CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

well i've been battling a case of fin rot with my oscar, i've been treating with melafix for just about two weeks now and it seemed to be getting better as it looked like the black part of the fin was starting to grow back but today i noticed a large tear in one of his fins, before there was no tearing just white edges.
my water quality is fine, ammonia and nitrite at 0, nitrate at 10, ph constant, the temp drops a bit at night because i haven't gotten a heater guard for my heater yet and don't want to put it in without one.
i don't think it was done by another fish because he's easily the biggest fish in the tank, although the pl*co seems more annoyed than scared when the oscar tries to pick on him.
there is no problems with any of the other fish, in fact some rips in my plecos fin from when i bought him have healed up.
I am going to get a heater guard tomorrow and was hoping to get some silver dollars tomorrow as well but don't want to add them until the fin rot thing clears up.
any ideas on what i could do to fix this problem or if it is in fact ok to add the silver dollars let me know. otherwise i'll just keep doing what i'm doing and try to get the heater in there tomorrow

nobody has anything to say, not even a reassurance that i'm doing all i can?

Well I can't be here every second of every day.
From what I read your doing ok. A thought might be to add some salt to your tank. Fin damage can be from either a bacterial problem, or tankmates. Even smaller fish can damage a larger fish's fin, in fact in my experence, that is exactly the type of damage seen when a smaller fish (expesially Oscars) are involved.
For the bacterial type, any broadspectrum antibiotic can be used, (keep in mind if you use carbon, remove it). For an agressive fish issue, that is harder to deal with, bigger tank, remove the aggressive fish, tank divder, etc. Good luck and keep me posted.

well i added salt a while ago but ran out and haven't gotten more, as far as tankmate aggression there is plenty of space in a 135 gallon tank for three fish, i was just curious why the fin didn't split until it looked like it was getting better, or if in fact the fin damage is a sign it's not getting better, i may try to take some pics if i feel like i have time but right now i'm off to the fish store

fricken amazing, not a single pet or fish store i know of carries heater guards, i called several places and the few that actually knew what i was talking about didn't have any, wtf is up with that

well i made my own heater guard and got the heater in, but i noticed what i can only describe as a pimple on the "chin" of my oscar. i have no clue what it is but it looks like a big white pimple. he kept uprooting a plant that was on his side of the tank so i moved it but i cant help but noticing that with increased aggression and a pimple it sounds like my oscars going through puberty:D, but seriously he's the only fish in the tank that is having problems and he's my moms favorite so i don't want to lose him. any ideas on what the pimple could be?

Its not uncommon, they seem to get it from digging in the gravel.