It's all about the bacteria evolved to live in certain water types.
Oscars are endeemic to mineral poor, soft, neutral pH, low nitrate and acidic water in S America, so have not needed to develop resistance to the type bacteria endemic to hard, higher pH, nitrate rich mineral rich water, common in many parts of North America.
That soup alone is not what creates HITH in oscars, ........but that soup is ........
an environment where only pH, mineral rich tolerant and sensitive bacteria are endemic.
Expose an oscar to hard high pH, water with not enough water changes to keep nitrate at low levels,
and those hard water bacteria become a chronic problem just as oscars are hitting maturity
.
Coming from the reef side, I would expect OP to be set with an RO unit that can provide low mineral concentration water to cut the soup,
if the tap water is naturally hard, and high pH.
And since tap water is an easy road to hoe, compared to mixing up salt water, it will be a breeze in comparison to keep nitrate at a minimum (<5ppm).
The OP might also still have a sump/refugim available to use as a heavily planted addition that could keep nitrates at bay.
I have used heavily planted refugiums for decades , and not had an issues with HITH with my cichlids, even when I slack off on water changes
Of course I only keep cichlids endemic to my hard, high pH water.
Or if Oscars can be found, those that have lived where survival of the fittest has eliminated individuals not able too adapt to certain waters (I'm not talking breeder tanks where life is easy) that might be an alternate solution.
Here in Panama there is a strong population of feral oscars, living in the hard water soup of Lake Gatun. (or the brackish waters of the Evergreen;ades)
Where, due to the survival of fittest mode, would have quickly eliminated any "not" able to adapt, (maybe 99% of any spawn), so those that make it to be able to spawn themselves, would be quite robust.
Oscars are endeemic to mineral poor, soft, neutral pH, low nitrate and acidic water in S America, so have not needed to develop resistance to the type bacteria endemic to hard, higher pH, nitrate rich mineral rich water, common in many parts of North America.
That soup alone is not what creates HITH in oscars, ........but that soup is ........
an environment where only pH, mineral rich tolerant and sensitive bacteria are endemic.
Expose an oscar to hard high pH, water with not enough water changes to keep nitrate at low levels,
and those hard water bacteria become a chronic problem just as oscars are hitting maturity
.
Coming from the reef side, I would expect OP to be set with an RO unit that can provide low mineral concentration water to cut the soup,
if the tap water is naturally hard, and high pH.
And since tap water is an easy road to hoe, compared to mixing up salt water, it will be a breeze in comparison to keep nitrate at a minimum (<5ppm).
The OP might also still have a sump/refugim available to use as a heavily planted addition that could keep nitrates at bay.
I have used heavily planted refugiums for decades , and not had an issues with HITH with my cichlids, even when I slack off on water changes
Of course I only keep cichlids endemic to my hard, high pH water.
Or if Oscars can be found, those that have lived where survival of the fittest has eliminated individuals not able too adapt to certain waters (I'm not talking breeder tanks where life is easy) that might be an alternate solution.
Here in Panama there is a strong population of feral oscars, living in the hard water soup of Lake Gatun. (or the brackish waters of the Evergreen;ades)
Where, due to the survival of fittest mode, would have quickly eliminated any "not" able to adapt, (maybe 99% of any spawn), so those that make it to be able to spawn themselves, would be quite robust.
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