CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

About two weeks ago I purchased (2) 1.5 inch Tiger Oscars and (1) Pleco the save size. The night before last one of my small children got up during the night and crawled up to the tank and turned the heater up to 86, pulled the filter cartridges 1/2 way out causing all the waste material to flow back into the tank.  The tank was very cloudy, almost completely white. 
By the next morning (yesterday), the tank was very cloudy, almost completely white.  It had old, undissolved pellets floating around everywhere with this gel-like stuff all over it.  White cotton like strings were hanging off the bottom of one of the O's.  One O and the Pleco had died.  The other poor fella, Rocky, was a true fighter and looked like he had white sores starting on his side.
I immediately tested the water and the pH was so low, it was off the charts!  Rocky was was lying on his side on the bottom of the tank.  I knew the low pH was burning him up and I had to get him out of there soon!
I set up a 1 gal size fish bowl for him, temporarily, until I could get the tank under control.  It was tap water, treated with stress coat, and the same temp as the tank (78). 
When I put He seemed to be happy at first, but then when I put in a small air stone to give him oxygen he went nuts, darted around, shaked like he was having a seizure and then suddenly fell over onto his side a floated to the bottom of the tank.  I thought he was dead for sure.  About ten minutes later, I came back to give Rocky a proper burial and when I put the net in the water, he shot up straight and started swimming around again.
I went to PetSmart with my sob story and was given "Proper pH 8.2" says it is perfect for salt water, brackish, & African Cichlid Aquariums.  It automatically sets pH at 8.2 and increases carbonate hardness. I did a 25% water change, put in a new filter cartridge, and added the stuff and Rocky because the bowl was gettin too cold.  Soon the water turn brown, murky and cloudy.  Later when I tested the water, it had and 8.2 pH, but the water softness was at zero and the alkalinity was high.  Everything else was OK.  (I have the recommended amount of salt in the tank also).
This morning the water didn't look much different.  But Rocky was still alive!  So I called PetSmart to find out what I should do about the water softness and murkiness.  The clerk told me O's like soft water and the murky water should clean up in a couple days. I now believe I was given the wrong product because the clerk also told me Oscars are American Cichlid's and are very different from the African's and need a lower pH.  How can I safely lower the pH to the right level?  
Today Rocky swam around some, rested on his side some, but wouldn't eat.  His color still looks poor and I believe he has HITH and Ich or some other disease because although the white sores on him look better, they're still there.  I bought some "Quick Cure" for "Fast Relief for Ick & Other Parasites".  When I read the directions, it said to remove the carbon from the filter before treated and replace 24 hrs later.  However, I'm afraid to remove the carbon because I want the tank to clear up.  What should I do?  Please help!
I already had a ten gallon tank with an Aqua-Tech 5/15 filter and a heater.  I've always been told that 1 inch of fish, minus the tail, for every gallon of water.  So I thought I would be OK for a short time.  I plan to get a 100+ tank later, once I can effectively maintain the 10.   The (2) O's and (1) Pleco was all I had in there, and now I just have Rocky.  He has a lot of heart - please help me save him.  Is there anything else I can do?

I take it this is all  going on in a 10 gal tank?? WAS this tank cycled pryor to the fish being placed in?? IF not, then I would start over again with FRESH water and ONLY have the one small oscar..  Clean the tank totally out and just refill with fresh water and DON'T USE THE 8.2.. YES this is for african fish only.. Oscars like it 6.4 to 7.4 pH and soft water.. BUT they do ajust to the water that YOU have out of the tap AS LONG as it is not to much of a difference.. I had my Oscars and other American cichlids in a 8.2 and hard water and they did fine.. WHAT is it out of the tap?? YOU might not need a buffer of any kind here..

NOW on the Oscar.. PLACE him back into the bowl with 3/4 tank water and the rest  dechorinated TAP water to delute down the affects of the tank water with the 8.2.. CLEAN the 10 gal out VERY good and start OVER.. TELL the kids that the fish are OFF LIMITS and they wil DIE if they touch the tank again.. (Its worth a try anyway)  When you get the tank done, and the FILTER CLEANED AND RESTARTED, AND the temp back to a good 78F.. add in to the bowl that the Oscar is in, 1/2 cup of the tank water in his bowl EVERY 15 min.. Take out some water from the bowl if you have too. But do this 3x.. This wil get him used to the tank water again with out any buffers and acclimate hiim good..  Best to start over as I dont' see you getting this tank anywhere until you do.. YOU could probley just empty the tank and add back in clean fresh tap DECHLORINATED water and that might help you here.. Clean the filter BOX out really good as this was your main problem to begain with.. A dirty filter is a bad deal with a Oscar.. This wil kill them fast.. As for the sores, dont' do anything right now..

WAIT 24 hours and see how he does.. GET some MELAFIX and only Melafix for him and treat him as directed for 7 days.. This wil take care of any bacterial problems.. YES you have to remove ALL CARBON from the filter.. as you are starting OVER, this should not be a problem..  IF the filter media pad is sealed, then cut a slit at the top with sizzers and shake out the carbon ON a NEW PAD..  and use this pad only when you med the tank..  ASK any question and I wil help you out here. as much as I can. Barb   

I just got home from work and rushed to see if anyone had any suggestions and to my delight!        Thank you for your advice. I'm going to start on it right after I feed the three bambinos and have a serious talk about Rocky's impending death if they don't keep their hands off!:nono:   As for the tank, yes it was only a ten gallon.  We were supposed to get a few community fish - guppies-danios-etc. Instead my husband and I fell in love with the baby oscars  and had to have them.  We knew a few other proud owners and they were always to happy to let us watch the O's eat interesting delicacies like the beef from a Big Mac.  Since we knew how messy they could get we let our oldest daughter pick out a baby pleco.  I knew we would have to upgrade the tank size soon, but I wanted to learn more about them first.  Glad I did.
As for the tank, I was told by Wal-Mart to let it cycle 24 hrs.  After the "incident" I went back to the store where I got the fish, PetSmart, and they said I should let hte tank cycle for a week.  I also read that there is an additive you can put in the tank - a bacteria I think - that cycles the tank immediately and you can put the fish in right away - not days or weeks later...so many different words of advice...and that's great...unless it's very poor advice like the 8.2!  From now on I'll consult with the experts of oscars here online.  Thank you...very much.  I'll keep yopu posted.  P.S. I may need to tap into your Oscar knowledge and experience soon.   

Wal-Mart america is not the best place to get advice.. AND I understand about getting a totally different fish other than what you went for.. BUT as U know this Oscar can handle the 10 gal for MAYBE 2 MONTHS and then it is going to need a bigger tank.. Cycling takes a good 30 days.. BUT you can get their faster , more like a week not a few hours to days, using Cycle.. This has a lot of bacteria you need to jump start the tank.. A 10 gal wont' take that long.. MAYBE this is what they meant when they said hours.. BUT GOOD bacteria still needs time to develope and you do have an OSCAR to help you here..  man to get into the cycle deal is going to take time.. WHAT you need to do now is FEED THE KIDS, GET the oscar in a BIG bowl and clean the tank out GOOD.. Along with the FILTER BOX. with Oscars, you need to do 2gal water changes every 5 days in this tank.. CLEAN THE FILTER BOX out every 7days.. DONT' FEED THEM HAMBURGERS FROM MC DONOLDS!! YOUR baby oscar can NOT eat this and live well.. WE can not eat this and live well.... BUT that is a HUMAN problem..  so DO what I suggested you to do. YOU can get the cycle  and add it to the tank within 72 hours of this cleaning.. Don't get any plecos.. NOT a good deal in a 10 gal.. A cory cat, those little scavangers in two weeks when the tank cycles would be a better deal..  Let me know how it goes.. I wil get messages that you posted.. Barb 

OK, Done!  I did everything you said, step by step, and now Rocky is back in the crystal clear tank.  He seems so much livelier now.  I'm so happy he made it through.  He's relaxed and breathing normal.  He's coasting around his sparkling clean tank. I just have one more problem, he won't eat.  He and my other O were pretty tight, always swimming together and rubbing on each other.  When we first got them, the other O (Adrian) was pretty stressed out and losing its color.  Rocky would nudge her (or him) to come out of hiding, play and eat.  I think "he" might be sad that he's alone now.  I was thinking about getting a new Adrian O and a Cory Cat.  Do you think he could DIE of loneliness and heartache before I get the new tank in a couple of months?  Because when I first put him back into the tank he swims straight to the place where we found his friend, the other O after it died.  After poking around a little, he darted behind the plant where they use to hang out at and sleep and laid on his side.  He looked sad.  I put up a bent finger on the other side of the glass and as I slowly moved it in front of him, trying to "pet" him, I stopped moving and pressed it against against the glass.  To my surprise he started brushing and backing up against my finger...and then made his top fins vibrate in three short bursts as if to greet me, say thank you and actually show affection.  Maybe I'm just nuts.  Maybe he was he still going through shock?  What do you think?  I seemed to be his new best friend...or maybe he thinks my finger is another fish ??  I've never bonded with a fish before - I never even considered a fish showing affection to anything or anyone other than fish/mates!?! I've heard many times that Oscars are pretty smart-even your website states "Fish That Think" and promotes their intelligence.  And this one certainly has a lot of personality too!  I'm fascinated and want to learn more.

I think he knows I was trying to help him.  But I have the real hero to THANK - YOU!   :occasion14:

  The good thing is that he's safe at home again, minus the unsavory living conditions.  I'm sure he must be exhausted and still sickly, but comfortable and ready to sleep...finally the nightmare has ended.  I'll check on him again first thing in the morning.  He didn't really act to nervous while I was setting up his tank I tried not to stress him by moving slowly and keeping only a night light on - AFTER the kids went to bed.  As a matter of fact, I put a towel over the bowl to try to keep him calm. 

This trick worked on birds, so I thought the seclusion might work for him too. 

And you were absolutely right, the tap water didn't need buffering.  I tested the water before I added anything and the pH was about 6.6 - bingo! Target range already met, and one less problem to worry about.  I tested the chlorine level with my pool test strips, then added Stress Coat to remove the chlorine and neutralize the chloramines.   The only thing is that the alkalinity is a little low and the water hardness isn't even registering--You said O's like soft water, but can it be too soft?  I then added two rounded teaspoons of aquarium salt, mixing it well before adding to tank. Then I did a little tweaking to the temperature to get it to 78 and gradually added the tank water to his bowl.  He didn't freak out like before.  Thanks for all the cycling and medication advice too.  I would have eventually killed Rocky and any others if you hadn't of told me.  I'm getting Cycle and Melafix tomorrow.  I won't get another pleco.  I thought it would help keep the tank clean, but while reading your forum I found out that they are messier the the O's!  I'll take your advice on the Cory Cat.
  I just want him to be happy   You're truly a life saver, a 5-Star Hero.          Thank you...again...from Rocky's Human.

Glad the Oscar SO far is doing good.. Dont' congratulate me yet,  The tank is going to cycle and that can be more of a problem than you think.. WHEN U get the cycle, please follow it to the letter.. EVEN in a 10 gal tank this is going to take time.. I also DON'T advise you to get another fish at this time..  Even a cory cat.. WHY?? It would be better to wait until the tank cycles first as this might kill any you place in the tank from now untill the Ammonia and Nitrites go to 0ppm.. TEST KITS?? YOU need Ammonia & NITRITE.. GET LIQUID not those stripes... I figure even in a 10 gal this is going to take 2 weeks..  I also said 2 gal out and back IN every 5 days.. THIS IS IMPORTANT as while the tank cycles. you need to delute the Ammonia AND then the NITRITES  as they get high.. YOU also need to vac the gravel to remove waste and uneaten food.. IT is best to remove ALL DECO so you can do this without draining the tank to much... ALSO 2" of gravel is good here for the substrate.. Those gravel vacs only cost about 10.00 or so.. GET a bucket, and drian into that being careful not to over flow it.. 2 gal out and replace with the same BUT make sure you dechlorinate/salt it FOR 2gal ONLY on the salt/dechlor, that is like 1/4 teaspoon each..  Those 5 gal bucket are a life saver but mark the tank at 2gal so you dont' take to much WATER OUT.. 5 gal is way to much on a cycling tank!!  IF you take out to much, let it settle and place some of the water back in..
Now the filter is another problem here.. As this tank TRYS to cycle, it is going to need all the bacteria it can get.. A filter is the main sorce for this.. AND Oscars are messy fish even small.. SO Clean the filter BOX evey 7 days but just RINSE  THE FILTER BOX OUT IN TANK WATER..  You can use the water OUT in the bucket but try not to get the waste in the bottom ... Sorry, more of a chore here for you to do.. I reuse my pads as I have 17 Emperor filter here and a few more other brands in my smaller tanks.. So I have to reuse them alot.. I just use the fauset in the sink and using a high pressure, as my finger under the nosel head, get a high stream going and rinse them off good..  All you need to do is remove the crude on them.. hold it sideways and spray it off.. easy.. reuse... 

ALSO on filters here.. A bio-wheel filter has  GREAT bio already on the wheels.. THIS alone should seed your tank fine.. IF you get the bigger tanks, please concider getting a filter with Bio wheels..  EMPEROR filters are the best in my book.. I have others and they dont preform any where as good as my Emperors do..  A 10 gal is to small for one but a 29 gal can handle a  Emperor 280 fine..  ON a 100+ gal tank, Two Emperor 400 would do you good..  they are cheaper to get ON LINE.. let me know if you are interested and I wil get you a link...

Have you thought about a 29 gal tank?? this is a better size and the oscar or more can stay here for 6 mos.. ALL tanks are on sale now, so check it out and you can trade the water easily now while you are trying to cylce this 10 tank.. This  29 gal tank can later be used for other fish like gouramines guppies and such when you get the bigger tank for the Oscar.. I have 3  29 gal and they are just the right size for many fish and they are not big and bulky llike a 55 gal..  You might even find a 45 gal or bigger really cheap.. Look in your local paper for great deals on ppl getting rid of their tank, stands and all at great prices..

WHAT are you feeding the Oscar?? I take it he is about 2" now??  I do want you to use PELLETS ONLY TO FEED HIM.. WHY?? Flake foods go all thourgh the tank, the filter get a good share of these and in a NEW tank, that can cause your Ammonia to really take off fast and get HIGH.. That is not good..
Pellets can be netted out IF he does not eat them all.. So this solves a big problem in a cycling tank...
Pelllets come in many sizes.. At 2" he only needs 3 pellets morning and nite for good nutriction.. WHAT KIND?? I would get hiim Hikari GOLD.. They come in different sizes and for this size Oscar, SMALL should do you good.. DO not feed hiim anything ELSE.. Especially hamburger meat.. Even at adult this can foul the water fast and cause unseen problems inside your Oscar..

I guess this is as good as it gets right now.. Sorry the Oscar has to stay ALONE but you should be able to get him some friends soon.. IF you get a bigger tank NOW, this will let you get another Oscar sooner.. I would nt get one for him in a 10 gal tank. .JUST to small..  YOU may end up going throught the same deal again if you do...

Advice Taken. He's a good 2" now, getting his colour, energy, and appetite back.  I do believe he has ICH as he scratches on the gravel he has a couple of spots (3-4) breaking out on his side.  I'm treating the tank with the chemicals tomorrow-after the 24 hr acclimation period. 
I was entertained watching my friend toss his 12" O pieces of cooked hamburger meat, but I primarily give my baby O Hikari Cichlid Gold - Colour Enhancing Formula - baby size.  PetSmart said they like variety and suggested adding the kind they were using - Wardley Premium Cichlid Floating Pellets, medium size.  Rocky doesn't like it as much as the GOLD looks like he has a harder time getting it down because its so much bigger and I have to scoop them out.  I don't give him anything else yet.  But I've found a few good homemade concoctions.  I've been testing my water every day and constantly checking the filter and heater.  I want to get at least a 100 GAL tank and mate then maybe learn more about breeding. 
  Tonite I talked to someone who kept their Tiger O in a 10 GAL tank for 6 YEARS!  He's now 10 yrs old and lives alone in a 55 gallon tank.  He will eat any other fish she puts in the tank.  She said that he, "FREE WILLY", has even jumped out the tank, knocking the hood and light off, and laid on the floor for 20+ minutes and didn't die!  He likes to play dead sometimes too.  She said one summer she installed a small pond under a willow tree in her yard that he lived out there for over a month.  Unbelievable.    Oscars are tough creatures!
My husband wants to know if we can put a small Bass Fish in with him while they are young so they might be more adjusted to each other as they grow up?!??
He wants me to post it to find others who have raised bass or bass/Oscar together.  I want to know if it's a feasible idea first.  What do you think?

Don't treat for ICH unless you see it.. Scatching is not a sign of ICH.. So dont' throw any meds in this tank just yet..

Scratching is a irratation sign too. As U did have him in a 8.2 and then to the 6.6 or what ever it is now.. this causes them to scratch/rub on abjects.. THIS does not mean he has any parasites..

NOW on the food is GREAT.. you probley won't have a sign of Ammonia for 5 to 7days.. But glad to know you are on top of the testing.. I can't see anyone keeping an adult Oscar in a 10 gal tank for 6 years.. 6 months maybe, but not years.. But I have heard where they have keep them in 29 gal for long periods of time.. Ppl what do you do?? 
yes Oscars do jump out of tanks.. I had mine do the same as I was medicating him.. he only did it once and stayed in the tank after that...

I would NOT get any other fish until you get a bigger tank.. Yea, I know, old news, NOW with the bass, Oscars eat smaller slinder fish.. Period.. Your Oscar will eat anything it can FIT in his mouth.. Even at 3".. So I am unsure if you can do a bass..
if it is bigger, YOU can TRY.. YOU would need a 150 gal tank thou within months..  Best to wait until you get the bigger tank..
I dont' know of any one that has done this.. But when u get the bigger tank, give it a try.. All that can happen is the Oscar eats the bass..  Sounds like a good dinner to me... 

Rocky is doing much better this am.  He's happy to see me and he ate three pellets.  Yes, we are going to wait until we get a bigger tank to add any other fish.  We might get a couple of tanks - one for Rocky and his new mate and one for the bass and keep th 10 gal as a sick tank or keep it with guppies, danios, etc for the kids to watch.    A 150 gal would be an awesome home for Rocky & Co.  With this web site and your help I feel more confident.  You give good info!  THANK You - again - I can't say it enough...

I had a 10 gallon tank once, and all of my fish kept dying. I went to SuperPet and one of the people told me smaller aquariums are hard to maintain, and he suggested I get a larger one. As soon as I could I bought a 55 gallon. The 55 gallon is so easy to maintain and I have had absolutely no problems with it.

I think the others gave good advice. I think once you get your 100+ fish tank it will be much easier on you.

I appreciate the reassurance.  I suppose its like living in a tent when your use to living in an average home.  Constantly cleaning - so much "stuff" in a small space.  Smaller isn't easier afterall.  Good Luck with yours!

Rocky is eating well and acting like his cheerful self and seems to feel healthy.  However, the white fuzzy spot on his side and the pin holes in his head seem to be getting worse.  I've been treating the tank exactly as directed and it is still crystal clear.  The nitrates are getting a little higher, but otherwise its OK.  I removed the carbon from the filter last weekend and treated the tank with MELAFIX and CYCLE.  I've been putting 1 tsp.  into the tank daily but Rock's wounds don't seem to be responding.  The spot on his side is flat and round, about the diameter of a pea.  It has fuzzy stuff on it.  It reminds me of wet dead skin sloughing off after a burn.  Rocky has even more HITH's and the openings seem to get wider and deeper.  More are appearing too.  They are mostly all on his forhead, but they are accumulating and moving across the top of his head and down the sides.  What do I do now?? PLEASE HELP!! 

HitH is hard to treat. Once it gets established, it take crystal clear water, minimal stress for the fish, and good food.
HiTH (IMO) is not a disease, but a sign of a problem. What the problem actually is, must be identified. From your situation I suspect water conditions and stress. For feeding, I would suggest you try earthworms. As for the water quality, regular changes, to keep down the nitrates.
The fuzzy stuff on the side is common, with injuries. It is a fungus, which lives on dead or decaying skin. Now if it started off with fuzzy growths on healthy skin then its not a good type of fungus.
You also might want to treat your tank with salt. I table spoon for ten gallons. Any type of non iodized salt is OK.
Avoid the iodized ones, they tend to clog up filters, but if you do use it by accident, if will not hurt the fish.
I would quit using the cycle, its pretty much a waste of money, (again IMO). As for the melafix, I would recommend stopping it as well. I am pretty sure there is no bacterial issue in you tank now either.

I changed 2 Gal of water 2 days ago and added and salt then.  He eats HIKARI GOLD baby pellets.  The water is crystal clear.  I don't understand why he's not getting better.  I think he might be stressed out because his friends died and he's all alone?!?  Maybe another mate would make his recovery quicker?  The new tank water has been cycling for a week now.  Do you think its ok to add another oscar now? He was really close to his last mate-always swimming and playing together.  PetSmart said they would replace the fish that died, an oscar and a pleco.  Barb advised me to get a cory cat instead of the pleco.
I'm still worried about the HITH.  My husband said he started getting the white spot on his side right before the tank went bad.  The spot has gotten larger, however, it looks like it might me starting to heal in the center.  Should I treat him with a fungus killer?