sick oscar

[chellybeans]

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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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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: ***@****