Sick Oscar?

[cuticom]

So since I introduced a trio of clown loaches, Merlins been losing parts of his tail, at the time I figured it was just a nip and I was sure he would have fought back. Well a week later he's pretty torn up and when I checked him just now he was just floating around at the top of the tank. He's only a baby maybe 3 inches long? probably less.

I've moved him to a Q tank and now he's sitting on the bottom still doing nothing. I've got some triple sulfa dissolving for him as well just in case. He's an albino so its kinda hard to tell if he has any external probs, but I cant see any signs of whitespot or fungus.

So some ideas LOL, he's sulking for some reason or another, and has learnt a new way to give his human a heart attack, he was ill to begin with and the loaches decided to finish him off, or being an oscar he's eaten something he shouldn't and is now really ill.

Can anyone help? the other fish in the tank are perfectly healthy...

Oh and yes the loaches are going, their my mums really am just babysitting them till she buys a tank for them since their the most horrible bullies

 

[cuticom]

Oops forgot to add, he was fine up until a few hours ago, and helped tear a bloodworm cube up as well as eating his pellet. He does seem a bit thin, but then again he is a baby Oscar

 

[-germ-]

Could be a few things, one possibility to ponder is he may have caught his tail in the filter inlet.
If it was the loaches then other illness may have made him vulnerable but it would be impossible to guess without other symptoms.
He's probably just stressed, getting his tail torn up and being moved will have got him a little down.
I'd under treat with a combination of anti-bac (to prevent fin rot) and melafix to enourage the healing process in well oxygenated water.

 

[paul-discus]

You say he tore a bloodworm cube up, he didn't eat any of this frozen did he as all food must be thouroghly thawed first. I would like to know what you do feed. I personally found when i had oscars was that Hikari cichlid pellets were great for them and i also used to get a smasll tub of earthworms from my local angling shop and feed them those which is far better than bloodworms. You can also make a beefheart mix into which you can add some vitamins if you wish. If the fish is looking thin i would add some wormer to the tank. An oscar will lay on it's side if it is unhappy and the fact that you have moved it to an unfamiliar tank will only cause stress. I would also add the treatments the guy has mentioned above and it is okay to add wormer plus with that too.

 

[cuticom]

LOl yeah twas defrosted, I got some new stuff that stays in its cube for some reason. I feed Wardley shrimp pellets, and break em up cos he's such a lil guy, tropical fish flakes, frozen brineshrimp, peas, and then occasional algae pellet. He's too small for earthworms, I've tried that before even cut up he cant get them in his mouth. I dont really feel comfortable feeding beafheart, its nothing he'd eat naturally, and would rather stick to an at least simulated diet.

I've dded tro sulfa to his water now, its the best external med I can get my hands on here in Aus.

He's on his side now, gills look alot pinker then usual, and still no reaction when he sees me, which is not normal, even if he was sulking he'd always come up and beg for more food.

 

[cuticom]

Merlin died, I found out why at least, he choked to death on a piece of gravel lodged in his throat

 

[merry78]

sorry to hear he didn't make it. Merlin.

 

[-germ-]

Unlucky Merlin sorry for your loss.