Help. My oscar scratched himself, and looked like he was healing, but then the damage spread, got fuzzy, saw some spots, thought it was ick. So i raised the temp to 87, added salt, and have been changing about 20% of the water every other day. He looked much better fie a few days. Now he looks awful and I don't know what to do. His appetite is off, though he still eats some. Any advice would be appreciated.
Sick oscar what is it?
- Thread starter Froglily
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Turn the heat down. Lose the salt. Keep nitrates below 20ppm. It looks like hole in the head.
Thanks much.
I'll do that, and read up more about that. It didn't look like that until just yesterday, so mi didn't study it much. If there's no treatment I'd rather not leave him to suffer, but if there's anything I can do I will.
I'll do that, and read up more about that. It didn't look like that until just yesterday, so mi didn't study it much. If there's no treatment I'd rather not leave him to suffer, but if there's anything I can do I will.
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
What size tank is he in? What is your wc routine? It can be healed by maintaining clean water and feeding quality foods.
He's in a 40-gal (I’d rehome him to a bigger tank if I could). Normally I spot clean daily with a turkey baster during the week and change out 20% of the water weekly, but I've gone to changing 20% every other day (& spot cleaning). Between the Oscar and the pleco, I realize I have too much biomass.
I feed algae tabs daily and occasional fresh vegetables to the pleco, and feed mostly Hikari sinking cichlid pellets to the Oscar. The ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are zero; the pH runs to base and the water's hard (don't remember specifics).
I feed algae tabs daily and occasional fresh vegetables to the pleco, and feed mostly Hikari sinking cichlid pellets to the Oscar. The ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are zero; the pH runs to base and the water's hard (don't remember specifics).
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well theres the problem (obnoxious mechanic voice)
Seriously though. You're not doing them any favors in those conditions. You need to commit to a 50% wc every other day at the very least,.more is better. Otherwise it would best finding someone that can properly care for the fish.
Seriously though. You're not doing them any favors in those conditions. You need to commit to a 50% wc every other day at the very least,.more is better. Otherwise it would best finding someone that can properly care for the fish.
Anyone want a giant Oscar who is currently recovering from some kind of affliction?
I didn't think so.
I think my LFS would take him, once he is healed. It's impractical to change out 20 gallons of water every other day, even if I were physically capable of doing it (which I'm not). I knew better; my good sense was overcome by the idea of no longer dealing with schooling fish who picked on each other.
I didn't think so.
I think my LFS would take him, once he is healed. It's impractical to change out 20 gallons of water every other day, even if I were physically capable of doing it (which I'm not). I knew better; my good sense was overcome by the idea of no longer dealing with schooling fish who picked on each other.
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yah. Those big Sa/Ca cichlids need the clean water. You could try acara In that size tank, they too will want, atleast, a 50% wwc. Someone may want the oscar. Put an add up
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hmmm. It looks like its spread out some but the severity of the wound seems less. Have you checked the nitrates?
jayyvonmonroe40
Aquarium Advice Newbie
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- Sep 6, 2020
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I would take the water level to half empty and put new water in and then check the nitrates about in half hour see if they gone down i have one about that size
Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nice oscar??? did you catch it in florida?
jayyvonmonroe40
Aquarium Advice Newbie
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The one in the front is a butterfly peacock bass, the one behind it is my Goliath Oscar
jayyvonmonroe40
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2020
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No I got the Goliath Oscar at my local pet store
Changed half, Nitrates still hi
I did change half the water and I will commit to daily changes rather than every other day, as first advised. If he heals I can rehome him, but the wound did spread a LOT before it started to get some color. I've always tested 0 for ammonia, didn't know to test for nitates (I do have a nitrite test kit and that's always 0).
So right now I have only these test strips, which I bought on a lark, along with some Bug Bites (which he grabs but spits out, much like my jungle carpet python does with rats instead of mice).
Here's a shot of the strip, post water change. Not zero, but not awful? The thing is, I see a new very white spot on the right side of his wound.
Thanks for the time and advice.
I did change half the water and I will commit to daily changes rather than every other day, as first advised. If he heals I can rehome him, but the wound did spread a LOT before it started to get some color. I've always tested 0 for ammonia, didn't know to test for nitates (I do have a nitrite test kit and that's always 0).
So right now I have only these test strips, which I bought on a lark, along with some Bug Bites (which he grabs but spits out, much like my jungle carpet python does with rats instead of mice).
Here's a shot of the strip, post water change. Not zero, but not awful? The thing is, I see a new very white spot on the right side of his wound.
Thanks for the time and advice.
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
You're going to want to change enough water to get the color closest to white, those strips can be iffy. If you can do a 50% wc every other day for a couple weeks than get 2 in a week you'll be doing him a big service.
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