|
Public Forum | Proceed to Auspet's New Discussion Forum | Pet Directory | Classifieds | Home | LinkXchange |
Click here to make Auspet.com your default home page |
Auspet - Message Boards
Fish and Aquarium sick oscars
|
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! | next newest topic | next oldest topic |
Author | Topic: sick oscars |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-05-2004 12:48 PM
I have 4 oscars and 2 of them arent acting normal.They arent eating as much as the others and they float up at the top of the tank.I tested the water and its fine.What could be wrong with them? IP: Logged |
t_chelle16 Member Posts: 501 |
posted 03-05-2004 12:52 PM
How big are they? What size tank? How long have you had them? What exactly are your water parameters (I prefer the actual numbers rather than "fine")? What filter(s) do you have? How often do you do water changes? Do you give them feeder fish? -Chelle IP: Logged |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-05-2004 01:02 PM
they are about 6 inches and are in a 300 gallon.i have 4 whisper filters for up to 55 gallons and an under gravel filter. I have had them for about a year.The people at petco tested the water and didnt tell me anything except its fine. IP: Logged |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-05-2004 01:03 PM
i give them feeders once a week and change water every two weeks. [This message has been edited by fishfinder (edited 03-05-2004).] IP: Logged |
t_chelle16 Member Posts: 501 |
posted 03-05-2004 01:23 PM
It would be worth the money to buy your own test kits. Most employees at stores like Petco are not aquarium/fish keeping experts so if they say something is fine, I wouldn't be too quick to believe them (heck, I've seen them try to sell someone 2 oscars for a 10 gallon tank and say they'll be fine). I would also avoid feeders. They are a great way to introduce all kinds of diseases into your tank and they have very little nutritional value for oscars. Also, it doesn't sound like you have enough filtration. The general rule for HOB fiters is you need a 10x turnover rate. So for a 300 gallon tank you will need a total of 3000 gallons/hour. Your 4 Whisper filters only add up to 1320 gallons/hour. And undergravel filters and oscars don't mix very well, because oscars like to dig in the gravel. The water will flow more readily through the places with the least amount of gravel and the less gravel the water is flowing through, the less efficient the filter is. I would suggest supplimenting the HOB filters with a couple good canister filters. They are more efficient than HOB filters so they ony require a 3x - 5x turnover. So if you could get 2 canisters that are about 400 gallons/hour each, combined with your 4 HOB filters, that should be enough filtration. So, my guess is it's either water quality related (can't say for sure until I get the actual numbers from the tests) or something introduced by the feeders. And a couple more quick questions: If they're floating on their side it could be swim bladder problems. You can try feeding them some shelled peas (frozen peas cooked in the microwave to thaw them out, then remove the shells). And on a side note, I commend you for providing such a nice big home for your 4 oscars. When I first read that you had 4 of them, I was afraid you had them in a 55 gallon tank. -Chelle [This message has been edited by t_chelle16 (edited 03-05-2004).] IP: Logged |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-05-2004 01:31 PM
one is on his side and looks bloated and the other one is just staying at the top and not swimming around.Im going to the store to get filters soon.thanks. [This message has been edited by fishfinder (edited 03-05-2004).] IP: Logged |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-05-2004 01:33 PM
I will try peas. Thank you for your help. IP: Logged |
fishfinder Member Posts: 38 |
posted 03-06-2004 02:22 PM
thanks t_chelle my oscars look a little better.The PH is 8.0 and i got the filters. IP: Logged |
falarah New Member Posts: 7 |
posted 03-06-2004 05:54 PM
Alot of times after you put in feeders, your Oscars will eat to the point of being so full, they will lay on the bottom of fish tank. I have seen them lay on their sides so full they have to rest at bottom of tank until they pull out of it. I never feed my Oscars live food, as they will amost always cause ick in the tank. I treat my Oscars with drops of ick every so often, just to be on the safe side. The pet stores have floating pellets for Oscars and that is what I give them. They seem to never get tired of them.... IP: Logged |
All times are ET (US) | next newest topic | next oldest topic |
Home | Contact us | Advertise here | Jobs at Auspet | |
© 1999-2017 AusPet.com |