Oscar Breathing Heavy And Not Eating

[rmo_3000]

Hello everyone,
I thought my Oscar was just being tempermental, as usual, however, she/he(?) has stopped eating, is breathing (fairly) heavily and generally looks inattentive. I'm very worried since he is usually ravenous for food, breathes normally through the gills and is very attentive (especially for food)! One thing more, I just saw him resting on the gravel, on the ventral/'stomach' side. Please help me!!! Thanks, Rob

 

[Mikey1]

describe your tank and filter maintanance in the past month in specific detail,
 
water changes?
filter cleaning?
filter media replacement?
gravel cleaning?
 
etc etc
 
what type of filter or filters are you using?
how big is the tank?
are there other fish in the tank?

 

[rmo_3000]

75Gal Tank, 2 Aquaclear 110 filters (one filter that runs 24/7/365, and the other filter that runs approx 8 to 10 hrs/day).
Contents of tank:
2 Oscars - one approx 11inches (the one with the problem) and one approx 9inches
1 Jack Dempsey approx 5 1/2inches
1 Geophagus approx 6inches
1 Convict approx 4inches
 
Water change of 25% once a week (including gravel cleaning and inside glass cleaing)
Clean both filter approx once every 2months
sponge, carbon filter media replaced approx once every 4 months
 
Please help...

 

[Mikey1]

why do you turn one of the filters off?
 
when was the last time you changed or cleaned the filter media?
 
describe how you clean the media, are you rinsing it with tap water? hot or cold or warm?

 

[mark4785]

Hello everyone,
I thought my Oscar was just being tempermental, as usual, however, she/he(?) has stopped eating, is breathing (fairly) heavily and generally looks inattentive. I'm very worried since he is usually ravenous for food, breathes normally through the gills and is very attentive (especially for food)! One thing more, I just saw him resting on the gravel, on the ventral/'stomach' side. Please help me!!! Thanks, Rob

 
Hi,
 
What is your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH level please? If you can, getting your GH and KH values will be handy to know too.

 

[phoenixgsd]

we need your water stats, in particular ammonia and nitrite? these two are very toxic and as you turn your filter off and the carbon filter media is replaced approx once every 4 months, i  suspect your fish are being poisioned