his tail? He's done it
since he was a baby...he'll be swimming and then he'll suddenly catch a glimpse
of his tail and he'll start chasing it.
<<It's probably not "normal", per se, but fish, like other animals, can become
creatures of habit. If he got a kick out of doing this as a youngster, chances
are that he'll continue until he gets bored with it. In some instances, what
seems to be puppy-like behavior is actually a symptom of poor water conditions.
Fish with long, flowing fins like Bettas can easily develop fin rot in less than
optimal water and this might lead them to chew on the affected areas. Not the
best situation to have going on.>>
Thank you so very much for your input! Lord knows what I'd do without you
guys!!!
Cindy
<<It frequently helps to get a second opinion, Cindy. Sounds to me like you have
a pretty good handle on what's going on with your pet, though. Happy to lend a
little hand any time. Tom>>
Oscar fdg., health, 8/8/06
Hello,
<<Hello, Paige. Tom with you this morning.>>
I have had an Oscar for 2+years and he has fought a fungus quite often. Which I
am thinking might be because of the feeder fish.
<<One of the several problems with using feeder fish, unfortunately.>>
But the Jungle fungus eliminator seems to work great. For the last two days he
has started swimming around with his mouth wide open. I treated him last night
with Binox and also ich treatment.
<<More than "fungus" going on with your Oscar? The open mouth isn't related to a
fungal infection, Paige.>>
What would cause the gaping mouth?
<<Smart money? A stone/foreign object caught in the animal's mouth or throat.
Not uncommon with Cichlids and Goldfish since both almost constantly pull gravel
into their mouths. Once in a while, a piece gets stuck.>>
Is there a better course of treatment?
<<No real treatment here, Paige. I don't know if your Oscar will sit by and let
you pick around in his mouth (no fingers, please!). Typically, the blockage will
move in one direction or the other of its own accord.>>
I have put salt into the tank but I don't want to hurt the catfish.
<<Won't help or harm in this case.>>
I also have a south American redtail cat that is about 1+ year and he is the
reason I feed the feeder fish because he loves them.
<<And given the enormous size these fish can reach, I suppose it's prudent to
give him whatever he wants. :) Seriously, you do realize these fish can reach up
to four feet in length! Gorgeous animals but better left to very, very large
aquariums that can provide the room they need. I'd also keep an eye on your
Oscar. A hungry Red-Tailed Catfish isn't likely to be "sentimental" about a tank
mate.>>
Is there an alternate food source I could get for him? I have tried sinking
carnivore tablets but he doesn't even bother with them.
<<Not hungry enough, perhaps. These fish are fairly indiscriminate about what
they'll chow down on. You do need to get some variety into him though. Prawns
and crabs are generally taken well. Bloodworms and earthworms are also good
choices at the juvenile stage but your fish should be in the 16"-20" range by
now and will need more than an earthworm or two to feed on. Probably best if you
can find some meaty foods other than the feeders such as frozen foods. The
feeder fish may be his favorite but it's not good to continually medicate your
tank because of what they're bringing along with them.>>
Thank you for your time and insight, Paige
<<You're welcome, Paige. Tom>>
Lump on Oscar's head, no useful data 8/4/06
Hi, I have a 10 yr. old Oscar that is in a 55 gal. tank with one pleco. For
the last month or so, she has developed a very large lump on her head and it is
right above the lips, so it looks like a nose. What is this?
<Mmm, most likely a "build up" of repair/connective tissue resultant from an
injury or a tumorous growth>
I haven't been able to find any info about it online and I'm really worried
about it. Also in the past few months she has laid eggs twice. She has never
laid eggs before, is that normal?
<Does, can happen... something may be "too stressful" in this fishs
environment... What re nutrition, water quality? Is there more than 10-20
percent nitrate present? Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscars.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Sick Oscars, env. 7/31/06
Hi Team,
I hope you can help my parents' sick Oscars. To give you a little history, the
oldest Oscar was purchased a year and a half ago and is 12 inches in length with
the name of Oscar.
<Good name>
The younger Oscar, Bud, was purchased in February of this year. The older Oscar
is albino and Bud is a tiger Oscar. I have searched your site with no help.
Recently this past week both fish have become sick. Oscar has red open sores on
his face and head.
<Environmental...>
Bud has a white line on each of his sides and white pits on his face. Oscar is
scaleless and Bud has scales.
<Actually, both are scaled>
They live in a 75 gallon tank with the following readings as of tonight.
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20ppm
<A bit high... I would shoot for keeping NO3 under ten ppm... See here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwnitrates.htm
and the linked files above>
Ph 8.4
Filtration system 2 filters: 1 Aqua tech series 132 and a TopFin 60, both are
charcoal filter systems.
Tank size 75 gallons
Water temp 80-82 degrees
Hardness 75
Alkalinity 180-300
The Oscars are fed Tetra cichlid sticks and krill.
<Might want to increase the menu... to include worms, insect larvae, cut
meats...>
The community in the 75 gallon tank are 2 tin foil barbs, 2 angel fish,
<Not compatible>
1 spotted cat fish, 1 sucker fish, and the two Oscars. None of the other fish
are sick.
Oscar has not ate for about four days now. The other fish including Bud are
eating. My dad treated the tank this week with stress coat made by API and
Melafix made by API following the directions on the bottles. He took the
charcoal filters out and did a 25% water change.
<Good>
He cleans the tank weekly by vacuuming the rocks, changing 25% water, and
changing filters. Could you please help us with ideas of what is wrong with
these fish?
<Something is amiss... could be just whatever is indicated by the high
nitrate... Reading, formulating a plan to reduce this measure will likely effect
a cure here>
One final note: Oscar was originally my fish which had hard water and since
February has been with my parents using soft water.
<Ahh! This is definitely a factor here. The Oscars do enjoy hard, alkaline water
(as do the Tinfoil Barbs)... but not the other fish species listed... It might
be time to separate these...>
Could this be a problem?
<Yes, at least an influence>
Does my dad need to use the hard water or the soft water?
<The hard on some, softer with the others>
Thank you in advance for any help you can give us.
Stacy Bainter
<Happy to proffer my input. Bob Fenner>
Young Oscar fin disease 7/27/06
hi ,
< Howdy! >
I have a 4 1/2 inch albino Oscar in a 60 g tank by himself , fully cycled ( o
ammonia, o nitrates , ph 7.6 , gH 9, kh3, powerful filtration with regular water
changes etc.
< It is great to see the fish is not overcrowded for a change! >
he seems very healthy and happy, eats like a horse (quality pellets and the
odd moth !) the end of his tail and dorsal fin just seem to be a bit transparent
and a tiny bit raggerty , not too bad but the whiteness of his fins seem to be
receding a bit at the ends . any ideas,
< The only thing that comes to mind is the possibility of the temperature being
too high. Elevated temperatures can lead to lower dissolved oxygen content. That
leads to fin deterioration. >
many thanks, Laurent.
ps salt is added with water changes
< You are welcome! RichardB >
Frightened Fish, Oscars 7/11/06
<<Hello, Krista. Tom with you.>>
I currently have two Oscars and a pleco in a 55 gal tank. I have had them for
about two months. At first they were extremely friendly. They would swim to
the front of the tank when I came home from work and were friendly towards each
other.
<<Okay.>>
Recently they seem to be extremely frightened by any movement at all. They will
come out when I feed them but hide immediately after. I am thinking of taking
their favorite hiding place out of the tank and rearranging some things. Is
this a good idea or is there anything else I can do?
<<Like taking a sick child's temperature, the first thing I would recommend is
looking to your water conditions/parameters. Cichlids certainly like their
hiding places and retreat there when feeling stressed. Since Oscars can be
pretty outgoing animals, particularly when they recognize the person who
provides the "yummies", I'd be looking for the reason that they now seem fearful
of movement outside the tank. Sounds like there's more than meets the eye here,
Krista.>>
I don't want to stress them out but I don't want them to hide all day either?
<<As a rule, I try to bear in mind that the tanks are my "displays" but they're
my fishes' homes. Your pets have nowhere to "run" so taking away their
"sanctuaries" will likely make matters worse. Again, I'd look at what's going on
inside your tank before rearranging things. Specifically, I'd look to see if
there are parameters that are in serious fluctuation like hardness, pH and
temperature. Is there a possibility of an ammonia, or nitrite, spike that you
might not be aware of? Even nitrate levels are something to be considered with
these fish. Unlikely that this would manifest itself after only two months but
do you feed them a varied diet? This is a misunderstood and very underestimated
source of problems with fish. Even high quality foods, when there's no variety,
can lead to health/stress problems. Usually these don't show up for quite some
time but let's look at all possibilities here.>>
Thank you
Krista
<<You're welcome, Krista. Tom>>
Sick Tiger Oscar 6/23/06
Robert,
<<Hi, Scott. Tom with you this time.>>
I have read through many of the other articles on this page of Oscars Disease. I
am really impressed with your knowledge about this fish.
<<We try, Scott, and thanks.>>
I have 3 Red tiger Oscars that live in a 125 gallon tank.
<<Is my "envy" showing"? :)>>
I do my regular water changes and tank maintenance. I have had these 3 for the
last 3 years. My girlfriend noticed today that one of the three was laying at
the bottom of
the tank. The other two were excited to see her for their lunch feeding.
This Oscar was laying at the bottom of the tank and apparently breathing
extremely heavy. These Oscars for sure do not have ich.
<<Scott, Ich wouldn't cause your Oscar to lay at the bottom of the tank. Likely
the opposite. Flashing (scratching itself on just about anything) would be more
"appropriate" behavior. Lethargy would certainly settle in but, by and large,
you'd simply notice the "salt-like" appearance on the body.>>
What is your diagnosis of what could be potentially wrong with this fish?
<<You've given us absolutely nothing to go on here, Scott. Having read the
articles/FAQ's,
you know how important detailed information is. What are the water parameters?
What do you feed your pets? What do you mean by "regular" water changes and tank
maintenance? We'd love to help but we need some "clues".>>
What would you recommend to treat this fish? I have grown very attached to these
guys and I will have to email you a picture to show you how big they have
become.
<<Pictures may give us more help here, Scott.>>
I also was curious about treating 'hole in the head'. What is the best way to
treat and then keep HITH away?
<<HITH is usually caused by a nutrition deficiency. High nitrates have been
attributed but these are probably unlikely in your case. Water conditions and
possible vitamin loss/deficiency
are the culprits to look for. Feed your Oscars a varied diet and stay away from
"feeder fish".
These can/will introduce "garbage" into your tank.>>
I really appreciate your help!
Thanks,
Scott
<<You're welcome, Scott. Tom>>
PS. Do you have any recommendations about getting Oscars to mate.
<<A candlelight dinner? I'm kidding, of course. Check this site out for more
info:
http://www.geocities.com/cichlidiot_2000/breeding.html>>
Oscar Unhappiness - 06/22/2006
Hi--hope you guys can help me help my poor nephew's Oscar. My little
nephew's Oscar has been bouncing around the sides & bottom of his 50g tank for
no apparent reason.
<The reason will become apparent with water tests and observation....>
The Oscar was okay until just recently. The Oscar's roommates are a pleco,
another Oscar
<Ultimately, this will be too small a tank for these animals. Oscars will
easily exceed a foot in length as they grow.>
and a strange Goldfish.
<This cool water animal is incompatible with the other (tropical) fish in the
tank.>
He has also lost his appetite.
<Not a good sign....>
Sorry I don't have more details. What could it be?
<We'll really need to know more to be able to help.... We'll need to know test
results for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (a local fish store can test a sample
of your water for you - write down the numbers from the tests and let us
know). We'll also need to know the history of the tank - when was the most
recent fish added? What kind of filter is being used? How often is the tank
cleaned, and what is done to clean it? Any other bits of information will help,
too.>
Thanks
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Oscar fish eye split open - 06/22/2006
<<Hi. Tom here.>>
I have two Oscar fish in my tank, but only one developed pop eye disease.
<<"Pop eye" is not really a disease. It's a symptom, generally, of a bacterial
infection that causes fluid to build up behind the eye. It can be caused by a
variety of situations including poor water conditions or injury. Unfortunately,
an internal infection is usually pretty advanced by the time the outward symptom
- the swollen eyes - are discovered. (If it affects only one eye, I would be
suspicious of an injury. Do your pets get along okay?)>>
I went to my local fish store and was told to buy Melafix and follow the
instructions on the bottle.
<<Melafix is moderately effective on open sores/ulcers. Metronidazole, for
example, would be more effective for bacterial infections as would
Oxytetracycline, among others.>>
At first it looked as if it was working, but the last 2-3 days I've noticed that
his eye looks to be split opened.
<<Yipes! Sorry to hear about that!>>
I was wondering if that was the medicine working or, is my fish's eye going to
fall off?
<<No, that was a case of the medicine "not" working. Your fish may not "lose"
its eye but will certainly be blind in it.>>
And if so, is it possible for my fish to live with only one eye?
<<Absolutely, your fish can live a long life with sight in only one eye. Do a
Google search on Blind Cave Tetras. These fish are born with normal eyes but
flesh grows over these early on and they spend their entire lives totally blind.
I don't pretend to know what "Evolution" had in mind but these fish get along
very well this way. Tom>>
Oscar hole in the head... actually worms and need for action, grammar checker
6/18/06
hello again I have written before about the rescued Oscar that had skin
problems, begs algae eater to suck on him, anyway i have found that the
problem is hole in the head,
<"A", not "the">
I am treating it with the proper med.s but there are little white worms that are
on his skin and they are crawling into the holes in his head, is that ok,
<No>
also he seems to have white pimple like (not Ick) spots on his fins the start
out lumps and then get a white dot and then they seem to burst open and the area
looks frayed.
he is thrashing around the tank and twitching , the twitching seems to start
when the worms get into the holes in his head please help. i almost have him
healthy again, but these worms are bothering him and me. thank you Raegan and
Otch
<... Please read on WWM re Fenbendazole/Panacur, Praziquantel... Use the Google
search tool on the homepage or indices... Bob Fenner>
Re: Oscar with Hole-In-The Head, not reading 6/20/06
Hello again, I wrote earlier today about the worms crawling into my Oscars
hole in the head, how can I help him?
< Clean water good food and treating with Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone should
help.>
I think that the filthy tank that I rescued him from is finally taking its
toll. Along with the hole in the head (along with its infestation of worms) he
is getting
these round like grey areas around his head and face, I thought that they were
bruises from thrashing around the tank, by the way he
graduated to a 75 gallon today, not to change the subject, I noticed that the
lesions were actually raised from his skin and the seem to
grow bigger then go away, I am starting to believe that the itching problem
along with begging the CAE to suck on him may be a fungus of
some sort. In a way it looks like a form of ringworm if a fish could get that.
Also the CAE dorsal fin has almost completely disintegrated to
nothing. He has the red lines in the fins. I believe that he may have to go the
fishy freezer before he gives the poor Oscar something
else. Help please
< The recommended treatments should help all the problems in the tank. Read the
directions on the medications.-Chuck>
Hurt Oscar 6/13/06
Hello, I wondering if you could help me with a problem that I have with my
Oscar. This morning when I opened the tank light I noticed that my Tiger Oscar
had hurt one of his eyes. I think he may have gotten startled during the night
and hit it against a rock in the tank.
<Common>
Anyway his is currently blind in that eye. Do you think this damage is
permanent or will it heal.
<Impossible to tell from here>
Is their anything that I can do to help with the healing process and possible
avoid his eye getting infected.
<Good maintenance, nutrition...>
He is in a 75 gallon tank with a Jack Dempsey, Jaguar Cichlid, a pictus Cat
<This fish may be consumed... trouble if it gets stuck in the mouth...>
and a pleco. The Oscar is by far the largest and most dominant fish in the
tank. My levels are fine except my ammonia is a tiny bit above normal.
<Should be non-existent... You may have inadequate filtration, insufficient
water changes>
I plan on doing a water change after I send this email to you. Any
advice that you can lend will be appreciated. Thank you
JK
<No medication suggested... Bob Fenner>
Beat Up Oscar Needs Help - 05/29/06
Hi, my name is Jaime Parquette, and my roommate and I bought 3 Oscar fish
about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Everything was fine, so he decided to add another
Albino Oscar (which would make it 2 Albino's out of the 4 total). Almost
immediately, the 3 other Oscars started "bullying" the new one. Over the
next couple of days, we started noticing pieces of his skin or scales,
hanging off of him. He had no energy and always cowered at the bottom of the
tank away from the other 3. When we noticed the 3 Oscars viciously biting
the newer one, we moved him into a separate tank. But he still doesn't do
anything. He won't eat at all, and just stays in one spot on the floor of
the tank. The only movement he makes is little flutters of his fins. You can
tell by looking at him that he does not look healthy, especially compared to
the other 3. I have a big heart when it comes to all animals, and it kills
me to see him dying. I don't know if it's because of the other 3 Oscars, or
if he was sick already when we bought him, which was only 5 days ago. My
roommate said that when he picked him out at the pet store, he looked
perfectly healthy and happy. Is it too late to save him?
< He can probably be saved.>
What are some things we can do to try to help him along?
<Keep the water clean and feed him a variety of foods.>
I really don't want to see him die, and I know he will because when I poured
fish food in his tank, he didn't even budge.
< Try live foods like washed earthworms or brine shrimp. If he has wounds then
treat then with melafix. This is the only thing that melafix seems to help.>
There's still a flake of fish food on his head because he hasn't moved! Please
help us!! Thank you!
< Remove any food after two minutes if he hasn't ate it. Add about a teaspoon or
rock salt per 5 gallons of water to help create a slime over the body.-Chuck>
Fat Oscar Probably Sick 5/27/06
Hello, 5/26/06, I have a 11 inch tiger Oscar. It is thought to be a
she. After a recent 50% water change in its 75 gal tank, It seemed to get very
fat. It is by itself in this tank. Now its "external genitalia?" where its
vent is is very swollen, even blister like. It is not eating like it should
though I did see it eat aggressively about 5 days ago. It is eating
pellets. It has been "fat" for about 3 days now. We did observe a bowel
movement about that same time, 3 days ago. Its venting region is swollen about
1 inch in diameter, and bubbly looking. The fish does not seem to be "gasping"
or have any skin problems and its color is good.. We are very worried. Today I
put a flat rock in the water just incase it is trying to lay eggs. But it
concerns me because in all my searches, I have not found anyone describing such
unusual vent morphology. Can you help?? Thanks, Jeff
< Your Oscar probably has an internal protozoan infection. Do a 50% water
change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with a combination of
Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole or Clout. Add some salt to the water too. About
a cup per 20 gallons.-Chuck>
Nuts aprox. 6" Oscar 5/23/06
Over the last couple of days I have been watching my Oscar going nuts. It
is banging into the glass slamming itself into the cover what is he doing?
<Reacting to some negative stimulus>
He usually swims around all the time then all of a sudden he hides when you
come into the room, a couple of days to a couples of weeks go by and he starts
swimming all over again and now he is back to hiding when I come into the
room. He slams into the glass so hard you think he is going to break it. I
have had him for several months now. I bought 2 of them who were always
together. Then one day the other was hiding and not getting any bigger till I
figured out what was going on and I put a divider in the tank till I was able
to get another tank. Now he has passed the other in size an never been
happier.
This Oscar is not acting like this. This Oscar seems to be more docile than the
other. Could you please tell me why he is doing all this aggressive swimming
or is he just ticked at the world and this is normal.
Thank You,
Barbara Wells
<Likely some aspect of water quality is lacking... most commonly "nitrate
build-up"... Do execute a series of twenty some percent changes every few days,
consider adding "aquarium salt" as a cathartic... Just in case this is due to an
"electrical leak", make sure there is no stray voltage at play here... Best by
wiring all circuits through a GFI:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FWGFIUseArt.htm
Do these now! Bob Fenner>
Bully Pleco Or Sick Oscar - 05/22/2006
Hi guys, just looking on some answers for why my Oscar is letting the Pleco
bully him. The Oscar doesn't seem to know he is the alpha male and cowers around
the Pleco. The Pleco is far more aggressive than the Oscar. What can I do, my
Oscar has stopped eating now.?
Thanks for your help. Margo
<You Oscar may have an internal protozoan infection and your Pleco is now taking
advantage of the situation and dominating the Oscar. Do a 50% water change,
vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Metronidazole as per the
directions on the package. separate the Pleco to prevent him from harassing the
Oscar any more while he is recovering.-Chuck>
Strange Oscar Behaviour 5/11/06
Hello, I recently bought an Oscar fish. I have had it for about five days
now. It has acted fine ever since I brought it home, until tonight. I typed
in a search and found your email address. The fish "sits" at the lowest part
of the tank most of the time, but has these moments where it swims around
frantically. I have read that Oscars are excellent actors by tricking the
goldfish so it can eat them. Tonight, I notice it "sitting" at the bottom,
leaning toward one side and breathing out of the gill facing upward. Should I
be concerned or is it just another act? I would appreciate you getting
back to me with your answer as soon as possible. Thank you for your
help (ahead of time)!
Caroline
< Your Oscar may be coming down with an internal bacterial infection. Do a 50%
water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Metronidazole
as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>
Oscars Scratching - 05/10/2006
Hello - It has been awhile but I need help again. Right now, I have two,
three-year old + Oscars in a 90 gallon tank with a Pleco. The Oscars
look okay, but seem to be itching, doing a lot of scratching, sometimes
violent, on rocks and ornaments. Sometimes, they slam violently into
things. I need to treat them, but for what, with what?
<Mm, they may not need to be "treated" at all.... These actions may be
indicators that the water quality has gotten poor. Please be testing
your water quality - ammonia and nitrite must be ZERO, nitrate less than
20ppm. If it is not, you must do water changes to fix these. Secondly,
the scratching may be related to a toxin of some sort in the water, so
do some hefty water changes anyway. If your water quality is perfect
and water changes don't help, then you'll need to be watching for more
symptoms.>
Thanks, -Bill
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Re: Oscars Scratching - 05/10/2006
Thank you, Sabrina - as I was waiting, I did do a water change and I also
did a "Quick Cure" treatment
<As this and many other medications are toxic, please only medicate if you KNOW
there is a parasite, bacterial complaint, etc., that requires medication.>
and I haven't seen anybody trying to scratch their itch lately. I will do
another water change tonight.
<Probably the best thing to do.>
Bill
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>
Oscars with pimple on lip 5/2/06
Hello,
I wonder if you could help please.
I have a breeding pair of Oscars the male is 10inchs and the female 7, they have
developed this reddish white pimple on their lip first the female had it and now
the male. Could you please tell me what it is and how to treat.
<Mmm, maybe>
I do a 30% water change every fortnight my ammonia levels are 0 and the ph is
7.0 they also have like a slight cloudy film on them I was advised to up the
temp do a 30% water change and put in this stuff called Bactonex I did the
initial dose and I have just repeated it as directions said after five days. any
advise would be most grateful
Kind Regards,
Zeela
West Australia
<I would change a bit less water (like a quarter maximum), and do this weekly...
The symptoms you mention are likely environmental in cause/origin here... I
would not avail myself of chemical treatments per se. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Abused Oscar Help 4/29/06
I wrote earlier this month and thank you for the information it was very
helpful. I hope that I have not hurt the Oscar from trying to medicate and clean
the
rocks from the tank since he seems to be getting worse. At first I believed
that the Oscar had gill flukes and I still believe that there is some sort
of parasitic problem in the tank, The Oscar has gotten extremely lethargic
and all he does is dig holes in the back of the tank and then he stays on
the bottom of the tank for most of the time. He just sits there and twitches
then he flares his gills to the point that they look like they are inside
out, throws his head violently from side to side ant then swims along the
bottom rubbing his gills while they are flared. Is this normal behavior?
< He may be feeling better and beginning to defend his territory against all
comers. Even you.>
He also is now attacking me if I put my face up to the tank and he is
constantly attacking himself in the glass, He is far more aggressive than he
used to be. Now that he is out of the murky tank that he was in he seems to
be constantly flipping up on to his head and then he thrashes about the
gravel. This usually follows the twitch and gill flare. He also is
drastically changing colors he goes from totally black even his face and
belly, then he gets so pale that he is a light green and you can see all of
these lighter blotches intermingled with the black of his fins. They are
all over his entire body, this just continuously happens throughout the
day it does not stop, he is very dark most often. He also seems to have no
energy. He swims very slow and almost seems to want to go over on his side.
He is still eating crickets but not as many as before. Could it be the
shock of going from such a dirty tank to a clean one that is shocking him?
<Cleaner water probably has him feeling better but his energy reserves are
probably not up to par. Lower the water temp to the mid 70's. This will help him
build up some fat reserves.>
I now have all of the levels of the tank at o ppm and the pH is at 7.0 .
Fortunately this only took less than a month to do. It has only been at
this level for about a week. The twitching is getting worse by the day and
his gills are getting a strange texture along the bottom ridge. He is also
breathing like it is hard or very fast and he gulps air quite often. The
algae eater is not sucking on him anymore even though the Oscar is still
begging to be sucked. Please help I am afraid he does not have much time
left. The twitching is breaking my heart, to me it seems like he is in pain or
extreme agitation thank you Mike Raegan and OTCH
< Your Oscar is probably defending his turf against his own reflection in the
glass. He gets tired out and rests. Turn off the lights and give him a "time
out" until he settles down.-Chuck>
Oscar With Swim Bladder Problem 4/29/06
Hello! To start off, I hope this question isn't already addressed somewhere
on your
site. I've been searching around for a couple of hours, but I am afraid my
"google fu" is less than stellar. I have found some relevant and helpful
information, but I'm in such a panic that I felt compelled to email you.
I am the owner of a young Oscar by the name of Mr. Angry. He's currently at
right around four inches, housed as a sole occupant in a thirty gallon tank
(to be upgraded to a fifty-five within the next couple of weeks... that is,
if he's not very sick, and I hope he isn't). I ran tests on the water about
two days ago and found everything to be just around optimum, although I
don't have exact numbers on me any more. Maybe I should keep a notebook. He
receives a varied diet, mostly of Cichlid staple pellets, punctuated by
brine shrimp, bloodworms, and the occasional flake. He has had exactly three
live fish at the time that I write this: very, very small rosy reds. I was
encouraged to feed him the live food by a local fish dealer because we were
discussing the fact that he is very active and although he eats voraciously,
he will only eat food that is moving--so I have to stand over the tank and
drop the pellets in hard enough that they sink.
Hopefully that's enough background on Mr. Angry and his lifestyle, so on to
my problem: when I came home from work this morning, I switched on the light
to feed him, and he was sitting on the bottom of the tank and did not swim
up to greet me (and his food) like he normally does, although he did swim
out into the open and seemed very active. I was slightly worried, so I
dropped some food into the tank to see if he was just being asocial, and he
did something very pathetic: sitting on the gravel, he looked up at the
food, and, obviously struggling to gain some altitude, opened his mouth to
bite even though he wasn't anywhere near the floating pellet. I watched him
for around fifteen minutes, waiting for a change, and although he seems very
active and isn't showing any outward signs of illness, he obviously has
problems swimming upwards. This leads me to believe that he has some sort of
swim bladder problem. He is not bloated (I checked for that first), but I
fed him a couple of shelled peas just to be on the safe side (I had to reach
down into the tank and give them to him out of my fingers, but he ate them
very readily). Also, he is swimming on the horizontal like normal, not
angling any unusual way, and he is definitely not curving or turning over at
all. Every few minutes, after a long pause on the gravel, he manages to swim
up to the surface, although it is clearly a struggle and he immediately
swims/sinks back down to the gravel. After looking around your site, I
wasn't sure if it would be safest to medicate him for a parasite problem or
if I should go with some aquarium salt, or if there is some other solution I
am not seeing that could help Mr. Angry get through this.
This is a very lengthy email, for which I apologize. I know you are busy
people. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and also for your wonderful
site. I feel like a better and more responsible fish owner for having found
it a while back, and I take the time to read over articles when I have time,
and I know Mr. Angry has benefited from a healthier environment because of
it. Thanks! Nicole.
< You Oscar has an internal bacterial infection that has resulted in a deflated
swim bladder. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel, clean the filter and treat
with Metronidazole. Get the water temp up around 80 F.-Chuck>
Oscar With Swim Bladder Problem II 4/30/06
Wow. What an amazingly concise and prompt reply that was! You guys are
amazing, thanks!
< I have seen/had this problem before but unfortunately the cure does not always
work if the problem has progressed too far. Hopefully your fish will
recover.-Chuck>
Oscar illness 4/26/06
Dear Crew,
<Hi!>
I have just stumbled onto you website and I am searching for answers to a
problem with my Oscar. I have attached 2 photos which unfortunately
aren't of
great quality but hope they help to illustrate the problem.
<Enough to show that this animal may have a bit of Hole-In-The-Head, or Head and
Lateral Line Erosion, or Hexamita. Hard to tell, but it does look like it from
what I can see.>
He is one of 2 Oscars in an 80 gallon tank which they share with a Chinese
catfish and a Plecostomus. We have had the Oscars for about 2 years. Both
Oscars are about 12 inches although this Oscar is male and slightly smaller than
the female.
<This is a little bit of tight quarters for these very large fish.... I
wouldn't be surprised if your nitrates are astronomical and responsible for the
fish's erosion/pitting.... But again, a bit tough to see.>
She is fit and healthy and shows no sign of the problem. The male has a strange
white stringy growth hanging from his lower left jaw. Yesterday at the end of
the growth there was a small opaque tear shape bubble. Today it appears to have
burst.
<This could possibly be a bit of skin that got scraped or injured somehow, or
perhaps even some artifact of the erosion apparent on the fish.>
Both Oscars have had no health problems up till now although male does have a
cloudy eye which appears to be clearing up after a couple of water changes.
<Almost definitely a result of poor or at least not ideal water
quality.... Please do be testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate; keep
ammonia and nitrite at ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm, with water changes.>
Also of interest is that, although purchased as a mating pair and despite
regular spawnings, no live young have hatched. The male seems to be sterile.
<This is possible, but it's also a possibility that there is a water quality
issue that is preventing the eggs from hatching. A pH of 7.0-ish or less may
help here, in addition to pristine water quality.>
Do you have any idea what this strange growth could be and what can be done
about it?
<It's really too tough to tell from the image, but I'm still thinking it's
something from an injury. Also please look up "Lernaea" or "Anchorworm" or
"anchor worm" pictures on Google and see if that looks similar to what you've
seen on him.>
He has been a bit battered a bruised by the female over time and has a few
missing scales and a chunk out of the bony casing on the left side of his face
in front of the gill (if that makes sense)
<The operculum, yes. Are you positive these are all from injuries from the
female? Such things can and do happen (the missing bits of flesh) with poor
water quality - Oscars are particularly susceptible to HLLE.>
I don't know all the anatomical terms for fish parts!!
<That bony casing gill fronty part is the operculum. You got your point across
so I could understand what you meant - that's what matters!>
I would appreciate any information you could offer on cause and how to treat
this. Regards.
<I would first like you to check your water quality - that may be the only issue
here. Also, please do look up Lernaea/Anchorworm images. I also would not at
all be surprised if it really is just a little piece of dead flesh, either from
squabbling with the female or some other injury. Hopefully this will heal
easily and quickly with time and pristine water quality. Wishing you
well, -Sabrina> |
|
 |
Bringing Back Neglected Oscar - 04/24/2006
I rescued a neglected Red Oscar from a yard sale yesterday. Included with
this fish were its 20 gal. tank and all related items. The water was filthy,
the heater didn't work, and the filter was too small and missing parts. When I
got it all home I added fresh dechlorinated water, a new heater, and a better
filter (penguin 170). I also added 2 tbls. of aquarium salt, diluted. The
temperature is between 76-78 degrees F. I tested the water after adding new
water. Ammonia 1.0, nitrites 0, pH 6.8. I do not have nitrate test kit yet.
The Oscar spends most of its time in the corner, under the heater. It is lying
almost curled-up on its side, barely moving. Gill on right side not moving,
right pectoral fin clamped.. There is also a white cloudy spot on its right eye
and what looks like a hole on top of its head between the eyes. It is also not
eating. I realize this poor fish is incredibly stressed with its prior living
conditions and moving to a new home. What do you suggest I do to help it
survive and heal?
< Crank the water temp up to 82 F. Add Bio-Spira to get the biological
filtration going. This will reduce the ammonia and nitrite problem. In the
meantime do water changes to reduce the waste content and clean the filter
often. Offer live washed earthworms as food to get him to eat.-Chuck>
Older Oscar Not Defending Himself
Hello, my name is Liv. I have had a 215 gal. Oscar tank for about 2 years. I
have 2 lrg. filters w/ bio wheels, 1 300 canister filter, do 25% water changes
weekly and keep the temp. @ 80. I had 7 Oscars, 2 bala sharks, and 2 lrg. Plecos
but started having trouble with hole in the head. I tried medications and
vitamins in their food but it only seemed to make it worse. They are fed
pellets, blood worms, brine shrimp, krill, sliver sides, and algae wafers every
2-3 days. I now have sold all but 2 lrg. Oscars (15 inches), 1 med (9 inches.),
1 sm. (6 inches), 2 bala sharks, and 1 lrg. Pleco in the hopes that this would
improve their condition but now I seem to have a different problem. I biggest
fish in the tank (the red tiger) was always the dominant fish but now he being
attacked by all the other fish (in particular the 8inch white tiger). I thought
it may be a breeding thing so I moved a few things around and decreased the
temp. to 76. This has helped some but has not fully corrected the problem. I can
only turn the light on, on one side of the tank or they will start fighting
again, they act lethargic, and only eat about 1/4 of what they normally did. What
is going on? Any information would be helpful! Thanks Liv
< The larger fish may be ill and not up to defending himself against the younger
healthier smaller fish. Try treating with Metronidazole for the hole in the
head. It would be less expensive in a smaller hospital tank.-Chuck> Rescued Oscar and CAE - 04/15/06
Recently I rescued an Oscar that is about 10 inches long (Around 1 1/2 years
old. He is a orange albino.) from a 20 gal tank that had no filter or heater or
bubbler. I have no idea how long the fish was in this water but you could not
see the fish through the murk. The Chinese Algae Eater (CAE) has green growing
on his back. I have had the two for about three months in a 50 gal tank with a
double bio wheel and another filter two bubblers and a good heater. The Oscar
has started thrashing around the tank flaring his gills out and attacking
everything. He flips upside down and rubs his face and gills on everything. He
seems like he is fighting himself on the side of the tank, his head will start
to twitch then the gills flare then the attacking starts. It seemed like he was
trying to scratch himself. He has also turned very dark and sometimes he will
loose his color and you can see all of these blotches all over his fins and
head. I don't know if they are scars or sores. There are no lumps. I was sure
that he had gill flukes <Why?> so I started treating him with clout and then
parasite buddies parasite clear. This seemed to make it worse <I'll bet!> so I
then gave him a salt water dip <ouch!> and changed out all of the gravel in the
tank. <Why?> I know this has now killed the biological filtration <Not killed,
but set back. Don't forget those two Bio Wheels> so I have been checking the
levels and changing water daily. <Great!> I have also discontinued use of the
parasite meds. <Greater!> I just put the filters back in <Huh? You removed the
filters? The whole thing or just the carbon filled inserts?> and I am letting
the tank get back to normal. Also the Oscar has a strange relationship with the
CAE. He want it to suck him. He will lay on top on the CAE until it has no place
to go but to suck on the Oscar. Most of the time it just runs away from the
fish. I am so baffled as to what this could be. The pH has a tendency to get low
so I have been putting pH 7.0 in the tank and the ammonia has gotten normal and
the nitrite is almost back down but the nitrate is high. I know this is a lot of
info but they all seem to coincide with each other. Please help before he dies,
the only thing he will eat is crickets now and the twitching and thrashing is
worse, I ALSO CHECKED THE THERMOSTAT AND HE ACTS THE SAME SO I DON'T BELIEVE HE
IS BEING SHOCKED> Thank you so much Mike Raegan and OTCH
<First I want to personally thank you for rescuing the Oscar. (Please note I did
not mention the CAE) He has major skin problems from his time in the foul tank
that are now being made worse by your water conditions. You need to do as many
water changes as it takes to get ammonia and nitrite to ZERO, nitrates BELOW
20PPM. 50% at a time, twice a day, (a few hours apart) if needed. Once a day at
least. Test the pH of your tap. If within a very few tenths of 7 stop using the
buffer. More on this latter. The only thing you should use right now is
dechlorinator. That's a must. Do not use anything like Stress Coat. Continue to
test and do the water changes as needed until ammonia and nitrite stay at zero
without a water change. Nitrate should be the only thing spiking. Now set a
water change schedule to keep it under 20ppm. Oscars are very messy fish. I
assume he will need about two 50% water changes a week after the tank is cycled.
But right now you need to do them big time. Use a gravel vac to siphon out as
much organic matter as possible. You want his tank pristine clean while he heals
and adjusts to his new, and far better, home. About pH and the use of buffers.
The best pH for almost any fish is a steady pH. And as you have noticed, pH
tends to drop as the water ages. Now this poor fellow was in such poor
conditions for so long that his tank's pH was probably very low. Then you
quickly (I assume) brought his pH up to 7. I think this, along with the high
nitrates, are his main problems right now. After the tank recycles and you have
the nitrates under control you can use the buffer to keep a steady pH between
water changes. But right now you'll be doing them often enough that none will be
needed. If your taps pH is not close to 7, then add only enough to correct.
Interesting to note the Oscar using the CAE as a cleaner fish. As a CAE ages it
eats less algae and more fish skin. Not a good community fish at all. I suggest
you remove it as soon as possible. Right now the chewing feels better than the
itching to the Oscar, but not for long. Don>
Bigger scar on an Oscar 4/9/06
Hi. I sent in a question to one of you earlier about my Oscar, Jaguar.
He ( or she ) is a tiger Oscar. Recently, the other Oscar that used to live
with him died. They used to fight a lot and get a lot of scars. Now, jaguar
has a big scar left in the middle of his forehead, between his eyes. One of
you told me he would ne fine, as long as it did not turn red, or grow this
cotton stuff. But the scar seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Is this a
bad thing? If it is what can happen to Jaguar, and how can I help him?
--girl with Oscar
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Scarred, now tilting Oscar. 4/9/06
Hi. I'm the same person who sent you the question about th Oscar with
the scar that's getting bigger. Now, My Oscar seems to be settling to the
bottom of the tank, and another scar has just "appeared" on his forehead. He
also tilts a lot. What could be wrong with him?
<Either organically sick or "bummed"... see where you were referred to. Bob
Fenner>
Oscar has me worried sick... disease... likely bacterial from env.
3/31/06
Dear WWM Crew,
<Sheila>
I hope you can help me. I have a 6 year old Oscar. About five days ago he
stopped eating or at least was not eating more than a couple pellets. Then
two
days ago he stopped swimming and floated to the top of the tank and is
laying on his side. His stomach looks puffed out.
<... very bad>
I found your site and immediately did a 50% water change, thoroughly
vacuumed the gravel, changed the filter,
added one tablespoon of rock salt per 5 gallons of water and treated him
with
Metronidazole He still is not eating. His stomach appears to be almost
normal. But he is still helplessly floating. It is hard to watch. I
didn't want
to bother you with an email, since I am sure you are very busy and to be
quite
honest with you your site is so informative, but I am worried. Is there
anything else I should do?
<Mmm, yes... I would add Epsom Salt here as well... and likely soak the
foods that this fish is taking with an antimicrobial... I'd start trying
these with Nitrofuranace...>
When I changed the filter I did not put carbon in the filter--since I
thought I read somewhere that the carbon diminished the
medicinal value. Should I be using carbon in the filter?
<Not at this point, but I would be checking your water quality for
nitrogenous compounds>
How long before I see any improvement in his condition? Is there a chance
that he will not get better?
<Yes, always>
Thank you,
Shei |
