hi there, im new to cichlids and i bought 2 4.5" oscars 2 weeks ago. When i first got them both of them were aggresive eaters and i thought they were doing fine.. until a few days ago. One of the guys stopped eating and it just LIES there in the tank on it's side. It's colour hasn't changed at all ( black with orangey swirly thingies ) but its got a white mucouslike stringy thing hanging out of it's anus...
help..??

maybe some kind of parasite, add aquaruim salt 1 tbs/5 gallons, and raise the temperature to 82-84 degrees, u can buy aquarium salt at ur local pet store. i hope that helps.

GOOD LUCK

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Brian

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i bought the aquarium salt.. is it okay to put it in with the other oscar in the tank or should i move him into another one?
thanks for the reply by the way..

yea its ok to put it in with the other oscar

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Brian

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read this, what ever your oscar has might be the same thing, but hopefully u caught it earlier http://www.worldcichlids.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=2;action=display;num=1024192264

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Brian

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i put the salt in and it didnt really make a difference ( i know its been less than 24 hours since) so i decided to check the water parameters and found that the nitrate level was 0.5.. thats too high according the label.. i changed about 70% of the water and im going to buy some more plants tomorrow.. is there anything else i can do? i think this might have had something to do with the oscar seeming sick..

ok dont do a big water change like that again cause now the tank will probably cycle again, nitrates arent as dangerous as ammonia and nitrites but plants will help with the nitrates.

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Brian

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okay.. im sorry but i'm starting to panic. i woke up this morning and the other oscar was lying alongside the originally 'sick' one and it too has a white slimy thing hanging out of its poo-hole. i have 4 tiger barbs in the tank with them and they're completly normal looking.. theres aquarium salt in the tank.. and a friend of time suggested i put vitamins in thier food but since they dont eat can i just put it in the water?
please help i love these guys

i dont kno about vitamins. did u read this: http://www.worldcichlids.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=2;action=display;num=1024192264

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Brian

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yes actually i did read that.. and i think my fish have the same symptoms.. i have a list:
1. cloudy eyes
2. white tufts around the mouth and fins
3. about 5-7 white 1mm dots on the face
4. complete lack of apetite, hardly move. stay at the bottom of the tank.
i got some metronidazole and will put that into the tank.. theres still salt in it so i hope thats okay.. thanks a lot

hi again,
Brian i just want to say thanks and that uv been a great help. Unfortunatly both fish were dead this morning. i took them out and will go about emptying thier tank and all.

sorry to here that

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Brian

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OH NO dont listen to him hes trying to trick you. Salt with fish kills them.The salt lands on their skin and eats into them like a flesh eating virus and kills them. Cichfreak reall is a sick freak he told me to put salt in my tank and my oscar just started to fall apart.
I had 2 oscars like that after and the same thing happened. I just added more fish and they were right. (not small fish)
Im sorry i couldn't tell you before he tricked you.

Originally posted by joelthefishmaster:
OH NO dont listen to him hes trying to trick you. Salt with fish kills them.The salt lands on their skin and eats into them like a flesh eating virus and kills them. Cichfreak reall is a sick freak he told me to put salt in my tank and my oscar just started to fall apart.
I had 2 oscars like that after and the same thing happened. I just added more fish and they were right. (not small fish)
Im sorry i couldn't tell you before he tricked you.

Go make trouble somewhere else, this is an old thread. and yes a little bit of salt is good for freshwater fish, and for killing parasites.


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Brian

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Joel, Im not too pleased with your posting history (all 7 of them). You have insulted a few people. This is a freindly forum. You have one more chance to be nice or face being banned.

I have used salt (non iodised) in my tanks for years. Please get your facts right..

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TONY
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