I've got a very large tank with a large oscar, a jack dempsey, an irridescent shark (I know, a bad idea, but I didn't know), and a wolf fish. I recently put some snails in to take care of the algae problem, and my jack dempsey attacked and killed both of them. Since that time the oscar seems to be really sick. I just came back from a night out with friends and he was laying at the top of the tank barely looking alive. I touched him with the net assuming he was dead and he freaked out, coming immediately back to life (I guess I pulled him away from the white light). He was laying on his side on the bottom of the tank last night, but when I checked the chemical balance of the tank the PH and the ammonia levels were right on. I treated the tank anyways.
The oscar seems to have faded substantially in color. He was dark black with bright flourescent orange stripes. Now, he is black but with almost barely orange almost white stripes. Also, much more of his body seems lighter in color now.
It seems odd that something has been affecting him, like a disease or something, because normally the irridescent shark is the first sign of any problem with the tank (Oscars are so hardy and the irridescents are so sensitive.)
I know that the wolf fish has been snapping at him trying to establish his territory (he's had a few missing scales, one looks pretty bad now that I look at it closer), and I'm going to start treating the water with melafix. Oddly, the Wolf Fish leaves all of the smaller fish alone, he only goes after the oscar that is literally three/four times his size.
Does anyone have any theories about what I can do to care for him? I'd hate to see something happen to him, he's a way cooler pet then the cat is, so any help is appreciated. I'm sorry this is so long.
Mike
The oscar seems to have faded substantially in color. He was dark black with bright flourescent orange stripes. Now, he is black but with almost barely orange almost white stripes. Also, much more of his body seems lighter in color now.
It seems odd that something has been affecting him, like a disease or something, because normally the irridescent shark is the first sign of any problem with the tank (Oscars are so hardy and the irridescents are so sensitive.)
I know that the wolf fish has been snapping at him trying to establish his territory (he's had a few missing scales, one looks pretty bad now that I look at it closer), and I'm going to start treating the water with melafix. Oddly, the Wolf Fish leaves all of the smaller fish alone, he only goes after the oscar that is literally three/four times his size.
Does anyone have any theories about what I can do to care for him? I'd hate to see something happen to him, he's a way cooler pet then the cat is, so any help is appreciated. I'm sorry this is so long.
Mike
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