Look! my oscars skin is coming off! HELP!

What disease do you think it is?

  • HITH

    Votes: 5 16.7%

  • fungus

    Votes: 5 16.7%

  • Childonella

    Votes: 1 3.3%

  • Ich

    Votes: 6 20.0%

  • Bacterial infection

    Votes: 9 30.0%

  • other

    Votes: 4 13.3%
  • Total voters
    30
B

bnail

AC Members
May 4, 2005
13
0
0
I went to the petshop and bought my first oscar. I notice he had a few white spots (i know what you're thinking, but i have never bought a fish before...) After bringing him home and staring at him in awe.... I realized that the 'spots' were sores. they appear to be bald spots where his scales have peeled off. He also has a small hole on his head. They don't look so sore (pink and fleshy) but its white under those scales...however I wouldn't know as this is my first fish. He seems to be much happier than his first few days home and will eat beefheart along with his live food. What happened to him? Is he going to die? Please help, I don't want to fail my poor little fishy... :sad:
I know the picture doesn't look like much, but the skin around it is begining to lift...

UPDATE: I ADDED A POLL TO HELP ME TREAT HIM.
The scale flaking has spread a little down to his anal fin and holes are appearing in his fins. Need polls quick!
If you have chosen Other, please ellaborate. Thank you everyone!

oscar2.jpg myfish 006.jpg
 
Last edited:
Is your tank cycled? What are your water paramaters? Is the Oscar the only fish in that tank? How big is your tank?
It isn't good to feed only live food,you should also supplement With some kind of staple food,mine loves Hikari cichlid gold.
 
No, my tank is not cycled. unfortunately I didn't learn of that until after I had already brought him home. Right now he is in a 28 gallon tank (he is 2" long) Reading these forums I have learned that it is to small and I have made arrangements to give him to my brother-in-law who has a 150 gallon tank. I was very sad to learn this as my hubby and I kinda liked him. :sad: Although before I give him away, I would like to know how to treat him so I know he will be ok. He has started to eat freeze dried blood worms today. I also have food sticks and beefheart. I bought him this way and I am not sure what he was tanked with at the pet shop. I didn't see any other oscars with him. Right now I have three neons (started at 11, 1 of the tetras isn't very nice to them) and three silver-tipped tetras
 
Last edited:
perameters? is that much nitrite, ph, amonia levels? I'll go check and post it.... thank you for your help!
 
From what you've said it sounds like your Oscar has hole-in-the-head disease. It's a disease that's caused by poor water quality. The LFS you bought him from probably didn't take very good care of their tanks.

You may be able to help him by keeping him isolated and treating the tank with metronidazole. It may be worth while to do a search for hole in the head disease and see what medication works best. If left too long, even medication won't stop it from being fatal.

Good to see the little guy is with some people who are looking out for him :)
 
thank you, NowherMan6 that is very helpful. I will keep posting his progress up until our departure.
cyberbeer65, his "perameters are 4°dGH, ammonia 0 (or close to it), pH 7.0
....and wooh.....Nitrite 2.0ppm!!! oops...can that be fixed?
 
Since your tank isn't cycled,you should be doing 25% to 50% water changes daily.The water changes will keep your ammonia,nitrite,nitrate in check until your tank is cycled,also vacuum your substrate once a week.

P.S. You also should be testing your water daily until the tank is cycled,then you can test weekly.
 
bnail said:
Nitrite 2.0ppm!!! oops...can that be fixed?
Click to expand...

A very short term fix to nitrite in your water is the addition of some table salt (NaCl). Do a water change, and then add a tsp of salt with the freshwater. The chloride ions run intereference with the nitrite in order to minimize the harmful effects of methemoglobinemia in your fish due to nitrite exposure. It only takes a very small quantity to be effective, and a tsp is plenty to deal with those nitrite levels in that tank while not altering the water too much.

Do frequent water changes, but try not to increase the levels of table salt in your tank by more than a tsp. If you change half of the water, add half of a tsp of salt back in, so on and so forth while you wait for nitrite levels to subside. Do the best you can to keep them under 1ppm while you cycle, though.
 
thank you raskolnikov. table salt? are you sure its ok?
It wont burn my baby?

58 people have read this so far and only 2 people have replied?! :thud:
(is it because your all afraid to tell me he might die....)
it's ok...as long as i get good advice....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom