Sponge filters would be a minimal filter but just won't do it for 2 Oscars. An HOB is much better.
OSCAR ICK | FISH DYING HELP!!
- Thread starter Kaif
- Start date
Hello Add an HOB in addition to the sponge. If you get tan HOB do not remove the sponge
Hello; Too early to tell if they will even survive. First thing is to get the water quality better. Medication or other stuff will not matter if the water is poor.
I suggest you do some research online about fungal and bacterial infections and try to determine if the things you see are a match. If you cannot make up your mind then maybe a general cure. I will not make a long distance diagnosis from pictures. Nor will I try to prescribe a specific treatment.
With luck better water might help but if the water has been poor for a while then I just do not know.
Not saying in any way this is what your fish are suffering with but Hole in the head is common in Oscars. You might look that up.
What are your nitrates? In tank and out of tap?
The pits/white pockmarks on the jaws and sides of the fish look like "hole in the head" to me. Head & Lateral line erosion. Usually caused by poor water quality. Sponge filters are okay if you clean them all the time and if they are large or numerous enough for the tank size. I personally wouldn't run an overstocked large tank on sponges alone, though I know some people swear by them. I would bet that with the two big O's in the 75 and only sponge filters & weekly water changes, plus twice a day feeding, that your water is not getting clean enough, and the fish's health is deteriorating as a result. I would aim to keep nitrates very low to stop the holes from spreading and growing deeper. It can completely disfigure a fish if allowed to get too bad.
It also looks like there are fungal or bacterial infections on the fish, hard to tell which from the picture. If you can get ahold of some melafix or pimafix, I would dose both at slightly reduced strength.
The pits/white pockmarks on the jaws and sides of the fish look like "hole in the head" to me. Head & Lateral line erosion. Usually caused by poor water quality. Sponge filters are okay if you clean them all the time and if they are large or numerous enough for the tank size. I personally wouldn't run an overstocked large tank on sponges alone, though I know some people swear by them. I would bet that with the two big O's in the 75 and only sponge filters & weekly water changes, plus twice a day feeding, that your water is not getting clean enough, and the fish's health is deteriorating as a result. I would aim to keep nitrates very low to stop the holes from spreading and growing deeper. It can completely disfigure a fish if allowed to get too bad.
It also looks like there are fungal or bacterial infections on the fish, hard to tell which from the picture. If you can get ahold of some melafix or pimafix, I would dose both at slightly reduced strength.
I would suggest re-homing one of these fish when you get them eating and healthy again. 75 gallons is bare minimum for one Oscar, still kinda small for just one alone.
Sounds to me like your water parameters are bad because there is wayyyy too much bio-load for a single sponge to neutralize the ammonia.
Get the biggest HOB filter you can get. Maybe even buy two if you can afford it.
I would also pick-up some sort of anti-fungal medicine, looks like white patches of fungus.
Sounds to me like your water parameters are bad because there is wayyyy too much bio-load for a single sponge to neutralize the ammonia.
Get the biggest HOB filter you can get. Maybe even buy two if you can afford it.
I would also pick-up some sort of anti-fungal medicine, looks like white patches of fungus.
Hello. IM so sorry your Oscar's aren't doing well. Clean water & the right size tank for these guy's is so important!!! I keep my Oscar Big Boy in a 125. Gourami Swami & Astrocreep have giving you GREAT information. My Best to your Oscar's!!!
I agree that it appears to be a fungal issue caused by poor water quality.
Paragard by Seachem is what I would use on them. It treats parasites, lesions and fungus. You can also add Stressguard by Seachem to reduce stress, replace the slime coat and also help clear up the infection as it has antibiotics in it. The two can be used together (some medications cannot).
Can you get them a larger tank? 75 is just too small for 2 large Oscars. Even adding lots of additional HOB filtration (please also keep the sponge filter in there both for aeration and biological filtration, cleaning it in tank water when it gets too scrungy) they are dumping so much waste into such a small space that you'll need to do significant water changes every single day to keep the water clean. If the water isn't kept clean you'll end up right back at square one.
Paragard by Seachem is what I would use on them. It treats parasites, lesions and fungus. You can also add Stressguard by Seachem to reduce stress, replace the slime coat and also help clear up the infection as it has antibiotics in it. The two can be used together (some medications cannot).
Can you get them a larger tank? 75 is just too small for 2 large Oscars. Even adding lots of additional HOB filtration (please also keep the sponge filter in there both for aeration and biological filtration, cleaning it in tank water when it gets too scrungy) they are dumping so much waste into such a small space that you'll need to do significant water changes every single day to keep the water clean. If the water isn't kept clean you'll end up right back at square one.
Gourami Swami
astrocreep
S
skjl47
Well reading your posts im try my best to get a bigger tank asap and for a while stick to once a day feeding and an extra filter mostly HOB
As far as them, i visited my LFS the person there identified it as Fungal and gave me some anti fungal solution, he too was dealing with a fish with the same condition and medicated his tank with the same solution in front of me hence i trusted him and added the solution to my tank.
The next morning they recovered alot, they were active like before, following me for food etc.. of course they look severely sacred and the fungus has cleared up alot. All thats left is White patches (the white filaments protruding out are gone). I have been doing 50% wc each day with Heater set to 26°C or 78°F.
As far as the reading of my water, well im saving for a larger tank and i dont wish to ask my parents for money for my hobby unless my fishes are dying and i can only save them with with an expensive measure. So i am sorry for not providing readings i know its very important, im working on it will get everything for the new tank!
Thank you so much with the help! I will keep this thread updated
