Oscar Dilema

[star4]

Sorry its a bit of a long one:

Rusty my oscar is just 2 years old. He lived with a female braziliensis for just over a year. (cow of a fish she was, a rescue but wouldnt get along with any other fish in any of the tanks I tried her with!) Everything was fine between them, both got along really well, really well!

I had a problem in one of my other tanks, my Texas took a dislike to my female True Parrot big time so I removed my Texas and popped him in with the oscar and brazilliensis temporarily to allow the TP to heal and rearrange the tank. While in with the oscar and brazilliensis neither fish would allow the texas from out behind the bogwood, so he was safe from doing them any harm and visa versa. After 2 weeks I returned the texas to his tank with the TP and all was well for a short while then he started at her again so back in with the oscar & brazilliensis he went. All was ok until the texas got brave, he never bothered the oscar just the brazilliensis and she gave as good as she got (should say texas is 7" brazilliensis 6") but Rusty would charge mouth open at the texas occasionally to stop them squabbling and she would then hide behind rusty (like pulling faces at the texas!). After a while I noticed a white sheen coming on Rusty's head then marks like he had bumped his head on the wood, this didnt clear up as it normally would. Rusty had HITH

I knew it wasnt water related or food (other oscar fed the same diet and water quality spot on) so I put it down to stress of having the texas in the tank. I removed the texas (now lives in a tank on his own so I am down 1 hospital/quarantine/emergency rescue tank), a week of daily wc and the problem cleared up only leaving a little scarring.

Peace and harmony returned for a couple of weeks when suddenly the Braziliensis looked dark in colour one evening, quick test of the water that was ok, then I noticed her eyes twitching, I had seen this before by the time I had set up a quarantine tank she was flailing round the main tank not able to keep her balance at all, she was dead before I got her in the net

Since the brazilliensis died Rusty has been an absolute brute, he is flaring at the glass, being really picky with food, and as for gravel vaccing he constantly bites and pushes the syphon around or goes for my hands, something he has never done before, normally he "dies" in an oscar sulk on the bottom on maintenance day. As soon as he see's me come near the tank with my bucket, pump & syphon he goes crazy at me, its as if he is blaming me for his "friends" death!! I am now worried that the HITH which he got due to the stress of the texas being in the tank is going to return as he is obviously not happy about being alone in the tank - what to do? I really dont have anything suitable to go in with him with the brazilliensis's temperment.

 

[minnnt]

Sorry to hear that Lesley.

Unsure what to suggest really. How does he react to Plecs etc?

 

[Crossfire]

That's Hole in the Head Disease, not caused by fighting, but unclean water and poor nutrition.

It is treatable, but you must act quick.

Do you have a liquid testing kit? If so, test the water quality and report back.

Clean the tank by doing a 75% or more water change, removing all large solid debris.
What filter do you use? You may not have adequate filtration. Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter, it will absorb excess nitrates ( a cause of HITH)

What food are you feeding Rusty? Poor nutrition can lead to a vitamin deficiancy, and HITH.
If you can find it, feed your Oscar New Life Spectrum +Thera-A Medium Fish Formula. If not, find a liquid children's multivitamin and soak the food in it before feeding. You also need to vary the fish's diet, including frozen foods like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mealworms, prawns, and clams. Blanched lettuce and zuchini shoudl be fed as well.

If it gets anyworse and treatment isn't working, you may have to resort to medicine.

 

[minnnt]

That's Hole in the Head Disease, not caused by fighting, but unclean water and poor nutrition.

It is treatable, but you must act quick.

Do you have a liquid testing kit? If so, test the water quality and report back.

Clean the tank by doing a 75% or more water change, removing all large solid debris.
What filter do you use? You may not have adequate filtration. Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter, it will absorb excess nitrates ( a cause of HITH)

What food are you feeding Rusty? Poor nutrition can lead to a vitamin deficiancy, and HITH.
If you can find it, feed your Oscar New Life Spectrum +Thera-A Medium Fish Formula. If not, find a liquid children's multivitamin and soak the food in it before feeding. You also need to vary the fish's diet, including frozen foods like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mealworms, prawns, and clams. Blanched lettuce and zuchini shoudl be fed as well.

If it gets anyworse and treatment isn't working, you may have to resort to medicine.

Talk about teaching your grandma to suck eggs.

 

[Crossfire]

That's Hole in the Head Disease, not caused by fighting, but unclean water and poor nutrition.

It is treatable, but you must act quick.

Do you have a liquid testing kit? If so, test the water quality and report back.

Clean the tank by doing a 75% or more water change, removing all large solid debris.
What filter do you use? You may not have adequate filtration. Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter, it will absorb excess nitrates ( a cause of HITH)

What food are you feeding Rusty? Poor nutrition can lead to a vitamin deficiancy, and HITH.
If you can find it, feed your Oscar New Life Spectrum +Thera-A Medium Fish Formula. If not, find a liquid children's multivitamin and soak the food in it before feeding. You also need to vary the fish's diet, including frozen foods like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mealworms, prawns, and clams. Blanched lettuce and zuchini shoudl be fed as well.

If it gets anyworse and treatment isn't working, you may have to resort to medicine.

Talk about teaching your grandma to suck eggs.

What?

 

[star4]

Ooooowwwwwwwwwccccccccccch Minnt I love you lol lol lol lol

 

[minnnt]

That's Hole in the Head Disease, not caused by fighting, but unclean water and poor nutrition.

It is treatable, but you must act quick.

Do you have a liquid testing kit? If so, test the water quality and report back.

Clean the tank by doing a 75% or more water change, removing all large solid debris.
What filter do you use? You may not have adequate filtration. Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter, it will absorb excess nitrates ( a cause of HITH)

What food are you feeding Rusty? Poor nutrition can lead to a vitamin deficiancy, and HITH.
If you can find it, feed your Oscar New Life Spectrum +Thera-A Medium Fish Formula. If not, find a liquid children's multivitamin and soak the food in it before feeding. You also need to vary the fish's diet, including frozen foods like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mealworms, prawns, and clams. Blanched lettuce and zuchini shoudl be fed as well.

If it gets anyworse and treatment isn't working, you may have to resort to medicine.

Talk about teaching your grandma to suck eggs.

What?

If you actually took the time to read the OP and not just skim it you would have the answers to all your questions.

 

[star4]

Sorry crossfire lol I know you meant well

HITH yes can be caused by poor nuitrition and water quality, BUT!!! it can also be caused by just pure stress, this particular oscar is SPOILT he water is always 0 ammonia nitrate and nitrite! he gets fed....
Doramin, tropical sticks, sinking pellet, tetra prima (tiny yes but he loves it) vegi flake:
Frozen, mysis, krill, cichlid mix, spinach
prawns, muscles, whitebait
Favourite treat: Banana
not all in one sitting I might add

The HITH has been cured if you read my post again, my concern is he has lost his pal, I am worried it would come back through him stressing she has gone.

 

[minnnt]

Also, i think the best thing to do would to give the tank and fish to me.

 

[star4]

eeeerrrrrrrrmmmm No, I wouldnt part with Rusty ever, you can have chops though lol lol lol

 

[Wills]

That's Hole in the Head Disease, not caused by fighting, but unclean water and poor nutrition.

It is treatable, but you must act quick.

Do you have a liquid testing kit? If so, test the water quality and report back.

Clean the tank by doing a 75% or more water change, removing all large solid debris.
What filter do you use? You may not have adequate filtration. Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter, it will absorb excess nitrates ( a cause of HITH)

What food are you feeding Rusty? Poor nutrition can lead to a vitamin deficiancy, and HITH.
If you can find it, feed your Oscar New Life Spectrum +Thera-A Medium Fish Formula. If not, find a liquid children's multivitamin and soak the food in it before feeding. You also need to vary the fish's diet, including frozen foods like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mealworms, prawns, and clams. Blanched lettuce and zuchini shoudl be fed as well.

If it gets anyworse and treatment isn't working, you may have to resort to medicine.

Crossfire excellent advice but 1000000% percent the water quality is spot on as is the diet will be perfect as well. Lesley is an incredible fish keeper and has dozens of tanks - if she says Rusty has HITH because of stress.... its because of stress.


Lesley sounds really sucky Ive just lost a load of fish - my Choc Cichlid and 4 Geophagus Winemilleri We both know what its like...


With Rusty, really well done for pulling him through it looks like its healing, my thoughts right now is - yeah hes upset now but there is nothing else in the tank to rile him and he will just get used to it - could you do a rescape in someway? Totally new decor etc see what happens? Maybe if he moves on and remains undisturbed things will settle down.

Really hope things pick up
Wills

 

[minnnt]

eeeerrrrrrrrmmmm No, I wouldnt part with Rusty ever, you can have chops though lol lol lol

Lol!!

Wish i had a tank big enough.

 

[star4]

Cheers Wills, I have done him a re-scape, but being a typical oscar he didnt like where I put the branches and he has moved them around himself. He does seem to have a particular fasination with one stone and a plastic plant, I will see if hubby can distract him long enough and take those out see if that makes a difference. His bigger tank is also ready but I am just waiting for someone to come and move my kitchen door so I can fit it in lol.

What happened with your choccy & co? Is lilly still playing up?

 

[star4]

eeeerrrrrrrrmmmm No, I wouldnt part with Rusty ever, you can have chops though lol lol lol

Lol!!

Wish i had a tank big enough.

Chops is no where near the size of Rusty, I didnt think Chops would reach his potential full size after his bad start in life, he has maxed out at 10", cant believe I have had that devil 2 years now!

 

[Davo86]

Have you still got rainbow Lesley?
How do you think he would fair with rusty?