Help! Kind Of An Emergency

[severina]

Ok..so at work (Walmart...yeah I know) we have loads of fish..and I'd always loved the oscars. One day when I went to watch them I noticed one was sort of depressed and being picked on alot so I bought her so I could save her. When took her home, she became a very happy, beautiful fish! When I got her she was very pale...now she's different shades of yellow orange and purple.
BUT! The other day when doing a water change I noticed that on her side she had a patch where it appears that skin is missing. I can see her flesh..kinda looks like a tuna filet. And I'm wondering if there's some sort of skin eatting disease or something. I've tried searching for an answer a million times (google, browsing forums like these), so I've decided to just ask.
For the past 4 days I've been using MelaFix to avoid an infection, but I don't notice any reduction in the size of the patch. Could she be rubbing up against something to cause this? Is there something that could make a fish..ich? I haven't noticed her rubbing on anything, but she could be doing it behind my back.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[freddyk]

Can you get a picutre? Is it holes in the flesh of the skin or just the surface? Is there anything else in the tank with it? Is it getting worse or is it still how you found it? If it isn't getting worse then it' possible it burned itself on the heater.

 

[Lynden]

Or he could have rammed a rock and got a minor infection.

 

[severina]

Its just in the skin, and its one hole.
She's in there by herself, and there are no rocks.
Its not getting worse (The heater suggestion is a good one...she does like to stay next to the heater)
and I could get a picture but I can't figure out how to upload it to my computer.

So could I just continue using MelaFix if its just a burn or scrape?

 

[freddyk]

Yup, and keep the water pristine - clean water is much more important then any additive when it comes to quick healing and avoiding infection. Also look into getting a heater guard - it will prevent it from happening again (if this was the cause) and also save it from breaking if he ever decides to attack it, which happens a lot when they get bigger.

Deeper holes in the body, ones that appear as pits in the skin, is known as Hole in the Head disease. It doesn't sound like this is the case, but you might want to look into it just in case.

 

[guppymonkey]

I have an oscar that sometimes hurts himself in a similar way to what you describe. Sometimes when he gets really excited he slams himself against the decorations in the tank and sometimes jumps up and smashs himself against the hood of the tank. When he does this he knocks scales off exposing the whiteness underneath. It sounds to me like thats what your oscar did. The scales grow back pretty quickly but it does take a couple weeks.

The care is basically the same as what has already been suggested. I doubt it was a burn personally. Its very very rare for fish to actually get burned by the heaters unless they actually attack the heater. A guard would be a good idea with an oscar though. If they get bored they break stuff. I usually try to keep mine occupied with its driftwood decorations, the gravel and some plastic plants to drag around so he doesn't try to attack the heater.

 

[severina]

If they get bored they break stuff. I usually try to keep mine occupied with its driftwood decorations, the gravel and some plastic plants to drag around so he doesn't try to attack the heater.

Haha! Mine is pretty mellow but she's only 3 inches...I couldn't imagine her being able to break the heater. But I guess I'll be dealing with that issue next year when she's 3 times her size Its still a funny thought though.