Recurring 'fungus' on Tiger Oscar

[TerenceBoyle]

I am curious if anyone has any ideas about a problem I've been having with a Tiger Oscar.

A couple days after I added him to the tank he got a couple white 'patches' not small spots.. not ick - on one side. Looked like maybe it was just a basic wound. I treated teh whole tank (just in case) with Antibiotics for a week (every other day) and it cleared up (on day 2 or 3).

A week later, it came back this time I am pretty certain it's some kind of fin rot because it also appeared on is top fin (he aslo got sluggish for a day)... again antibiotics cleared it up very quickly.

Ok... it's back again as spots on his side... he's now out of the tank in a 20G on his own. None of the other fish in the big tank have symptoms but I'm treating the tank one more time, just in case.

The water conditions are fine and I do regular maintainance... he also hasn't been acting stressed in anyway - he's had a voracious appitite and is growing leaps and bounds, but I need to get him healthy for good. Ideas?

Thanks

[Lupin]

What antibiotics did you use? You cannot treat the whole tank unless the disease is contagious. You will simply stress your other fish to death from continuous medication. What foods are you feeding them? What are your water parameters?

[TerenceBoyle]

What antibiotics did you use? You cannot treat the whole tank unless the disease is contagious. You will simply stress your other fish to death from continuous medication. What foods are you feeding them? What are your water parameters?

I used Maracyn+ on them. My water parameters are 0 / 0 / <20 (I change about 30 or 40 percent of the water every other week). I feed them a combination of medium and fine pellets, frozen blood worms, and feeder fish... the oscar is probaby getting more of the frozen and live food than he should (he's a monster) but he's getting pellets as well.

I hadn't considered the possibility that it wasn't contangious... seems like everything is - no?

Anyway he's in a 20G alone now (still active and eating) and I am thinking about tryhing Tetracycline(sp?) on him for 5 days.

Advice welcome.

[wataugachicken]

i wouldn't be surprised if using feeders is constantly reintroducing disease into the tank,

[Lupin]

Fungus is not really contagious unless your fish suffered wounds or damaged mucous membrane allowing the spores to set in. There is Jungle Fungus Eliminator (nitrofurazone and salt) which should be your better bet but treat two days after doing water changes. He needs rest from all those treatments done previously before he becomes severely stressed. Keep the feeder fish away and consider breeding some livebearers instead just as a precautionary measure.

[TerenceBoyle]

Fungus is not really contagious unless your fish suffered wounds or damaged mucous membrane allowing the spores to set in. There is Jungle Fungus Eliminator (nitrofurazone and salt) which should be your better bet but treat two days after doing water changes. He needs rest from all those treatments done previously before he becomes severely stressed. Keep the feeder fish away and consider breeding some livebearers instead just as a precautionary measure.

Thanks, I'll take your advice and give him a rest and then use the Jungle product. The 20G he is in now will eventually become a feeder breeding tank (probably guppies) just as you suggest... right now my 10G that would normally be the hospital has Angel fish fry (from the 'non-aggressive' tank) - so I'm kind of out of room for a couple weeks or until he is better.

I appreciate the help!