Sick or Injured Oscar...need help!

[Riviera]

Hi all! :)

So, I've read over some of the posts on here and figure I have A LOT to learn about keeping an Oscar successfully! That being said, understand that I am open to any advice that any of you can give me...and I will ask for instructions on things such as nitrate testing & the such. I am new to this so please don't be too hard on me :)

My problem is that my Oscar "Skippy" seems to have had some kind of an altercation with a tank decoration...a bell with some kind of bumpy barnacle looking stuff on it...and has lesions on his/her head. Skippy is at the bottom of the tank (a 44 gal hexagon...yes, I've read that it's not a good size...darn) in the back corner and is just staying there. He/she (I'll have to post pics for help to determine the sex) will move around if I tap lightly on the glass with the back of my finger nails but generally is in one corner or the other at the bottom of the tank. I've tried dosing the tank with Melafix (1tsp for every 10 gal) for 4 days....but it didn't seem to help and then I added some Stress Coat (it calls for 2tsp for every 10 gal to "help repair damaged skin & fins"). He is not eating (2 or 3 days...maybe 4) and seems to be getting pale. I shut the light off during the day and have been leaving it off most of the time as I was either told or read somewhere that the dark is best when they are "sick".

I got Skippy at a pet store back in May...or June and he was only a couple of inches at the time. He is now probably 6 inches or so and had been very outgoing and social...especially when he knew I was going to feed him!

My filtration system is a Fluval 405...I'm going to cringe here...and I only clean the system itself whenever the water starts to look less than crystal clear...which is not very often. His only tank mate is a Pleco and it's only about 3 inches long.

I'm quite attached to Skippy and would like to do what I can to save him/help him/heal him/grow him up. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!

I apologize now for my apparent lack of care, a friend of mine had an Oscar who lived to be 4 and was HUGE...he died of constipation - according to the Vet. She had the same set up but with a larger tank and my care methods are just based on that. I have no other friends who have fish or any knowledge on special care for different breeds (in my own defence!). This is also my second Oscar. My first Oscar lived about a year and he was pretty big...maybe 12 inches long? He managed to break or dislocate his jaw by ramming into the glass (I assume) and died from, what I was told (same vet), more than likely blood poisoning. :(

Thank you all in advance for any advice! :)

[Tifftastic]

Are you sure that it is from the decoration and not hole in the head or HLLE? What have you been feeding him? What has been your water change schedule? What are your parameters of Ammonia, Nirtite and Nitrate.

You said you know that the tank is too small, I would start craigslist hunting for a 75 gal. If it is a common pleco he will outgrow a 75 gal, though.

Also, it is my understand that it is not possible to sex Oscars except during spawning. I may be wrong.

[Riviera]

Thanks Tifftastic. The problem seemed to arrive over night. He was fine one day and the next he had what looks like cuts & scratches on his head. I am just assuming it's from the bell. I feed him TetraChichlid jumbo carnivore sticks (broken into 3) and Nutrafin Blood Worms (I was told it would make him grow). I have no idea on parameters or even how to test...advice? Water change schedule...as I mentioned...I clean my filter system when the water looks like it isn't crystal clear & allow the system to keep the water clean...which it does. Far as the pleco...I don't care about him to be honest, he's there and that's fine. It's my Oscar I'm worried about. But for what it's worth he's only grown MAYBE an inch since I got him about 6 months ago (at Walmart). Thanks!

[Tifftastic]

Ok well if it showed up over night, then in my experience its not hole in the head. Also, you seem to have been feeding him well.

To treat injuries water changes are your best friend. First off I am assuming you removed the decor which he injured himself on. You really need to be doing at least weekly water changes with carnivorous fish. Since you haven't been doing water changes you are going to need to start small and work your way up. With the size of tank you have him in I would recommend bi-weekly water changes. On my predatory fish tank I do a weekly 30% water change (I only have one fish in the tank). Plecos produce a lot of waste and so do Oscars so water changes are really important. Having a filter does help, but it would be like if you were closed in a room since may (a room that had nothing in it and you ate slept and went to the bathroom on the floor) and someone gave you a fan.
I would start with doing 5 to 10% water changes everyother day and check your parameters (I will get to that in a minute). Once they start lowering I would increase the volume gradually until your Nitrates are down around 20ppm (some people say 40ppm is ok between changes). Water changes will help give him the natural nutrients he needs to heal. There are a lot of trace minerals that you are adding by doing a change as well as taking out bad stuff. Once your nitrates are stable at an acceptable range I would just stick with bi-weekly changes of around 25%.

Now, to test your water. The most reliable way is with a liquid test kit. The API master kit is a good and easy to find kit. PetSmart and PetCo sell it for sure. I am not sure about WalMart. You can also order one online. The kit will have instructions that are very easy to follow. Its as simple as adding a few drops of this or that to a test tube of water. You want to check the parameters regularly. pH is not as important as long as it is stable. You will probly find you have a low pH and high Nitrates.

[Riviera]

Thank you so much for your time & helpful advice Tifftastic, I really appreciate it :) I've learned a lot since I've started with my attempt at having an Oscar but after reading through this site, realize I have A LOT more to learn! Thanks again for being helpful and non-critical of my lack of knowledge. Should I continue to treat with Stresscoat & Melafix or something else or just focus solely on getting parameters stable?

[Tifftastic]

You will definitely want to keep the stresscoat as it removes chlorine and since you are adding water it will need to be dechlorinated (unless you are on a well), but it is still a good practice. Melafix will help it is great for healing wounds. But ts effectiveness will be reduced with water changes since you will be removing it.

You will be surprised how well water changes alone will work too. I would do a small one tonight. At least five percent. Remember to add stress coat before you add the water to the tank and make sure the temp is the same as the tank.

Good luck. Post updates on his condition and water parameters when you get them.

[Riviera]

I'll get right on it, thank you so much! And I do have well water and live in the country, so no chlorine. Nitrate levels were tested on the water itself a while ago but I doubt those tests will tell me the conditions for him. They were ok for human consumption at the time...though it will be tested again soon as agriculture is the main industry here (mainly potatoes). I will keep you posted! I'll post a picture of him/her WHEN he's feeling better! :)

[Tifftastic]

Not a problem. I hope it works out well.

[Riviera]

Skippy seems to be coming around slowly, he ate a couple of bites off the bottom tonight and then came to the top for some blood worms. He appears to be more active too! I'm not completely relieved yet but am happy to see an improvement!

[Tifftastic]

Good to hear :D

Water changes can make an amazing improvement.

I am glad he is coming around. Just keep doing those changes and I am sure he will be better in no time.

[excuzzzeme]

A steady diet of bloodworms can lead to bloat. Hikari makes some very healthy cichlid pellets and I heartily recommend them. A properly housed and fed Oscar will live for approximately 15 years. They need vey clean and well-filtered water. For that reason you need to do weekly water changes of 30% at a minimum. As Tiffany pointed out, you need to get a 75 gallon tank for two reasons: 1) To provide ample swimming room, and 2) they are a very messy fish and need the extra water to help maintain cleanliness.

If you cannot provide Skippy with a 75 gallon tank you need to consider re-homing him to someone that can. Living in an agricultural area makes your water susceptible to contamination from fertilizers and insecticides. You should have your water tested for your own sake as well as that of the fish.

[Tifftastic]

Any update? How is Skippy after a couple days of water changes.

[ksane]

Water changes water changes. The best medicine in the world. You should be doing a minimum of 75% water changes a week for him. As you know a 44 g Hex tank is not a good tank size or shape for an Oscar. He needs at least a 75 g in order to get the 12"-16" that he should be at an adult size. Plus the 75% weekly water changes.
My Oscars bonk their heads on a regular basis and get scrapes. Don't do anything but lots of water changes (from here on out) and it'll heal right up.

[Riviera]

Just another update for you. I wasn't able to find the Master Test Kit but from the two choices I came across (Ammonia & Ph Test kits) I bought the Ammonia test kit as it said that Nitrates & Nitrites turn into Ammonia. I tested my water and it's 0. So I guess that is a good thing! :) I will check for the Master kit the next time I'm near the Pet Store. Skippy seems to be back to his normal, social...jumping out of the water at me...self! :) I'm going to make time to do some reading up on how to keep him healthy & the such and will get into the routine of water changing as suggested. Thanks again so much for the help & advice! :) I do have one more question....there are these very small, thread like worms in the tank...which are GROSS! How do I get rid of them? I'm also open to suggestions on good books to have a look at that will guide me in the right direction for Skippy. Thanks!

I posted this reply without seeing the other ones. So just want to let you all know that I appreciate your advice & input! He's not on a steady diet of blood worms but instead gets them as a treat every second day or so and not that many. His main diet is the Cichlid Sticks by Tetra, both the Jumbo Carnivore Sticks & the regular cichlid sticks. Is there a point where I should introduce other things to him? Suggestions? So with the water changes, how long should I take to work my way up to a 75% water change? I'm doing very minimal right now, every couple of days...only about 10% because I thought a big change was a bad thing....?? Thanks everyone :)

[mel_20_20]

I was just looking and saw this thread... I was heading to bed but just had to post a comment to help.

Ammonia appears first in the tank and is a by product of the fish pooing and peeing, and also the decaying of uneaten food or other debris. After a while a beneficial bacteria that loves ammonia begins to flourish in your tank and starts to break it down, this is when you start to see ammoina levels at 0.

Nitrites appear in the tank once ammonia is being broken down.

After a while, a beneficial bacteria that loves nitrites will be in your tank in sufficient quantities to break down nitrites which will cause the levels of nitrites to go to 0.

The process of breaking down nitrites then produces nitrates which are not as dangerous as the other two toxic by-products, but still must be monitored and removed either by water changes or by having plants that use nitrates as fertilizer, basically.

While the process is going on it is very important to do big water changes as frequently as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrites at 0 or as close to that as possible, and then when nitrates are there you need to keep them at or below 20.

Water changes do not stop the cycling process. In fact they are vital to protect your fish. You need to do big water changes, as much as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrites at undetectable levels.

It will help Skippy if you do daily water changes, with temperature matched water that has been conditioned to remove chlorine and chloramines. Prime is excellent and helps with detoxifying ammonia and nitrites for about 24 hours, giving you time to do the needed water changes to keep your ammonia and nitrites at 0.

10% every other day is not nearly enough. I would do at least 50% once a week since the tank is not really large enough, and maybe even twice a week until you can get him a bigger tank.

As soon as possible you need to get the API Master kit so you can test ammonnia, nitrites, and nitrates, ph.

I hope this helps. Really, Skippy needs a bigger tank and sparkling clean water. The water changes are the one thing you can do for him right now that will work wonders in helping him get well.... and in keeping him from getting sick again. If you can't get a bigger tank or rehome him then you really have to keep his water pristine by doing frequent, big water changes.

Monitoring the water parameters with the liquid test kit and then doing the needed water changes will help him tremendously.

Best wishes for Skippy's speedy recovery. Keep posting here on AC, the folks here truly want to help, and you can learn so much by looking through the forums and reading other threads. I've learned so much and have been helped so much by others here on AC. Keep up the good work for your buddy.

[mel_20_20]

Oh.. the thread-like worms are planaria. They are harmless and your fish will eat them, but they are usually a result of overfeeding. Be careful not to overfeed. Also, when you feed Skippy make sure that you vacuum out any uneaten food which will decay. The planaria will go away if you do these things, and this will help keep his water quality good, too.

[ksane]

Yes, my guess is the worms are planaria also. They feed on all the gunk, poo & uneaten food down in the gravel. So be sure to syphon the gravel when you do water changes (which do need to be a LOT more than 10% a day). Oscars love love love fresh water. It's a myth that anything over 25% is 'bad'. I read that time and again but it's just plain not true.
I've got well water in an agricultural (sp?) area, too. But my well water tests at 0 ppm. I've read that before about agriculture causing nitrates in water but I've never know anyone who's had that problem. I'd also get busy scouring CraigsList.org for at least a 75 g tank.

[pinkertd]

Just wanted to point out here that Tiff's advice early on dealt with the fact that Riviera hasn't been doing any water changes on this tank and so as not to shock the fish with any large water change, Riviera is working up slowly by starting with 10% water changes every other day.

It's been 6 days now since you started doing small water changes every other day. I would increase the water changes to 25% every other day for the next week and then start a routine of at least one 50% water change weekly, preferably a 75% water change. Use a gravel vac to clean through your gravel at the same time you do your water change. Aqueon and Python make siphon/gravel vacs that make water changing and gravel vacing a snap! Just be sure to temperature match from the faucet the water going in to the tank with what's in the tank.

Continued good luck with Skippy!

[mel_20_20]

Wow, Deb... :lipssealedsmilie: sorry I missed that in the early post. :headshake2: Yes for sure you don't want to get extreme with water changes when you may be dealing with "old tank symdrome"; gradual is better.

Good that you caught that and set us straight.:)

[mel_20_20]

Hey Riviera... how's Skippy? I hope he's feeling better. Give us an update. Let us know if we can be of any help. :) You're doing a great job for your little friend!

[Tifftastic]

I am glad to hear that he is out and about now and doing much better. I would agree that you should start increasing the volume of water you are changing.

As for food you can give him chopped earthworms as another supplement as well as other types of frozen food. Frozen krill is a good one, but feed this sparingly and keep pellets as your staple food. Hikari makes a great cichlid specific sticks and pellets that are good for growth, color and overall health. I give my bichir the Hikari carnivore as it is high in protein and low in fat and has a good amount of fiber. All the fish foods list the nutrition content on the back and you want one for Skippy that has a good amount of protein and low fat. Also check out the ingredients on some of the foods. Tetra is not as low quality as Wardleys and Top Fin, but it certainly is not the best either. If you check the ingredients you will notice there are a lot of "fillers" mainly something that ends in the word "meal." Look for foods that don't list a lot of these, also look for ones that add vitamins. Giving a varied diet is a great way to keep him healthy. As I said earthworms are a great snack I give them to my bichir once a week or so as a fun live food. But do it too much and they get spoiled. Just remember to stay away from feeder fish from the stores as these are virtually nutrition free and can harbor disease and some theories say can lead to hole in the head.

For a really good source of info that you don't have to buy try MonsterFishKeepers.com. This is the sister site for big fish owners. Check out the Central and South American Cichlids section and you will find a lot of threads pertaining to Oscars. There is a great sticky in the Freshwater Illness section on hole in the head which is something every oscar owner should know how to identify and how to prevent, check that out for some good care advice and go from there.

[Riviera]

Hi Everyone!

My apologies for not posting more frequently but working full time as a single Mom fills the better part of my days...when night time comes, I generally fall asleep while laying down with my little one. I'm happy to report that Skippy is still doing great, he's quite the fish! I will get the API Master as soon as I can get to the pet store...which is just over 2 hours away. I will start to increase my water change amounts as suggested & get out the siphon & do the gravel. I'm also looking into getting a larger tank for him. I wonder, however, if there is a certain size that he will need to be moved by...my other Oscar seemed to do fantastic in this tank for the time that he was with me (just about a year)... Anyway, thank you to all who've replied and have been checking in on him. I'll try to get a pic of him up here sometime soon! I will take your advice and read over the forums & I'll also check out the links that have been posted. "chopped" earthworms? Gross! I'm having a flashback to grade 6 science class! LOL Oh well, if he'd consider it a treat, I shall go do some digging! :) What about things like lettuce (my other Oscar "Fish" kind of gave me a "what do you want me to do with THAT" look!), cabbage, peas...and I've been told raw hamburger? (that doesn't sound like a wise choice to me...). I have read enough to have ruled out feeder fish though and also the reason why I don't have any tank mates for him besides the Pleco...the last guy ate my Iridescent Sharks! Thanks again to all of you, I appreciate you taking the time to pass on your knowledge :)

[Tifftastic]

I always hold the worm with a pair of tongs and just use scissors to cut them up. . . it sounds gross but it really isnt that bad. If he is big enough or the worm is small enough you could probly just do a whole worm. I would stay away from hamburger. I have read that fish do not really digest mammal fat very well, although beef heart is sold as a frozen food and will help him grow.
I would say that you should just upgrade his tank as soon as is possible for you. Oscars grow quick and I have had people tell me that theirs reached 12 inches in one year.
Glad to hear that he is doing great. After working in a pet store for a while its nice to see people actually care for their oscars. Keep up the good work.

[excuzzzeme]

I am glad to hear of the improvements in your maintenance and as a direct result, you are seeing benefit in your Oscar. Since you have a pleco as well as an Oscar, you need to make a deliberate effort to get a 75 gallon tank at the minimum.

When you get a 75, it would be better to run 2 filters instead of one. I personally run 2 Emperor 400's on a 90 gallon tank that houses a Pleco, Oscar, and a pink convict. The 15 gallon difference between a 75 and a 90 is not all that critical. More is always better if it is effectively filtered.

Water testing and proper maintenance is a critical part of Oscar care. Unlike some fish, Oscars need effective care more. With having 3 of them, I am doing water changes frequently on their tanks. I do my WC on a schedule so that nothing gets missed. I do changes on Wed. and Sat. Sometimes I may slip in a 3rd WC if it looks as if it is needed.

I always treat the fish to something different to eat on occasion but stay with the Hikari Gold as the main food. One of my O's at 2.5 years of age is about 15". My younger ones I give them a bit of flake food (large flakes) as a treat a couple of times a week. Right now they don't care what I feed, they just want something, anything! They just about come out of the tank at feeding time.

They crack me up!

Keep up the good work!!!