More tank pics, updated

FINWIN · Jun 23, 2024

I'm posting this here because I didn't want to revisit the other thread regarding my oscar Brick. No real reason to.

To put a final cap on things: got some free information from a vet, referred to me. Based on the description of Brick's fast darkening appearance and the quick time frame of the bulges and location it's likely he had kidney or liver failure = tumor. As I mentioned before the body bulge thing is described as being 'fairly common' in oscars, not something a fish keeper wants to hear. It also seems to normally happen right around Brick's age if it's to happen at all. Juvies and babies don't get it. Just thought I'd share this for informational purposes. Also, this issue with oscars dates back at least to the 90s.

Final stats on Big Red

15" flat
8" tall
3 1/2" wide
3lbs 9 1/2 oz.
true age 5-6 years (bought at 2")

Will any of this keep me from getting another oscar? HELL NO

Update on the 125: need to get another holding tub for the final hrp purge. ONLY keepers will remain, that's it. Hrps Tigger and Blackbeard I'll allow some time for them to be parents in the growout. Tigger will be moved to the breeder with her female clan. Very curious situation in the 225 with Bella, a 'female' hrp offspring out of Pip/Mongo. She might be trans gendering! A minor sudden growth spurt with her brothers removed and she's showing territorial/nesting behavior with Pip! Lately she's been taking swipes at the parrot, Boss. She's going into the 125 temporarily and might be part of the purge. Bella isn't exactly a favorite.

Will keep everyone updated on the summer fish punchlist!

jjohnwm · Jun 23, 2024

Cool! I enjoyed reading about your last purge, the one where aquariums stores locked their doors and went dark just as you pulled up with a car full of pails, buckets, bins, plastic bags, milk jugs, brandy snifters, canteens, garbage cans and bassinets filled to overflowing with HRP's. Aaaah, the memories!

FINWIN , if you decide to streamline and speed up the purging process this year, I'd be happy to write up a review on that new blender I used for my goldfish purge last year.

The part of this post that contains Brick's final stats should be required reading every time somebody new pipes up with "Well, I read on the internet that an Oscar would do just fine in a 50-gallon tank!" :duh:

FINWIN · Jun 23, 2024

jjohnwm said:
Cool! I enjoyed reading about your last purge, the one where aquariums stores locked their doors and went dark just as you pulled up with a car full of pails, buckets, bins, plastic bags, milk jugs, brandy snifters, canteens, garbage cans and bassinets filled to overflowing with HRP's. Aaaah, the memories!

FINWIN , if you decide to streamline and speed up the purging process this year, I'd be happy to write up a review on that new blender I used for my goldfish purge last year.

The part of this post that contains Brick's final stats should be required reading every time somebody new pipes up with "Well, I read on the internet that an Oscar would do just fine in a 50-gallon tank!"

LOL I'm about ready to do the blender but the babies recognize me now (1+") and come up and crowd when I'm near the tank! I'd feel awful. Plus some are smaller adults that will be going. I remember being told happy fish breed a lot. I wish they were less happy that's for sure. Or maybe I could creep down to the river in the dead of night...

Yeah I'm still seeing threads about Oscars being 'ok' in tiny tanks and I don't respond to those because I'd likely cuss somebody out. These same people think a 9 inch oscar is 'huge' because they cramped it in a 55. If they saw Brick in person it would be culture shock. Hell, I had the fish and even I was astounded when he was near the glass and I hauled him out in a trout net. I ended up bracing him with both forearms. I knew how long/thick he was, it was the height I couldn't believe...he was an inch taller than I figured at 8".

One thing I discovered with large, massive fish. Their bodies 'gas up' and swell in a few minutes as body processes stop and a chemical reaction takes place. My chocolate Bobo was literally hot to the touch like she'd been boiled (she had severe bacterial infection which likely sped things up). Brick didn't feel hot but it was hard to lay him flat for a final measurement because he started to swell in the middle. It's the eyes that seem to protrude quickly. None of my smaller fish would swell at all.

I might do an update to "Ode to the Fin Mafia"

FINWIN · Jun 27, 2024

Got a cool surprise this morning.

Bp Tango has dug out a bowling alley! He's cleared a long wide stripe of glass and rolls his balls. Pic incoming!!

In other news, the nonsense continues in the 125. Mongo (the screwball Hrp King) is one again in jail for pissing off his family with the nutbar attacks. So he stays behind a plant, peeps out and watches. Meanwhile brother Slade has finally regained his confidence after getting stuck again in a log. He now struts front and center again. Coincidence? I think not.

FINWIN · Jun 27, 2024

Well the other side of fishkeeping has reared its ugly head quickly. I've posted in the disease section. Monster hrp Hulk is in bad shape. Details in other thread.

I'll do what I can but I'm pretty resigned to the inevitable. This has to be the biggest crapfest of a run of fishkeeping I've had since 2 years ago. It's not over for Hulk, but I'm no dummy the odds are long. Seems like my favorties are the ones that go on a blink. F+++ this.

Those of you with columnaris experience, please tell me a few things:

1. Can humans catch it
2. Can it affect just one fish in a tank (no other fish have any issues)
3. How is it possible in an established tank with no new fish?
4. What factors cause it? The case with Hulk has been the last four days!!! And AFTER a water change.
5. Problematic shared python system
6. Besides bleach and sun, does boiling water kill it?
7. What's the real recovery rate? (I'm prepared for the worst)

Deadeye · Jun 27, 2024

FINWIN said:
Well the other side of fishkeeping has reared its ugly head quickly. I've posted in the disease section. Monster hrp Hulk is in bad shape. Details in other thread.

I'll do what I can but I'm pretty resigned to the inevitable. This has to be the biggest crapfest of a run of fishkeeping I've had since 2 years ago. It's not over for Hulk, but I'm no dummy the odds are long. Seems like my favorties are the ones that go on a blink. F+++ this.

Those of you with columnaris experience, please tell me a few things:

1. Can humans catch it
2. Can it affect just one fish in a tank (no other fish have any issues)
3. How is it possible in an established tank with no new fish?
4. What factors cause it? The case with Hulk has been the last four days!!! And AFTER a water change.
5. Problematic shared python system
6. Besides bleach and sun, does boiling water kill it?
7. What's the real recovery rate? (I'm prepared for the worst)

I posted in your disease thread. Seachem polyguard worked for me when my fish started showing cottony growth in their mouths.

The growths mainly affected my Dempsey but started to spread to tetras and rainbowfish.
I’m not sure about all the answers to your questions, but with a lot of bacterial issues they are usually related to injury or some stressor giving a chance to kick off.
Columnaris iirc is one of those diseases that exists in every system and strikes when it finds a chance.

FINWIN · Jun 27, 2024

Yes, if you look closely at the pic of Hulk's mouth there are 3 'bumps'.

FINWIN · Jun 28, 2024

I the wake of what happened with Hulk, should I monitor the 125 and for how long? The fish will be thinned out tomorrow...donations are going in a tub and the keepers will remain in the tank. So far I'm seeing nothing but concerned about 'hiders'. Did a 80% w/c late last night.

After reading threads here on columnaris, can a case of it be specific to a fish IF potential stressors/environmental causes are reduced or removed? What's puzzling is that there were no new entries. Is this a case where it pre exists in aquariums and attacks fish with weaker immune systems? I also saw somewhere that it thrives in organic heavy environments (ie plant matter) is this true?

I ask because the Cabomba plants in there shed even worse than Hornwort while adapting....worse, they're like water dust mops and collect every tiny particle in clumps. I discovered this among the floating plants (now cleaned and planted). To make matters worse when Cabomba clogs the prefilters it becomes a solid mass, blocking filtration. Hornwort will clump but still allow some water flow.

The prefilters I had may have been too small...I would clean every 2-3 days and rotate.

There's speculation on my part it may be no coincidence the two most massive/bulkiest males succumbed. They were both sterile...it's possible with that size package dna came some weaker immune systems. The only other super huge male from that batch is Stripey who is fertile and has a different body configuration like a cross between both parents. Solid and big as opposed to chunky.

And no, I didn't powerfeed. I mentioned the huge males all had a massive growth spurt after a year simultaneously.