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Was looking for help, not harsh answers. I'm realizing I shouldn't need to tell the whole story surrounding this situation (being out of town, etc.) to avoid getting clobbered with unhelpful comments over and over. I know its serious and he's getting better.

2 other things. 1. He's 4 inches long. 2. nothing white on the wound. Sorry I didn't have a scale measurement, and that I'm not a photographer (flash overexposed.).

-Last post,bye

OMG! That looks serious!.................

Ok, we can fix this-i think! First off, list your water parameters, the size of your tank, Exactly what filter and brand you are using. Second, I think you are using melafix or pimafix, or thats what it sounds like. For how long was it added?That would work, but that damage is permanent, and it looks like it was injured SEVERELY Lastly, salt wont really help, and does more dmage than good. You are adding too much salt, and you really arent supposed to add anything. I dont think it is tail-rot because you coukd cure it, this is not. You should;

1. Upgrade filter

2. Depending on tank size, move it or let it stay......

3. No salt

4. What cichlid is the other thing?

5. Water changes 25% every week-At Least! Your stocking is too much!

6. Welcome to FP!

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Wow that is horrible!!!
ive never seen anything like it!

I think Goby has covered most of the questions needed to give proper advice.
Oscars are pretty messy and need a fairly large tank. Weekly 25% water changes are usually a good idea when it comes to keeping your tank in good condition.

i would also stop adding the salt as its not helping in any way.

IMO it looks alot like HITH which is a common oscar disease. I may be wrong though as i havent had any experience with oscars.

http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html
have a read of this website which explains this disease further.

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Thats bacterial tissue rot. You can see the plaques on the skin,and thats a common reaction to a low level flexibacter columnaris infection. Some is scarring some is plaques, hes in a bit of a mess. The plaques actually slow the infection, but often mean tissue in that area will never heal properly.Hexamita or an injury might have opened the wound up to begin with, but that is like a creeping necrosis now.

Id go straight in there with metronidazole,and a week later try a furan treatment. Basically treat for both hexamita and local bacterial infection. I think you have a compound problem there. This is a big enough fish so that you can also try topical antibiotic treatments too. A little antibiotic cream applied to the wound area (if you can get it to stick) will help his recovery a lot.

If you dilute povidone iodine to about a 5% solution and apply a cotton swab of it to the wound when hes clear of the water for a few secconds, youll kill a lot of the surface bacteria instantly, and this might lessen the damage and improve healing while the other meds are being administered. Use just enough to stain the wound, and dont get it in the water.Dont get it on his gills either.

Also make sure his water quality is tip-top, and give him as much diet variety as you can, hexamita symptoms are lessened by top notch diet and water quality.

Hexamita can be slowed down , and that gives you time to treat it thoroughly, but bacterial rot has to be faced down immediately.

What would be the cause of this. Is it just neglect or what. I seen a lot bad things but when it comes to animals. How long would a fish have something like that before you notice. Is just some that some fish have this, and you have to watch for it or is cause by poor care. Sorry firstdeaf but that made my stomach turn.

Djrichie
"Don't Panic"

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Thats fair comment. No way should anything be allowed to get this bad before its attended to, even if you dont know fish experts ,it would be prudent to call a vet of ask someone way before this point.

First I would have to say that when you post a picture of a animal in that kind of condition, you should expect people to freaked out. I personally was not judging you if you read the post it was truly a question of concern what would cause this. You can read I even said sorry to you because I didn't know what caused the problem. I don't beleave anyone was judging you, I don't know you but I did see a fish that has a serious health issue. I glad that you went to a site to find out what you needed to do to help your pet out.

I will say I'm Sorry if I offended you but that was a horrible picture and people have only that to judge you by. I'm sure others were scare to post because they didn't want to offend, you should be glad you got the info to correct the problem and your fish is not DEAD.

Djrichie
"Don't Panic"

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

For balance and fairness in no way can a fish carrying such a wound, obviously untreated for a significant period be considered happy. If hes eating that just means hes a survivor.


Were still talking about a fish that has not been treated properly for its ailments for many months. That in many countries would have been enough to see you relieved of the responsibility of ownership. That you have struggled to do the best for him is admirable in one sense, but not escalating the situation to a vet or animal expert when the wound became so serious is neglect when taken into context of the time period involved. In my time in animal rescue I saw animals taken away from people for a good deal less. Lots of well meaning people screw up. Im not blaming you for this in a persecutory sense, but I would be in error if I said what was done was ok or of a sufficient standard.

We are not slamming you per se, merely reminding you that the limit of standards and acceptability is perhaps a little higher than you estimated. It is good that you are however trying to do the best thing now. The fish might easily have died of his ailment any time up til now, hence why a few of us are shocked that it was allowed to progress so far.

We approve of you helping the fish, but no matter his background, next time - act faster.

All said and done, im glad he's beginning his recovery.It is long overdue, but much better late than never.

A little shame all round then. Nobody likes to hear that they screwed up, but we all do sometimes, better to take it with grace than shame people for reminding you to do the right thing.

IMHO judgementalism is all part of the package when an animal has not been well treated. I dont expect people to persecute, especially if a party in the wrong is just plain ignorant or unable to interpret circumstances correctly, but neither can someone who has been very late in treating an ailment expect a great deal of praise. Those without sin get to cast the first stone as my mother would say.

Your fish is lucky to have survived, and I think im very much not alone in wishing luck had a little less to do with it. I would not wish people to stay away from help forums for fear of being slammed, but neither would I wish them to think letting a condition go so far as this one is ok.

Best of luck with the fish.

Where's the pic? if there is one.

"I am who I am, and who I am is who I want to be."
-Kasey Carter

Presumably it was edited out , it was of a young adult oscar with the dorsal fin missing and a nearly one inch deep by two or three inches across chunk of flesh missing, presumably rotting away because of long term hexamita and bacterial activity. The wound was partially sealed and showed plaques and torn tissue. It was about as bad as an injury could be without being immediately life threatening. Any further progression would have seen the fish lose vital organs. He was very lucky to have retained osmotic balace and remain alive. Hence all the shocked reactions at seeing it.

To be fair , you were given help, the problem pinpointed, and solutions given.My first post gave you all the info you need to help the fish make a recovery, in addition to the disease profiles that should be everything you need to know. Question is, did you read it?

Im sorry if you feel too aggreived to post again, it would be a shame, you will probably need further help with that fish. Putting a little tea tree oil into that fish's water will only subdue some of those symptoms and not cure the problem.

Please dont compound the problem by backing away, all the ranting is long done, and for my purposes im far more interested that the fish makes a full recovery.I appreciate your pride is a little dented, but sometimes that can be a good thing, especially if you overcome it to do the best for the fish. That we respect.

ps,the history of the fish is important- it helps people come to a decision as regards the appropriate treatment,hiding it does nothing useful, and BTW you dont have to keep editing the original post , if you want to answer just hit reply.

The offer of help is there if you want it. If it were me, Id take it.

Sorry firstdeaf is some of the answers where harsh. But from what I see they were true and good answers. If you were looking for an easy way to fix your fish, were this is none. He is ill and just fixing it will not solve the problem. His problem took time to develope, and did not happen over night. The cause of the problem needs to be addressed as well as the problem itself.

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