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My 8" tiger oscar recently started behaving erratically and injuring itself on objects in the tank. It also has one eye clouded for about 2 months which I have tried treating with no success. It doesn't seem to want food at the moment although I have not tried live food. Checked all water parameters and everything appears fine. I have apprx 200L tank and no other oscars in the same tank. The personality has changed dramatically, wondering if anyone has any ideas?

Originally posted by Marko
My 8" tiger oscar recently started behaving erratically and injuring itself on objects in the tank. It also has one eye clouded for about 2 months which I have tried treating with no success. It doesn't seem to want food at the moment although I have not tried live food. Checked all water parameters and everything appears fine. I have apprx 200L tank and no other oscars in the same tank. The personality has changed dramatically, wondering if anyone has any ideas?

Generally when Oscars are under stress, they sulk -- they lay down on the gravel, act despondently, etc. Other than your comment about the cloudy eye, I don't think there's a problem with disease. The type of behaviour you are describing can be territorial or even "anger" (if Oscars can be angry:) ) and may be the result of a change either in the aquarium itself or in the room the aquarium is in. Did you get a new dog? New stereo, or was there a major re-arrangement of furniture in the room? Some type of change, not necessarily having to do with water conditions, is my vote. --Mark:cool:

Two thoughts

1 - might be stress like Mark pointed out

2 - common and always overlooked - check and make sure the heater isn't bad (make sure to check while it's on)

my o's got p'd off when i moved the decore in the tank. apperently they liked where it was and some how they moved it back to where it was. so it could b e very well one of the things mark is talking about

Thanks for the suggestions guys, the behaviour seems a little better now but its obvious its still in a bad mood. I havent recently got any new furniture or re-arranged anything in the tank (it has always moved the decor around to where it wants it). He has started eating again but most of the food appears to come back out through his gills, which hasn't happened before. Is it possible the oscar is sulky or angry because its lonely or wants to mate. I have 3 smaller oscars (about 5") in a seperate part of the tank but im sure this one would give them hell.

Do you mean that they are all in one tank, just seperated by something. If so that might be why your O is in a foul mood. Your Oscar needs 50 gals himself. And if he can see the other three... They're basically in his territory. I'm hoping I mis-understood you. If I didn't you might want to move the other three before your big guy does some damage to himself.