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![]() | HELP QUICK! SICK OSCAR!PLEASE!!! |
jester_fu![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Big Fish Posts: 395 Kudos: 522 Votes: 12 Registered: 26-Jan-2004 ![]() ![]() | I hope it's not HITH, but it's pretty easy to cure anyway. First, let's start by getting you to post you Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings. If you get the petstore to do it, get them to give you the numbers in ppm, not good/bad/ok. If you haven't had a look on the web for HITH or Hole In The Head, do a google for it, and you'll turn up pplenty of usefull information. I'll summarise it as follows: HITH can be caused for a number of reasons, but generally it is linked to long term exposure HIGH NITRATES (above 20ppm for more than a few days!) and vitamin defficiency. To fix the high nitrates, get yourself a nitrate test ket from the fish store, test your water every day for the next 2-3 weeks whilst performing 20% water changes every day for the first week, and then reduce them to 15% every day for the second, and then see how your readings are in the third week to determine how regular your water changes should be. The high nitrates will be caused by either over feeding or poor filtration. So, make sure you don't feed the fish more than they can eat in three minutes, remove any uneaten food with a net and don't use live food (such as worms or feeder fish) until the nitrates are under control. If you are NOT using a canister filter, i strongly suggest you get one. Along with the canister, you will also need a good HOB or canister filter. I suggest you maintain both types of filters every two weeks. That's what i do, and my nitrates are never above 5ppm with two Oscars in the tank. For the vitamin defficiency, you can either start feeding the Oscars Pea's every day or two as their meal for the day, or you can get some good quality pellet food and soak it in a good quality multi-vitamin. I have found Pea's the best solution, and my Oscars think they are a real treat. The vitamin defficiency is of B, C and D.. all of which are in Pea's in reasonable concentrations. I use frozen Pea's and shell the pea's before feeding. The pea 'husk' can not be digest by the fish, and will just be spat out to rot in the tank (increasing your nitrates!). I've had HITH in both of my Oscars when they where 'pups', but using the above method cured both of them, and they are now healthy, happy and hungry.. as every good Oscar should be! Thats enough for one post. Put up your tank parameters (nitrate etc) and i'm sure more advice will be offered to you. |
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