CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

i seem to have a water problem. My young oscar is off his food and swimming backwards gasping on the top of the water. only new to fish, and misguided somewhat by a shop, was only taking out some water (30%) weekly, but not vacuuming. Now acting weird. Did water change, vacumming, butthere was so much muck under those rocks. Only took 1/3 and added geo liquid and 2 tsp salt to water. Should i be taking out more water and ad more of the geo? i really need help. He seems to be a bit better, but he is not ok, think i could loose him.

Sounds like your ammonia level is too high. Either that or the water is not being oxignated enough.
How long has the tank been running?
What type of filter do you have, (tank size too).
I don't know what product liquid geo is, so could you explaine, is it too neutralize chlorine/chloramines?
Do you have any water quality test kits, for ammonia, or nitrite, or nitrates.
I think the water change is a good course right now, until we know a bit more about the facts. I might consider another change, but do it by vacumeing out the sedements, not just by removing water. Do another 30 percent today, while a dramatic change, I think your problems ammonia posioning, and the water change is better than high ammonia levels. Post back with as much information as you can about your tank, etc.

thankyou for replying. he is about 15cm in a 2 foot,
60 L tank. Geo is a product to neutralise toxins in the water. They say it will send water cloudy, the cloudier the more toxins. it went really cloudy, but today it is quite clear. I dont use chlorine neutreliser, i am using tank water, could tis be a problem also. i dont have test kits, i am a real novice at this. gee i thought fish would be easy!!! I am using a Power filter, 200L per hour, and have been running it since july.

G`day
Got a sister in Hervey Bay

ok
SOunds most definatly a water quality issue.
Start by doing a 50% water change(with a gravel vaccum) then do 10% every day untill he starts to pick up..
Get yourself a master test kit
Your ammonia should read 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate under 40ppm,, Ph isnt a too much a concern as long as its a stable reading.


A 60 litre tank is unfortunatly far from the minimun reccomended for a ocar to keep it in good health.. The reccomended "minimun" size is 210 litres (4ft 55 us gallons) with filteration that will turn the warter at 10 times per hour. (eg on a 210litre you need a combined filteration of 2100LPH)

This stuff your using is like a cloudy tank clearer and doesant nuetrilize anything harmful that Im aware of.

Heres some basic links that should help you out
http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/oscarfaq.html

http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/cycling.html:)

hi Tony
As reccomended by an above reply, i did a 30% change today, and also yesterday, added more geo. took out another 20% just then and he seems to now want to eat, but is still a bit slow. must be working. Should i be using the geo and the salts or not? what is the best food for him? live or pellets. was told not to give him live, then told thats best. i have no clue. Think i would have been better with a goldfish, but he is fun. cant get a test kit on a sunday, so i will have to work blind until tomorrow. i was told his tank would do him for 6-12 months, then he was getting a bigger one: just wanted to make sure he lived to see that day, instead of forking out for a 4 ft(which is coming soon) if i couldnt keep him alive. was i, yet again misguided? he is only quite small and on his own in the tank, apart from the occational visit he gets from the odd guppy, they never stay long though!!!! ok hope you can give me more advice. im learning alot through mymistakes but, so if he doesnt make it, the next one might actually have a chance! see ya

Should i be using the geo and the salts or not?

Well the geo liquid wont hurt but the salt would have more benifit with helping him by helping with the stress from the water quality.
Salt needs to be used with caution too,, Id suggest reading this link
http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/salt.html

Also take any advice from a LFS with a grain of salt,, your best off getting advice from forums like this.

what is the best food for him? live or pellets.

The best staple diet is pellets or the beefheart recipe
http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html#Anchor-Ingredient-56874
never feed live fish, expecially goldfish as they lack any sort of nutritional value and goldfish in particular contain a enzeme that robs the oscar of neccessary vitamin intake.
Other foods can be meal worms,grasshoppers, other bugs but at this stage I would just stick to pellets for a little while untill the tank size is sorted out.

i was told his tank would do him for 6-12 months,

That sounds a LFS talking there,, oscars grow at a very fast rate and create a mess when eating. You then also have to subject the oscar to another stressfull tank move.

Anyway the best advice to get him hopefully back on track is to those daily 10% water changes and once his appetite returns please feed sparingly to start then considering his size ATM feed twice a day and only what he can physically eat in 20 seconds..



Thats cool about making mistakes and if you do lose this one (hopefully you wont) just wait untill you can get that bigger tank and use the 60 litre for something else(goldfish are colourfull but boring with no personality lol )

Personally, I would only give live food on very extended occasion. Id stick with pellet as a base of a main diet.

Originally posted by guitrz6
Personally, I would only give live food on very extended occasion. Id stick with pellet as a base of a main diet.

Thats ok occassionially to feed fish like unwanted convict babies that you have bred yoursel(not store bought ones) you cant get rid of but people new to the hobby tend to get the wrong advice from store staff and get into all sorts of strife.. Persoanlly I say its not worth the trouble

i did my ph levels, nitrate and amonia today. all is fine, nitrate 12.5, no amonia in water. would it be the water changes, or could there be another reason for his behaviour. he is better, a bit pissed at me but, probablly coz im doing so much fussing with his tank. he turns around when i walk into the room, and starts swimming as soon as i leave...these fish are too smart.

I dont suppose you got a ntrite test kit (nitrite is a bi-product of ammonia and just as deadly in any amount)per chance? If not then get your LFS to test for it(usually no charge unless they are really tight wads).
Keep up those partial daily water changes as I mentioned (still do the usual weekly 25-30% change)
Did you get a chance to read the article on salt use? Reason I ask is that with each water change you should top up the salt levels with each "physical" water change,, its all covered in that article though..

Good to hear he is mad at you,, hopefully he will bite you (even better sign that he is sick of you invading his territory )

nitrate was 12.5, appartently ok. is this normal for oscars to act so weird and be mad???? are they really that smart? about that salt, i have been told that adding too much too quickly is bad, so should i increase it slowly? i was told start with 2 tsp
and add more each water change, correct, or once again misguided by an idiot?

nitrate at 12.5 is ok,,,, nitrates are the less to worry about,, its nitrites that are deadly as is ammonia.


Ive never had a problem at adding the full amount of salt into a oscars tank but please dissolve it first in warm water. I keep a diary personally so I dont get mixed up with my tanks and its pretty accurate with how much I put in with each change (I keep salt at a medicinal level in my tanks at all times,, others may disagree with this but I have been doing it for years with little illness)

Basically as long as you dont overdose the tank, use the wrong salt(like table salt), only top up to reflect the amount of water you have "physically" removed and not taking into account any water lost due to evaporation) you cant go wrong....

It is pretty typical of oscars to get moody as they can be jsut like us humans with mood swings etc...

thanks, you have been a great help. sorry i am such a deadhead and no nothing:D i guess i have more knowledge now, coz i keep annoying you guys. who would have thought fish would be so complicated

Feel free to annoy....thats why were here....

ok guys thanks heaps for your help, he seems to be a bit better, still very slow at times, just sitting on the bottom alot. his appetite is varied now, not as hungry as usual, but tonight he wanted to feast big time. i am feeding 45% protein pellets, and am feeding him till he wants no more, making sure he eats everything i have given him, and if not i have been taking it out. is this ok to feed him like that???
i have stopped the daily water changes, gonna go a couple, and do 10% every 3, or is this not ok. Water looks good
gonna get it tested again tomorrow (dont have test kits yet). hoping it is ok
but he seems better. He started swimming like crazy tonight when i was practising my drumming. He loves music, and often"dances" to the guitar also. I just hope he is over it all, asi have grown quite attached to my little oscar Sid Vicious. Hehe