Moved Oscar

[Angelamarie]

Hello! We recently moved our Oscar to a new house and we moved his tank from a 5 Gallon to a 10. The Oscar is about 6 inches and the Plex is about the same size. We moved them in large bags. However we might have made a big mistake because we moved him into a new tank with a new filter and no rocks because he was choking on the ones in his old tank. We let the water cycle for 24 hours and used a water conditioner before we moved him. All water levels are correct(ph ammonia nitrate and nitrite) The Plex is doing well however the Oscar is just hanging out on the bottom corner of the tank hardly moving and looks like he isn't breathing well. Is there anything we can do to help him or is he just upset from the move?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Im sure he is upset from the move... And the fact that he was in a tank that was only a little bit longer then him doesnt make life very good for him...

How are the parameters? Do you hve a test kit?? Oscars will pollute your tank very very quickly, im sure nitrates are quite high

 

[aoessand]

well for one the tank is about 10x too small for it, second its not cycled you really should look to get a bigger tank how long have you had it? oscars need at least 80 gallons most would say more... in order to keep water "healthy" in a 10 gallon with an oscar you need to do multiple water changes a day... you really should research your fish purchase before buying, you basically have him in a closet, how would you like living in a closet?

 

[Angelamarie]

All the levels are normal. When we started with the Oscar we got him at a local walmart and had no idea he would get as big as he has. We were able to move him to a bigger tank finally and hes got plenty of room to grow and be happy in the new tank. We had no idea what characters oscars were and we have completely fallen for his charm! so we just want him to be okay! I know people say they need 55 gallon tanks but like i said we had the 5 gallon and didnt know how big he would get he was in there for about a year and a half. This was the first chance we had to move him and we are in a rent house so moving a 55 gallon in 8 months is probably not ideal :/

 

[aoessand]

by normal what do you mean? how do you test your water? if its with strips those r said to be very inaccurate everyone around here most use API master kit. also 1 year in a 5 gallon!??!1 wow well bad news he is most likly stunted and will have a much lower quality of life and shorter life than if he had the proper 80+ gallon tank to begin with.oscars really need a big tank because they are poop machines and very messy eaters not just because of their size... and dont take this as me attacking you, i did the same crap stores just dont educate you before you buy they just want your money, best thing you can do is get the biggest tank you can, and keep the water parameters perfect: Ammonia 0 Nirite 0 Nitrate 0-40 and a solid PH whatever your tap reads.

 

[Angelamarie]

We have the api test kit. Ph read 7.2 ammonia read 0 nitrite 0 nitrate is 40

 

[aoessand]

well thats good best you can do to keep them at those readings maybe less nitrates and get biggest tank you can all you can do, i would test daily im sure u will need to do lots of water changes to keep water clean.

 

[5x5]

All the levels are normal. When we started with the Oscar we got him at a local walmart and had no idea he would get as big as he has. We were able to move him to a bigger tank finally and hes got plenty of room to grow and be happy in the new tank. We had no idea what characters oscars were and we have completely fallen for his charm! so we just want him to be okay! I know people say they need 55 gallon tanks but like i said we had the 5 gallon and didnt know how big he would get he was in there for about a year and a half. This was the first chance we had to move him and we are in a rent house so moving a 55 gallon in 8 months is probably not ideal :/

You're going to have an uphill battle keeping the nitrates as reasonable level. As others have already pointed out, you need a bigger tank long term for the Oscar. Ideally a 75 Gallon as it has more depth than the 55 Gallon. Many people get Oscars without understanding their long term requirements, but to be honest, this is probably one of the most extreme cases I've seen. A 5 or 10 Gallon tank probably shouldn't house an Oscar for more than a few months when they are juvies.

I don't know how much longer you plan on keeping the Oscar, but you'll have to make a choice very soon about upgrading to a much larger tank or trading him in at a local fish store. You don't want him to start developing Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) and become all pitted.

Regarding the behavior you are describing. That sounds about normal after a stressful move. My oscar showed the same behavior and it lasts for weeks. They are very emotional fish.