sick oscar

i have a 29 gallon tank with a tiger oscar and pleco in it. my tiger oscar has been having issues almost nonstop since i got him.

he came home helathy but within a few days he developed a white spot that was flat i treated him for ick and bacteria/fungus. the spot went away, but so did most of his color.

i did and continue to do weekly 25% water changes and gravel vacuuming, the water is balanced, he eats well and is active. two days ago i noticed a pinhole in his dorsal fin.

any ideas?

[kimmie_n_angus]

Well....Having had 4 Oscars (2 currently) I understand the Oscar issues. We had 2 albinos that died of fright from all the other fish in the tank. They were healthy in the store and went right down hill once home.

Our tiger's lose color depending on what is going on in the tank (We have a 90 gal with Green Terrors, Jack Dempsy's, Angels, and ID sharks - crazy combo...LOL!!). Water changes, hostility, territory issues, all cause our Oscars to go very light in color. Do you have rocks or plants in your tank....he could have snagged himself on those. I am a preventitive person with our tanks. If he is eating and swimming fine most likely nothing is wrong with him. He might have gone light because he has no mate and so no one to color up for. Most fish color up when they have a same species tank mate to establish dominance or to spawn. I would use Melafix in the tank for 3 days at the recommended dose. It will promote fin growth and if there is anything bacterial, fungal, or parasitic it will kill it too. Then do a good water change on day 4 and see if there is some change.

How big is he? I know Oscars grow VERY fast and they should be in a minimum of a 55 gal for optimum growth and health when you have one or two of them. Ours are 5 inches (getting close to 6) and I could not fit one in a 29 gal tank. He may need more room. I would look around for a cheap used 55 gallon and see if extra room is what he is needing. The small tank may be slowing his growth which with Oscars is not healthy. They will out grow the tank no matter how small it is unlike other fish that grow to tank capacity.

Kimmie

[chellybeans]

Thanks! i was just thinking that maybe he needs a bigger tank. the little guy is about 4" and just an awesome fish. he will even eat from your hand(found that out on accident!) i will try the melafix this week first. then start tank shopping.

thanks for the help :)

[h026532792]

i have an albino oscar about 9 to 10 inches long and have had him for several years but for the last few days has gone off his food and today is on the bottom of the tank doubled up like a  "u " shape he is not eating and when i move him he just sinks to the botom and goes on his side doubled up ........ ive just got some king british revitaliser tonic to try , whats wrong with him. he was a bit like this a few months ago and salt tonic seem to help but its much worse now. ???????

[h026532792]

he died last night, still laying on the bottom curled up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[[e-mail]]

[[e-mail]]

i ithink i fed my oscar too many fish and now he is swimming on the bottom of the tank what can i give him to make hm better he have several wholes on top of hiis head

[Lynnefromoz]

Hi Skip, I had the same problem, and it turned out that my fish had... what they called hole in the head which is a virus, I used Melafix, but sadly virus, can not be fixed

[Misspelled70]

I have two oscars. They are rather small still. They have been doing great until about a week ago now one is looking bad. His tail is fraying and looking all around very shabby . the other one is still looking healthy and happy,. they are in a 100gal tank with three other fish. any ieads?  

[German Oscars]

HELP!  My Oscar is on the bottom of the tank.  He is somewhat lathartgic.  I notice he's breathing heavier (Gills are moving out farther and more frequent then the other 3 Oscars)  His His belly fins are tucked and not being used AT ALL.  He leans sideway, then returns upright.  His side fins are shaking like a human who is freezing (Not the typical Shaking they do to each other)  Almost like he has a cold.  Any Ideas on what's wrong with him?  I'm stationed in Germany and they are my only pets.  The other three look fine and active.  

My e-mail is ***@****  if you can help me out.  Thanks!  Tom

[savemyoscars]

we have a 150 gal tank with 6 oscars (4 are about 5 inches and the other 2 are about 11 or 12), a green terror, 2 silver tip sharks, an arauana, an asian knife,  and plecos. we occasionally feed them goldfish as a treat.  2 days ago i fed them the goldfish and now all of the oscars are acting weird....they look like they are dying on the bottom of the tank and then they perk back up.....now they look like they are dying again! the other fish are fine......WHAT IS HAPPENING!

[weatherly]

I went to the pet store and they told me to buy the feeder fish to feed to my oscars, so I did. I later went to a specialty fish store and they educated me on what not to feed your oscars and feeder fish are the WORST thing to give to your oscars. I was told that feeder fish carry different diseases (which may explain why they are so cheap). I now have a oscar that is very sick and unfortunately it does not look like he is going to make it through. I hope this helps just remember that most employees at your local pet store are not always educated as well as smaller specialty stores. I wish I would have gone there first.

[marissposa]

Amen to that Weatherly.  I'm sorry that you got some bad advice  :(
I'm sending your Oscar good strong healing energy!

[michelle102476]

I have an Oscar (he's 7 years old believe it or not) and he suddenly developed whit spots on his body and he is limp and sideways in the bottom of the tank. He only comes up for air every now and then. His breathing seems to be minimal and short. Can anyone help me out on this one? Is this Melafix a solution? Where do I get it. In all of the years, we've never had any problems (except for him killing our beautiful 5 year-old- algea eater...) and we want to keep him as long as possible. Any information will help... thanks so much.
Michelle

[marissposa]

sounds like ich.  Oscar's get it a lot.  I can be fatal, but is treatable.  talk to the good people at your local aquarium store.  not a corporate petco/petsmart type of plavce coz they don't usually know what they are talking about.  Go somewhere that specializes in fish.  good luck

[loverofall]

I have a ten gallon tank with a large gold fish. 5 smaller orange fish one male mollie, 2 snails and my reggie.  Thats his name.  I got him a few weeks ago and he seamed like a scardy kat always hiding inside o hollowed out tree trunk tank ornament.  Last week he started venturing out and was acting just fine then last night i noticed as he was on the side of the tank every so often he would spasm or like tens up for a second.  I changed out the water and he seemed okay yesterday but tonight it seems much worse.  Please help me.  How can I save my plecos

[loverofall]

I think my plecos may have a couple of spots on him that are a bit lighter than the rest of him.  Please help me save my plecos

[marissposa]

Are the spots fuzzy if so  treat for ich

[marissposa]

Also, you must seperate the sick fish from the healthy fish to avoid contaminating the whole tank.  They call this setting up a hospital tank

[bigbuckmike]

i have a tiger oscar an he is 10 to 11 years old he has what looks like a tumur on his left side an has little to no balance an can only lay on that side feel reel bad but dont know what to do just wonderin if they have something for it or should i put it out of misory

[aussievl]

i have a tiger oscar it is about 6 to 8 years old in the last few weeks it has started to get a fat gut now it is huge a its eyes are poking out and it swims with its mouth open constantly someone please help

[extreme4x4chick]

My Oscar just died. I dont know what happened... I noticed he was breathing heavily and the about five minutes later... he started shaking and then he died.. does anyone know what might have happened?

[revcaswell]

I have a 75 gallon tank with an albino oscar, tiger oscar and a tiger pleco. I have already lost an albino pleco and now my tiger oscar is losing color, losing scales, and non-active. I've done water changes but I'm afraid to put any anti-bacterial stuff in the tank because I've heard that sometimes it makes it worse. How do I save my tiger oscar?

[jjookeerr]

i have 2 oscars albino with black fins and a really brite colored tiger in a 55 gal. about 3 an 1/2 inches and the other about 4. and i just got a bunch of guppies and feeder fish from a friend with a clean tank and the feeders from on of the best fish stores ive ever been to. well i was feeding a few of the baby gupies to the oscars once in a while and all the sudden, the tiger got a hole in its dorsal fin and i started treating to repair it, well the other day i noticed it started geting a whitish spot on its tail also so i really freakd. they both have been acting funny like breathing hard kinda like yawning and scratching its side on the sand i have for gravel in the bottom.        this is my first time and ive had alot of help raising them but all i hear is theres no cure for hole in the head and they will die, other than the symptoms ive talked about they eat fine play with me and are fine.   i just need help please help me save my fish i dont want em to die i love them and they seem to love me

[steph2539]

Fish that usually itch against the bottom of the tank and have white spots have a disease thats called White Spot Disease/Ich.   Really easy to treat although some of the meds turn the tank colors.   The disease will also cause the fish to breathe hard. Treat the tank soon or your fish and the other fish in the tank will get the disease and die from it.

[tbrenn]

Please, i have two oscars in a 55 gallon tank, and we have had them for a year now. One is pregnant, and she has been laying on her side for a week now, breathing heavier, she won't eat, she barely moves, and i am really worried about her. SO PLEASE, help me save my oscar. She is important to my family.


my email: ***@****

[KatyLadyx]

We have recently purchased a red oscar and an 'albino' tiger oscar to add in with our polypterus and Jack dempsey. They are all about 4 inches long and we have them in a 55 gallon tank. Thanks to petsmart we got ich; which is being treated. the tank is kept at 84 degrees with no charcoal filter - until it's gone. We recently noticed the albino's fins turning black...I have read that this can be a bacterial infection. Fin rot. But it doesn't seem like rot. He is not acting strange - it really just looks like his color to me. any suggestions?

[Anke340]

I two oscars one of them look like his scales are coming off what do i do

[sovsky28]

I just got my oscar fish about a week ago and got the best stuff i could for him in a 20 gal tank that he has to himself and but hes tinny about an inch or so... and whenever i get home to feed him i always find him on the bottom of the tank laying on an angle but breathing and moving every now and then.. he was healthy when i got him and i have been searching the web for hours to find the problem but idk yet.. i think it might be a bacterial problem or sumtin idk... help!!!

[McLaPatruya]

My Tiger Oscar Just Stays There At The Bottom Of The Fish Tank So I Want To Know If Thats Part Of The Adaptation To He's Embiroment But He Wont Eat Eather What Can I Do??

[Brettyboy]

I've read alot of posts where an elderly oscar has gone "belly up" and lays on their side on the bottom of the tank inactive. Can anyone suggest something to assist mine? Is ending his misery my best option? We went away for the week and when we came home I found that he'd gone bizerk and smashed the heater, I'm guessing a day or two after we left cause the water was at 9 - 10 degres. I've done a tank change and replaced the heater but to no avail. What's happened to him? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

[oscarsrule]

i got an oscar a month ago almost immediately he started 2 loose his color is it diet or stress or worse?  i treated 4 ick wich seemed 2 clear up but color just keeps fadin? on another note i grow my own guppies still gonna cause helth issues

[Siju2310]

I brought a albino oscar bfore a week and its 2 inchs long. It eats less, not very active and looks Sick. What could be the reason ?? Wat if i add some salt to its water, will this help??


Pls Help

[CornerOscar]

Hello everyone,

I am experiencing the same problem with my oscar,  He has a huge white spot from just above his eyes all the way back to the middle of his body.  I have no rocks in my tank.  He first started to lay on his side at the bottom of the tank.  I checked the water temp by hand and it was cold!  I found my heater malfunctioning and not staying on.  The light will come on momentarily and then goes off.  I have been using Melafix, but the fish's condition only got worse.  I have a corner style tank with an oscar and algae-eater.  I think it is a 29 gallon.  I am convinced that the heater is the problem and will write back to verify.
Remember, you can do a simple water temp test to determine if your heater is working properly.  Your heater must be turned on high for at least an hour before sticking your hand in to test the temp.  Hope this helps!

[confused508]

i got my oscar a week ago and he was fine at the store and in the bag when i got him in the water after running the filters and treating the water in the such he immidiately layed on the bottom on his side like he was scared i first thought its just cuz hes new.... well we are here a week later he eats next to nothing so i put a few feeders in there he doesnt do more than chase them and heres where it starts his eyes are all foggd up he doesnt chase them and he barely seems to breathed iv also noticed that one of his fins is messed up and not healing... whats wrong with him or what do i do?

[LaLa666]

My Tiger Oscar has ich, or so I think...He has the classic white spots and I've been battling it in my tank for three weeks now thanks to bad advice from the pet store lady. Now he's getting these almost scar like things all over his scales and they seem to be getting bigger. I would like help on what to do to get rid of the ich once and for all. I have done: 1:the turn up temp and put salt in treatment for about 4 days then did 25% water change. 2: used the blue stuff from the store and turned the temp up then did a 50% water change. and my last attempt 3: I completely took everything out, boiled and scrubbed it and put it back in and treated the water again with the blue stuff. What the heck do I do to get rid of this? I'm tired and stressed out this has been going on for three weeks! I already lost my pleco when I used the salt, he couldn't handle it. Please help me.

[Lycie]

Hi
Your Oscar sounds like its solaking they do that when up rooted or moved mine did it for 1 weeks when i first got them, i have had them for 6 yrs now and everytime i clean the tank they do it :)

[asdf329]

My oscar just sits on the botom of the tank and lays there on his side he never moves but he is still breathing but barrely. At the fishstore he was swimming around and if u put your finger on the glass he would follow it but now he just sits there. At first I thought he slept all day and was awake at night but i looked at night and he was still sleeping. when i first put him in the tank he swam around and I gave him some feeder fish and ever since then he just sits at the bottom. Please help. Thank you.

[jerry65555]

i have a 3 inch oscar ive had him for a week or 2 and he has a redish pink thing growing on him! its underneath him between bottom back fin and bottom fins .. does anyone have a clue what this is?

[jerry65555]

i have a 3 inch oscar ive had him for a week or 2 and he has a redish pink thing growing on him! its underneath him between bottom back fin and bottom fins .. does anyone have a clue what this is?

[snappy45]

I read that goldfish are harmful to Oscars too fatty gives them enlarged livers and could potentially kill them by pushing on the other organs. guppies and crickets are much better for them apparently.

[snappy45]

I read that goldfish are harmful to Oscars too fatty gives them enlarged livers and could potentially kill them by pushing on the other organs. guppies and crickets are much better for them apparently.

[qman672003]

Do not feed live food other than an occational treat, causes hole in head disease and unless you bring the feeders home and cultivate them for at least 2 weeks to a month they have no nutritional value cause pet shops do not waste money feeding feeders so they are pretty much starved when you get them I recommend Hikari Gold Cichlid Gold, comes in variable sizes depending on the size of your fish an is a complete diet live food is not neccesary unless you want to see the mutilate thier prey..

[nano510]

Please help everybody I have a tiger Oscar and it's skin is coming off it needs help pls it keeps turning around and round it keeps turning upside down pls help we can already see it's meat pls help
Sincerely worried Oscar owner pls

[Drew0012]

Is it just me or are these fish overly emo. I just got my 1st Tiger Oscar my ph and temp is good  and hes sulking at the bottom now,not eating and floating sideways. I can promt him to swim with a little nudge but he just looks sad. This is day 2. Anyone?

[Drew0012]

OK after 3 days  hes finally eating and swimming around.. Geez  what a big baby! Seems that oscars are tuff but emotional and even reaching in to the tank to move a plant can send them into a spiraling down depression and sometimes suicide  lol

[LindseyJ13]

My Oscar has the SAME problem except he has a large cut on this head that hasnt healed. what did people tell you to do? my email is tokiohotelgrl1994 @ yahoo.com (i put spaces in it hoping it would show up)

[FriendOfish]

You are extremely overstocked. Your tank is not big enough for one goldfish let alone all those fish. A single Oscar requires a 55 or Larger.  55 is still pushing it. Plus Goldfish and tropical fish have different requirements. Please buy larger tanks and seperate the fish or rehome them and get you a couple of guppies for that 10 gal. You are killing your fish slowly and miserabley.

[ty129]

i get a oscar fish turning black n lookks sic

[lollypoper]

my Oscar is like 4 inches and will grow to about 14 inches what size tank do I need

[flystrip]

Minimum 55 gallons for 1 Oscar only and no other fish, and very good filtration, adult Oscars are messy eaters and produce alot of waste that puts a heavy load on your aquarium.They grow at a rate of around 1 inch per month if fed correctly, maintenance is done WEEKLY.
With a 55g you have the VERY minimum for one Oscar - general rule to work with is 1 Oscar = 75 Gallons, 2 Oscars = 150 gallons and then 50 gallons for each extra one. Thats not for total stocking but just when keeping them together or with similarly sized and tempered cichlids.

[flystrip]

Minimum 55 gallons for 1 Oscar only and no other fish, and very good filtration, adult Oscars are messy eaters and produce alot of waste that puts a heavy load on your aquarium.They grow at a rate of around 1 inch per month if fed correctly, maintenance is done WEEKLY.
With a 55g you have the VERY minimum for one Oscar - general rule to work with is 1 Oscar = 75 Gallons, 2 Oscars = 150 gallons and then 50 gallons for each extra one. Thats not for total stocking but just when keeping them together or with similarly sized and tempered cichlids.