- 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?
- 5
- 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?
- 71-80%
- 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.
I am posting this as information as I am not looking for advice. This is just info. My story.
I have 2 oscars over 2 years old on with a Jurupari and 3 silver dollars. Tank is approx. 110 gal. Oscars are always healthy (other than some ich in their younger years).
The oscars developed white lesions on their head (and one on the operculum- on oscar 2 who had the worse case). I was suspicious of a new cheaper carbon I was using (from API). Granulars were smaller than the "sticks" i usually buy. I removed the carbon.
The oscars never showed signs of stress other than the lesions. Eating a bunch and acting normally. Lots of vitamins.
Water conditions were good but I have a large synthetic tree stump in the tank. I tried to remove for cleaning. Too large. One of the oscars got banged up. Anyway, I did a thorough cleaning of the tank and sump. Moving the tree stump helped.
But I was not convinced that water poor conditions were the cause. I thouroughly clean the sump and tank weekly with 80% water change.
After the cleaning I introduced salt to about 2ppt. (Mostly for the banged up oscar).
I fed Hex Shield to the oscars. On day 2 they wouldn't eat it. They had a healthy appetite for other foods.
I administered metro (1/2 max. dose) and treated for 10 days .
The scrapes and scratches on oscar 2 healed in 3 days. Oscar 1 actually developed more of these lesions. Oscar 2 was 80% healed in 2 weeks.
I fed Hex Shield stuffed in FD minnows for 2 days to #1 after the 10 day metro treatment as he now had 3 lesions and a 4th one starting.
So next step I checked for stay voltage. I have read a bit about it in the past with different opinions and conclusions. I figured it hadn't created a problem so I didn't pursue doing anything other than buying a voltage meter that I never used. I checked for stray voltage (AC) and read 70 volts. After shutting things off I found lighting caused about 5-10 volts. The pump about 25-30. The heater added 40 volts. Interesting enough this titanium heater voltage actually decreased in voltage about 50% when it's thermostat had it "on".
All these readings were with the salt at 2 ppt. BTW I checked the pbass tank and saw about 3V stray voltage. This tank has two pumps and two of the same type heater.
I cleaned the tank again and changed 80% of the water. No salt this time and no meds. Installed ground probes on both tanks and a new heater in this oscar tank. Voltage readings were much lower (below a volt) in the oscar tank. Without the probe they were still very low. I'm thinking the salt exacerbated the stray voltage.
Currently oscar 2 is healed and oscar 1 is healing well though slowly. Black patches are forming in the lesions and no new lesions. One small lesion has disappeared. My water changes have increased a bit currently to help the situation. Both oscars acing normally throughout this whole ordeal.
My conclusions:
Doesn't hurt to check for stray voltage. I have read accounts in the forum regarding chronic HITH. Makes me think about stray voltage.
Get a ground probe for your tank. They are cheap. If I had salt water tank it would be a must.
Not convinced carbon was at fault.
Not sure this disease would be considered HITH. But it was perplexing. Only the oscars were affected.
I have 2 oscars over 2 years old on with a Jurupari and 3 silver dollars. Tank is approx. 110 gal. Oscars are always healthy (other than some ich in their younger years).
The oscars developed white lesions on their head (and one on the operculum- on oscar 2 who had the worse case). I was suspicious of a new cheaper carbon I was using (from API). Granulars were smaller than the "sticks" i usually buy. I removed the carbon.
The oscars never showed signs of stress other than the lesions. Eating a bunch and acting normally. Lots of vitamins.
Water conditions were good but I have a large synthetic tree stump in the tank. I tried to remove for cleaning. Too large. One of the oscars got banged up. Anyway, I did a thorough cleaning of the tank and sump. Moving the tree stump helped.
But I was not convinced that water poor conditions were the cause. I thouroughly clean the sump and tank weekly with 80% water change.
After the cleaning I introduced salt to about 2ppt. (Mostly for the banged up oscar).
I fed Hex Shield to the oscars. On day 2 they wouldn't eat it. They had a healthy appetite for other foods.
I administered metro (1/2 max. dose) and treated for 10 days .
The scrapes and scratches on oscar 2 healed in 3 days. Oscar 1 actually developed more of these lesions. Oscar 2 was 80% healed in 2 weeks.
I fed Hex Shield stuffed in FD minnows for 2 days to #1 after the 10 day metro treatment as he now had 3 lesions and a 4th one starting.
So next step I checked for stay voltage. I have read a bit about it in the past with different opinions and conclusions. I figured it hadn't created a problem so I didn't pursue doing anything other than buying a voltage meter that I never used. I checked for stray voltage (AC) and read 70 volts. After shutting things off I found lighting caused about 5-10 volts. The pump about 25-30. The heater added 40 volts. Interesting enough this titanium heater voltage actually decreased in voltage about 50% when it's thermostat had it "on".
All these readings were with the salt at 2 ppt. BTW I checked the pbass tank and saw about 3V stray voltage. This tank has two pumps and two of the same type heater.
I cleaned the tank again and changed 80% of the water. No salt this time and no meds. Installed ground probes on both tanks and a new heater in this oscar tank. Voltage readings were much lower (below a volt) in the oscar tank. Without the probe they were still very low. I'm thinking the salt exacerbated the stray voltage.
Currently oscar 2 is healed and oscar 1 is healing well though slowly. Black patches are forming in the lesions and no new lesions. One small lesion has disappeared. My water changes have increased a bit currently to help the situation. Both oscars acing normally throughout this whole ordeal.
My conclusions:
Doesn't hurt to check for stray voltage. I have read accounts in the forum regarding chronic HITH. Makes me think about stray voltage.
Get a ground probe for your tank. They are cheap. If I had salt water tank it would be a must.
Not convinced carbon was at fault.
Not sure this disease would be considered HITH. But it was perplexing. Only the oscars were affected.
