CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I have 2 new oscars and a pleco in a 40 gallon tank. They have been in for about a week. One of my oscars recently died, he started by getting this white 'cotton' looking stuff on his sides, then finally succumbed. I did a water change, added ick medication, changed filters, etc. He just didn't make it.

The other Oscar has been ok up to this point, but today he started hanging out at the bottom...just resting on the gravel and gasping his gills.

I've done another water change, tested the PH/Nitrates, etc. Everything seems ok. Water temp is 78.

Is there anything else I can do to save him?

Stick him in a small 10gallon medication tank. Make sure to have very good aeration, ie oxygen pump. Add medication for anti-parasites, anti-bacteria and anti-fungus etc...basically try to hit all the bases. While you have him in medication tank, completely empty your main tank, totally clean it out, chlorinate it or whatever....then reprepare it with fresh water etc..basically total overhaul of tank to try to get rid of any trace of the disease causing culprit. I usually chlorinate then soak then let stuff stay in the sun....dry out in sun then after rinsing again fill with new water. Did you have food in the water that was rotting away, like meat or other stuff? whatever you do make sure water is very well oxygenated so that the fish can get enough oxygen with Minimal effort, so have good water movement at surface of the water etc....how did the the other oscar look when it died? I mean did it look so terrible you expected it to die or did it surprise you by dying....also raise the temperature.....keep your temperature at around 82F. just don't go over 86F....was your tank always a constant 78F or did it fluctuate? If you see growths cotton etc...use a swab maybe with some iodine and clean the fish. anyway try some strong anti-bacterial stuff again...also for fungus potassium permanganate, or methylene blue etc..hope you're able to save your second oscar, good luck and let us know how it's doing,

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

Joe,

Thanks for the help! I got a 10 gallon tank with a good aereator (sp?) and he is in there now. He's still hanging out on the bottom, so we'll see what happens. I'm medicating with an antibiotic.

On a side note, I took my water to be tested...I did a 50% water change this morning and even after that the ammonia levels in the water were off the scale. (!) I'm not sure why, he just got a water change a few days ago.

Since my sick oscar is in ER, I did an almost total water change in the main tank.

OK, good let me know how it goes, you can also add other stuff besides antibiotics, like anti-fungal and anti-parasite etc...not sure what kind of antibiotic you're using but if it doesn't work try another, some bacteria can get resistant to them if you're not persistent continuously and at good doses with it. Is there any visible "damage" to your oscar now? or is it look perfectly normal only that it sulks to the bottom? is it breathing hard? fast? normal?

Originally posted by Zaph32:
Joe,

Thanks for the help! I got a 10 gallon tank with a good aereator (sp?) and he is in there now. He's still hanging out on the bottom, so we'll see what happens. I'm medicating with an antibiotic.

On a side note, I took my water to be tested...I did a 50% water change this morning and even after that the ammonia levels in the water were off the scale. (!) I'm not sure why, he just got a water change a few days ago.

Since my sick oscar is in ER, I did an almost total water change in the main tank.

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

He looks ok, he just hangs out on the bottom. He's not very interested in food either (though he has eaten a little.)

What size(and age) are your O's also? And where did you purchace them from? Just curious if you might have got a bad batch from a store or retailer...

When I make a water change or move my oscar he just hangs out on the bottom kinda laying sideways for about a week. He doesn't eat, he doesn't swim, nothing. I think he throws temper tantrums. The LFS told me when he was a baby that he was stressed...give him a little time. If he goes more than a week, then treat again.

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Jen

When my oscars get sick or frustrated with me they hang out at the heater. I guess they "trained me" to show them some love. They usually get what they want also...

Funny, I never had problem with my oscars attacking heaters UNLESS they were getting ready to lay eggs and the heater was close to them. But I recently moved one oscar to a 10gallon for couple days, and I think he bangs the heater to get my attention, he never used to to that before, so I think people with oscar-heaters problems usually don't have more than one oscar in the tank since I think when there's another oscar they can attack they're rather fight another fish than a heater

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

I have good news!!

I kept my Oscar in a 10 gallon tank for about a week and put him on antibiotics.

Yesterday I reintroduced him to the main tank and also got him a friend. Both of them are happily chasing guppies and I think everything is going to be fine!

Thanks for your help!

Hi Zaph,

Great to hear they're chasing feeder fish it's always a good sign when they have their appetite back

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Joe
www.cichlidfish.com

Good to here he's doing better!
Try to do water changes from the bottom of your tank and it should help the ammonia levels.

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Jen