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I have noticed that my 2 oscars are occasionally shaking their bodies, fluttering their tails, and scraping themselves on the bottom of the tank and on the rocks in their tank. I have also noticed little white blister-like things on the black oscar (can't tell on the albino). I have only had them for 3 months and this is the first time I have noticed this behavior.

Sounds like Ick and I have been treating them for Ick, but I wanted to see if anyone thinks it might be something other than Ick to make sure I am not treating them for the wrong problem.

I am going to do a 50% water change tonight. Maybe it is a water quality issue. Thanks all!

it sounds like you have ick. often, ick is brought on by stresses to the fish which can be from poor water quality. how often and how much of the water do you change? how big is the tank they are in, and what kind of filtration do you have?

Well, keep with the medication and yea do many water changes etc....

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

I have been keeping up on the water changes and Ick treatments, but they are still fluttering and scraping. I also noticed a kind of mucus-like, cloudy film on the tiger oscar. It's all over his body and starting to creep up his fins. I can't see if the albino has the same thing - its just too hard to tell. I am getting concerned that the Ick treatment is not helping them.

Help! What else can I do? Thanks everyone!

[This message has been edited by Zeus (edited 12-01-2000).]

Help! I came home this evening and noticed that Oscar is now loosing his scales. It does not look like bites either. He still has that icky white film on him and now he is missing quite a few scales. Please help me! I don't know how to help him.

Well the membrane you are talking about on the fish itself I am not sure is ick. I Had ick in my tank and all but my texas and oscar got it. My oscar developed a membrane but it was around its gills. I don't think that was ick but rather something else that comes from stress and poor water conditions. Poor water conditions cause I couldn't filter the water due to the ick medecine.The membrane spread to badly for me to catch it. I think for that membrane you need to use Maracyn (freshwater) and/or Maracyn-2 that should help. If the membrane is spread to gills then I believe the disease has spread to far to save oscar. I took mine out and tried to save it, but the membrane spread to far. Good thing I had him in seperate tank as there was that milky/membrane stuff floating. I would think it would have attacked my other fish. The ick was cured and all other fish are doing just fine now. Fish will build up a defense against ick once they have it. That doesn't mean they can't get it again just harder to be infected by such. I used GreenX for ick (white spot). The ick will stay on your fish for 3-4 days. Falls off and forms a membrane on your substrate floor, plants, rocks etc. The membrane will explode in 2 days and the new parasites will have 48 hours to find a new host. If it does not it will die. Ick will also die in temperatures above 86 degrees. The meds for ick can not kill the parasite while it is on your fish, and while it is in its membrane coating. Therefore treat your tank for 6 days, a full cycle. The ick meds will die your silicone, drift wood anything poris a green/blue color. Good luck....

I'd say move fish to small tank where you only need small amount of medicine to make the necessary dosage....treat well with anti-biotics etc.....do water changes often and treat several times.....like any anti-biotic you have to be consistent and not allow bacteria to build up an immunity, that's why the doctor tells you to take your antibiotic every so and so hours and not to forget. If you've been using one medicine till now(anti-ick) forget it and get a different one....just something to kill bacteria parasites etc...and remember to still do waterchanges, especially since in small quarantine tank ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels will go up faster.....

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

I'm new to Oscars, but mine was loosing scales on head and had some brusing as well as a big loss of appetite. After going to pet store I fould out it was a parasite "Hole N Head". I treated tank yesterday. Already an improvment. I never saw the small little pin holes in my Oscars head until someone said check. They are hard to see but on my Oscar they were there all in areas where scales were missing.
Good Luck, Kev

Wanted to give everyone an update. I think that the frequent water changes are starting to help. They are still doing a little fluttering and scraping, but it is a lot less than they were doing last week. The film on Oscar also looks like it is starting to go away. They also look healthier. Guess I am going to have to do water changes every day until I can get that larger tank. That's okay. They're worth it. They are starting to act more like themselves again and that makes it all worth the effort.

Kev, yep, if you see the "holes" and they're in the head it's probably hole in the head
glad to hear it's getting better

Zeus, there's nothing better than frequent water changes don't forget to chlorine treat when doing Big water changes...

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

Al and Ocsar have been really up and down the past couple of weeks. I was doing water changes every day. One day they would look like they were improving, the next they looked like they were ready to die.

Monday night I took a really close look at Oscar and it looked like he was developing HITH. So, yesterday I went to the LFS and bought Hex-a-ment (don't know for sure if that's right or not), some aquarium salt, and something to bring down the nitrites and help get rid of excess waste. I treated them last night and after a couple of hours they were starting to look better. Oscar even greated me like he always used to.

I really hope this will work. I also ordered an Emporer 400 filter for their tank. I looked at them at the LFS but they wanted $75. I actually ordered 2 online (I am going to get them a bigger tank really soon) for just a couple of dollars more.

Maybe someone can help me with one question. I know when to add the Hex-a-ment, but I am not sure how often to add aquarium salt. I was told at the LFS not to do water changes while they are on the meds or I would dilute the meds. On the box of salt, it says how to add it the first time but now how often after that.

Thanks everyone!

only readd the aquarium salt when you do water changes, as the salt doesn't ever evaporate from the tank or dissipate any other way. only put back into the tank the amount you took out (i.e. if you changed 20 gallons and had originally added 1 tbsp. for every 5 gallons, put back in 4 tbsp.)

Thanks Stoli! I knew that someone out there would know. They should really print that on the box.

I have a 130 gallon tank and I use about a tbsp for every 20 gallons at water changings and I sprinkle it on my sponge when I clean the tank and then use a scrapper for the excess. I have noticed that my fish are just healthier if I use the salt and an all purpose condition once a week when I clean my tank. I also treat once a month with an all purpose med to ensure my fishes health. I have also noticed that keeping my tank at a warmer temp makes ick and pararsite go heal faster...

Yea, good observations. Salt, higher temps etc do help. Main thing is having good ol' clean water all the time

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com