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Author Topic:   sick oscars
fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-05-2004 12:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
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?

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t_chelle16
Member

Posts: 501
From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-05-2004 12:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for t_chelle16     Edit/Delete Message
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

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fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-05-2004 01:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
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.

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fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-05-2004 01:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
i give them feeders once a week and change water every two weeks.

[This message has been edited by fishfinder (edited 03-05-2004).]

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t_chelle16
Member

Posts: 501
From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-05-2004 01:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for t_chelle16     Edit/Delete Message
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:
Are the ones that are floating bloated?
Are they laying on their side or back when they're floating? Or just hanging around near the top?

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).]

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fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-05-2004 01:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
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).]

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fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-05-2004 01:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
I will try peas. Thank you for your help.

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fishfinder
Member

Posts: 38
From:Henderson NV 89074
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-06-2004 02:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fishfinder     Edit/Delete Message
thanks t_chelle my oscars look a little better.The PH is 8.0 and i got the filters.

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falarah
New Member

Posts: 7
From:Stagecoach NV
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 03-06-2004 05:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for falarah     Edit/Delete Message
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....

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