Can't keep an oscar alive to save my life......

[raynist]

Have a 75g tank. It has been setup since xmas. Temp is at 78, Nitrates,Nitrites and ammonia all seem to be in good range. I am on my 4th oscar in a month and every one has had the same thing happen. First they get have clear stringy crap, then they get ick and then they get fungus on their eyes.

I have tried treating them with Quik Cure and various jungle products. I have setup a 10g treatment tank as it is getting too expensive to treat the 75 tank.

I filled the tank with 5g from the 75 tank and 5 gallon from a 30g tank that has been up and running for several months. There is no gravel in the 10g tank, just a heater and power filter.

I am currently treating the oscar (about 2 inches long) with Jungle Ick Clear tank buddies and Jungle Fungus Clear. You use 1 tablet per 10g. You can use one Ick tablet a day if you do 25% water change. Use 1 fungus tablet every 4 days with 25% water change. The ick looks like it is going away, but the fungus is getting worse. The fish keeps his side fins almost completely closed and has some stuff hanging out of his gills.

Is it safe to treat both the fungus and ick at the same time?

I don't want to lose another oscar....

Thanks
Ray

 

[ecto1]

Just a thought... maybe it's something in the water? Maybe there's fungus or bad germs hanging around in the tank water. Maybe you'd want to take down the whole tank and disinfect everything to make sure everything is sterile and free of germs, even if it means having to cycle the tank again.

Also, are you giving them feeder fish? I've heard that it may give them parasites.

 

[parker313]

Also, it could be poor quality fish that you're getting in the first place. Have you gotten them all from the same lfs? If so, you may want to try a new one.

 

[raynist]

I have only been feeding them pellets, nothing live.

I have got the last 3 from the same place.

--Ray

 

[sub.42]

Hi raynist,

I think you may have answered your own question with your last reply. Is the problem the supplier? The only way you can be sure that you are going to get rid of this disease is to treat the main tank, or, at the very least, quarantine the incoming fish in the smaller tank to start with.

He will be easier to examine visually, and treatment will not be as expensive, as you say. You must pay attention to your water quality, water changes are important, as oscars are dirty fish. But the most important thing is healthy stock when you start.

Try a new supplier, and see how you go, and again, check the fish carefully when you get him in the baggie at the LFS. Make sure he looks happy and healthy there, and if not, ask for a different fish.

Set up the 10g again, and cycle it. You will then have a 'clean' environment. Install Mr Oscar, and see how you go. If you still get the ick, then remember it might be a sign of another disease making him susceptible. Both of your symptoms sound like pre-installed (not caused by yourself) diseases.

Go for the quaratine.....and keep the water super clean.

You might even end up with a happy Mr Oscar.

Sub.

 

[fufanu360]

seeing as how oscars are actually extrememly easy to keep, there is something serious wrong with your water/tank... i would just restart

 

[sylvia]

Firstly, I DON'T think the supplier is the problem in this case.

First off, you say your ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte are 'in good range'. Can you be somewhat more specific? Your ammonia and nitrIte HAVE to be exactly 0. NitrAte should be below 40.

Secondly, it won't do any good to treat your oscar in the 10 gallon and then move him back to the 75 as he will just get re-infected by the ich and 'fungus' both of which are still going to be in your water.

I suggest you raise the temperature in the 75 gallon to 90 deg F and leave it that way for about a month. Then do a fishless cycle on it with pure ammonia.

Meanwhile, treat the oscar for ich and fungus like you are doing. It should be ok treating them both at once as ich is caused by protozoan parasites and fungus by bacteria so the meds should not effect each other. If they are from the same manufacturer, they are probably made to work together anyway.

Also note that adding WATER from an established tank does absolutely nothing. You will need to do daily water changes to keep the parameters under control and add the medication in after each water change.

Keep feeding to a minnimum to reduce water pollution and discourage the fungus. You may also want to raise the temperature a bit (just by a few degrees gradualy) to speed up the ich's lifecycle and make it susceptible to treatment quicker. Don't stop treating for ich until about a week after all signs of it are gone.

The fungus may take longer to treat. If you find that nothing is working, try something else. Malachite green might be a good idea and salt might prove useful too.

 

[raynist]

Firstly, I DON'T think the supplier is the problem in this case.

First off, you say your ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte are 'in good range'. Can you be somewhat more specific? Your ammonia and nitrIte HAVE to be exactly 0. NitrAte should be below 40.

Secondly, it won't do any good to treat your oscar in the 10 gallon and then move him back to the 75 as he will just get re-infected by the ich and 'fungus' both of which are still going to be in your water.

I suggest you raise the temperature in the 75 gallon to 90 deg F and leave it that way for about a month. Then do a fishless cycle on it with pure ammonia.

Meanwhile, treat the oscar for ich and fungus like you are doing. It should be ok treating them both at once as ich is caused by protozoan parasites and fungus by bacteria so the meds should not effect each other. If they are from the same manufacturer, they are probably made to work together anyway.

Also note that adding WATER from an established tank does absolutely nothing. You will need to do daily water changes to keep the parameters under control and add the medication in after each water change.

Keep feeding to a minnimum to reduce water pollution and discourage the fungus. You may also want to raise the temperature a bit (just by a few degrees gradualy) to speed up the ich's lifecycle and make it susceptible to treatment quicker. Don't stop treating for ich until about a week after all signs of it are gone.

The fungus may take longer to treat. If you find that nothing is working, try something else. Malachite green might be a good idea and salt might prove useful too.

Ammonia is Zero, Nitrites are Zero, Nitrates are 20 according to my test kit

 

[Vip]

If its the first day that they have a problem then its not you so dont go hard on yourself, its where your getting them from there selling you sick fish and they must be really sick because oscars are a hardy fish. Stand up for yourself and walk in there and demand to see there water tested in front of you then test your water and ask them why the hell are these oscars dyeing. Your best bet is just to go somewhere else and see what happens.

PS: What filters have you got running?

 

[raynist]

I have 2 Penguin 330's. I bought 3 of the oscars from Petsmart. I will not get the next one there.

BTW....it is now dead.....

 

[Discomafia]

Petsmart, that might be your problem. Most chain pet stores are renowned for their sickly livestock. Try finding a breeder in your area, that should help a lot!

edit - you said you bought 3 oscars in Petsmart, what about that 4th one?

 

[raynist]

I bought one at a local aquarium shop. It died after 1 week. It was the first Oscar. All of the oscars in that tank had ick when I went back to the shop 3 days later.

--Ray

 

[mwm]

I say CLEAN UR tank with a sponge and stuff empty alll the way and gravel clean everyhing and recycle it..

EDIT: Spelling

 

[juanveldez]

some people have a hard time keeping certin cichlids alive, I have never been able to keep an oscar alive to save my life either, but I can keep rare fish like my crenicichla sp cobra alive no problem. I do think that supplier issues play a big role in how a fish does. you just might want to check out Jeff Rapps if you are really wanting to get an oscar. the oscar stock that he offers is some of the best in the world.

 

[Dwarfs]

I agree with juan, whenever I have firemouths they die, but my Uaru (said to be hard to keep) is thriving When you're at the store, try to look for the brightest, most active and generally best looking oscar. Before you get another, I wuld clean up the tank, to get rid of any leftover parasites or fungus ETC. Good luck