CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I think that there is something wrong with my fish. I have 1 tiger oscar and a algea eater. i got them both when they were both very small. my oscar was shy at first so I bought him 5 gold fish as he started to grow he killed them off all except one. I've been super busy so I'd just come home at night and just feed him. 2 nights ago I found that he killed the goldfish and ate only half of his head. Last night I went to look at him and he used to swim up to the top of the tank and kinda wag his tail and move back and forth and I'd give him food. Now he just hangs out at the bottom of the tank, I don't know if he is depressed or even if that is possible. My othe problem is my algea eater poops alot i clean the tank and it full of poop again so i took my plants out.

Giving your fish, "feeder fish" is not generally a good idea.
Beside the fact they are very low in nutritional value, they carry the risk of passing along disease to your own fish.
That being said, its hard to say whats wrong. If you could post your water test results, plus your cleaning schedual, and what else you feed your O, that would be a big help.
As for your algea eater, well....they poop a lot. Not much you can do about that, except not have them.

I tried to Im you but it didn't work

I tried to Im you but it didn't work.

I don't feed him fish all of the time I use Cichlid Staple for 5 days and a combo of brain shrimp and krill the other 2. He was shy at first so I bought the goldfish to kinda make him feel like if they came up to the top to eat then he could do the same. It's kinda like he knows me as the one who feeds him, he responds to me different than he does my boyfriend or any visitors. I that that may sound stupid but it's true. I know that when he is feeling stressed out he lies at the bottom of the tank, but staying at the bottom is just not him.

Hi...I suggest getting a water quality kit, and test your water. Do you do water changes? If so, how often, and how much? Hikari gold cichlid pellets are the food of choice for Oscars. Brine shrimp, krill and foods like that, are used for "treats." I would begin with the water quality, do a water change, and see if he settles down. Try and stay away from the feeder fish. They are not that good for your fish, if you do want to do feeders, raise them yourself. That way you will know that you are not bringing home disease from the pet stores. As for the pleco poop, good luck changing that. I have 5 plecos, and they all poop like crazy. That is what they do best, eat algae, and crap. It is not unusual for your Oscar to "know you"...they are like dogs. They know their owners, and they know who feeds them. Try the pellets for a few days and see if he will eat them. Some folks will say to "starve" them for awhile and then they will eat, I dont suggest that. (actually, you wont hear that from anyone on this site, let me make that clear!) Good luck with your guy, hope he is ok, and keep coming back here for your info, the folks here are very smart, and will help you with all your questions. Believe me, I've asked a million!!

HI! Can't really make out exactly what that image is. Like Thorsmom and Fuzzy suggested, it would be helpful to know what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings are in your tank. What capacity is the tank, by the way? If you can give us this info, we might be able to do a better job of helping you out.

I agree with what the others here have posted.
(Hi Thorsmom! )
I realize you put the goldfish in more for company than for food, but with an Oscar, any fish that could possibly fit in it's mouth will eventually wind up there.
Unless you breed & raise them yourself, having your Oscar eat small fish is asking for trouble. (Been there, done that. Not a fun trip! )

Yes, your Oscar will come to recognize you over others. Our 2 Oscars know my wife & my daughter, but they also know I'm the one that usually does the feeding & tank maintainence. Even if either of them feeds the fish, our one O, Blondie, will only come to me to be touched.

About Plecos.
Plecos poop LOTS. They're regular fecal factories!!!
Like Thorsmom, we've got 6 different plecos in our various tanks now & they crap way more than the all the other fish do. Your pleco will produce twice to three times more waste than your Oscar will. If you want to keep the pleco, you will have to get used to doing poop scoops with the net probably 2 times a day.
Approx. how big is the pleco?
Do you know what type of pleco it is? If not, post a clear pic of it and we'll see if we can't ID it for ya.

I'm very curious as to why you removed your plants. Was it just to make the cleanup easier?? Because taking them out won't help the pleco poop situation at all.
If they were live plants, they were actually doing you more good than you may realize. Live plants help your filteration by consuming NO3 & some of the waste your fish produce.

Sorry, that pic isn't clear enough for me to make out what your water parameters are.

We need to know your tank's:
pH
Ammonia (NH3/NH4)
Nitrite (NO2)
Nitrate (NO3)

Approx. how big is the Oscar?
How big is that tank?
How often do you do vac/water changes?

Hope that helps a bit & I'll answer your reply ASAP.