New Oscar fish wont eat.

[aschaal]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

0

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0

If yes, what is your nitrate?

0

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

21-30%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Me and my boyfriend recently purchased an adult oscar who had some scratches due to the sharp decorations the store had in the tank with him. We put him in our 90g already established tank with a canister filter. He is living with a sailfin pleco. We also added some bottled bateria when we added him to help prevent ammonia spikes. So far the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are where they should be. But we have had him for a week now and have not been able to get him to eat. He wont even eat live food. Besides that we have tried frozen, flakes, sinking pellets and floating ones. I called the store to see what they were feeding him. Which was hikari cichlid pellets. I got him some of those. He grabs them and then spits them out. He also now is splashing the water and jolting suddenly in random directions. He also swims at the glass with his mouth open? But other than that it's not open more than normal. But his body and gills look fine and he seems to be breathing normal. Any ideas on what is going on or how to get him to eat?

 

[kno4te]

I know you didn’t post your water parameters but make sure your Monia and nitrate zero. Continue to keep your nitrates below 20ppm. And likely you’ll need to do water changes weekly with a plateau in at Oscar. Your fish may be just acting like this just being added to a new tank. Probably just muscle down. I would avoid feeding the live food and just to wait it out. Slowly re-introduce sickly pellets in every couple of days. Think I’ll eventually turn around. Watch out for stringy white poop which could be a sign of the internal parasites.

 

[tlindsey]

Welcome aboard

If you have a Nitrate level 0 ppm then your aquarium is not fully cycled. Large Pleco like the Common and Sailfin have large waste loads and so will the Oscar. Please retest your parameters. Also a larger percentage of water will be needed to be exchanged weekly especially having a Oscar they are prone to Hole in the head disease if Nitrate level isn't kept below 10 ppm or lower. Do you use a Dechlorinator during water changes If not Chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria you need for the Nitrifying Cycle.

 

[aschaal]

Welcome aboard

If you have a Nitrate level 0 ppm then your aquarium is not fully cycled. Large Pleco like the Common and Sailfin have large waste loads and so will the Oscar. Please retest your parameters. Also a larger percentage of water will be needed to be exchanged weekly especially having a Oscar they are prone to Hole in the head disease if Nitrate level isn't kept below 10 ppm or lower. Do you use a Dechlorinator during water changes If not Chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria you need for the Nitrifying Cycle.

Welcome aboard

If you have a Nitrate level 0 ppm then your aquarium is not fully cycled. Large Pleco like the Common and Sailfin have large waste loads and so will the Oscar. Please retest your parameters. Also a larger percentage of water will be needed to be exchanged weekly especially having a Oscar they are prone to Hole in the head disease if Nitrate level isn't kept below 10 ppm or lower. Do you use a Dechlorinator during water changes If not Chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria you need for the Nitrifying Cycle.

Yes I do use a dechlorinator during water changes. I just tested the parameters again using the api testing kit. It said that ammonia was 0, nitrite is 0 and nitrate is somewhere between 0 and 10. Closer to the 0 based on the color in the test tube. But I have been doing pretty frequent water changes in that tank since I got him. More than once a week but that was not an option on the survey thing they give you while completing your post. The filter that is on the tank is at least a year old. Previously stocked with the sailfin pleco that is in there now and african cichlids. I moved the african cichlids to another tank when i got the oscar. The filter is cleaned in tank water at least every 2 weeks. I made a post on a separate forum and over there I mentioned that I have not seen him poop at all since I have had him. They recommend an epsom salt bath with epsom salt that is not dyed or scented. So I have done that as well as an aquarium salt bath using the api aquarium salt. Since then he seems to not be darting around in random directions and circles but still hasnt eaten. It has been a little over 2 weeks now since I got him

 

[Rocksor]

It sounds like he's not comfortable enough to eat yet with all the darting around. Keep the tank lights off so he sees you approaching the tank.

If this oscar is more than 6", it can easily go 1 month without eating.

Epsom salt (MgSO4) is not the same thing as aquarium salt (NaCl)

 

[aschaal]

It sounds like he's not comfortable enough to eat yet with all the darting around. Keep the tank lights off so he sees you approaching the tank.

If this oscar is more than 6", it can easily go 1 month without eating.

Epsom salt (MgSO4) is not the same thing as aquarium salt (NaCl)

Ya he is calmer with the lights off so I have been keeping them off and just letting him get some indirect sunlight. He is at least 10-12" long

 

[Rocksor]

Ya he is calmer with the lights off so I have been keeping them off and just letting him get some indirect sunlight. He is at least 10-12" long

At that size 2 months without eating will not be detrimental. Give him some more time, and only offer Hikari pellets. Do not stay in room after you put in the pellets. Remove it 1 hour later.

 

[aschaal]

At that size 2 months without eating will not be detrimental. Give him some more time, and only offer Hikari pellets. Do not stay in room after you put in the pellets. Remove it 1 hour later.

Ok I will try that. Thankyou

 

[Jim bean 20055]

IM having the same problem except ive had my two oscars for about 2 or 3 months. They will bite the food but spit it out. Its not looking good they are 3-4 inches

 

[FreshyFresh]

Oscar keeper here as well.

They can be real wimps when things get changed up on them. If his color is good and has no obvious signs of something going on, just give him some time like said above.

I don't remember if it was here or other sites I follow, but I read of an oscar keeper who changed a big picture on the wall directly across from his oscar's tank. The O layed on the bottom of the tank for a week or two afterwards.