View Full Version : Help with my oscar plz
My oscar has what looks like a drill hole, two on the left side and one on the rightside of his chin. I have talked to someone at the LFS who says my oscar doesnt have HITH. If you know of any diseases/illness that might be contracted commonly/rarely for oscars I would be very grateful to know. NOTE: my nitrite and ammonia levels are with in optimum range, Thanks :nilly:
Mystix212
07-28-2007, 3:26 AM
Ammonia within OPTIMUM range? Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0. Nitrate around 15-30ppm. Post some pics of your oscar. Hexamita (Hole-in-the-head) is very common is oscars and is caused by bad water quality. Do 50% water changes every 5 days. Treat with Metradonzial.
In the UK Metradonzial is only available from your vet. Try Waterlifes Octozin.
But you will have to be patient now as it can take a long time to get rid of.
That said it is possible.
What are you feeding your Oscar as diet can also be a factor. You will need to medicate the food. Heximita is a parasitic problem.
Fish can live a long time with this so its worth treating it as any other cichlids you add or have will now also be prone to it.
But water quality and diet are the key factors. Best of luck
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z147/Albert-Einstein/DSC00029.jpghttp://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z147/Albert-Einstein/DSC00030.jpg
Thanks for the replys, to answer your questions I feed them krill, shrimp, and floating cichlid sticks. I do a 25% water change twice a week since I noticed the holes. Would a 50% water change once a week be more effective?
Mystix212
07-28-2007, 7:40 PM
50% would prove to be better. Guro is not in the Uk, he's in the southern island of New Zealand.
we are very imaginative its called the south island, is it a positive id of hole in the head?
bigspizz
07-29-2007, 3:15 AM
Yes he has hith.....too much carbon(running it at all times) Will also cause hith. Only use carbon for 24-48 hrs in your oscar tank!
carbon? do u mean the same as charcoal in the filter?
bigspizz
07-30-2007, 12:35 AM
carbon? do u mean the same as charcoal in the filter?
Yes. It is good for short times....And I have heard it gives O's hith if you "over" do it with activated carbon.
santoury
07-30-2007, 12:35 AM
Hello
Yes, it is HITH, and yes, carbon is the charcoal. Remove it, so that it doesn't remove the medications as well..
Metronidazole can also be sold as Flagyl, or Tetracycline. Most fish stores have one or the other name on the same package - small blue pills I believe, if I remember correctly. It will say "For HITH" on the front.
santoury
07-30-2007, 12:38 AM
Sorry - upon looking back into memory, it's white powder in capsules that you break open.
thanks very much for the advice will remove carbon tonight and by med tomorrow
24-48hours carbon, weekly, monthly, ?
P.S. what should be a good replace for carbon basket after medication for oscars?
bigspizz
07-30-2007, 5:05 AM
more bio media. I use seachem matrix. Carbon only as needed. I.E; removing meds, clearing tank, uh I don't use it exept to remove meds. What type of filter do you have?
fluval 404 one end and 202 the other
bigspizz
07-30-2007, 5:15 AM
Yeah use the matrix or something nice and porous. What size is the tank?
its a aquaone 180 540 Lts im waiting on the aquaone overhead filter that goes with
bigspizz
07-30-2007, 5:59 AM
Yeah just up the bio filtration. The mech is done with your W.C's. Just dechlor your water, do lots of W.C's. and test often.
thanks brother for yor help no chlorine in CHCH tap water, + pH (neutral) makes life a bit easyer down here
thanks everyone got meds today had to go to vet cost more than a new oscar but i am fish keeper not fish haver
bigspizz
08-01-2007, 7:57 AM
thanks everyone got meds today had to go to vet cost more than a new oscar but i am fish keeper not fish haver
Very nice way to put it. Paying more for food/meds/care shows on a daily basis how much we all love our lil babies. Our fish (all mfkers) ARE the luckiest fish in all waters.....
can any one tell me why carbon is bad for oscars?
Fish on Fire
08-04-2007, 11:07 PM
Well, I've been told that carbon tends to cause HITH, which isn't very pretty at all. That's why I remove all carbon from my filter pads.
HI FISH ON FIRE YOU LIVE IN CALI DO YR FISH HAVE IMPLANMTS
Mystix212
08-05-2007, 5:41 AM
Do his fish have 'Implants'? Like, insted of boobs, its a huge nuchal bump for a Red Devil like this fish had?
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/1348/reddeviljj9.jpg
i change 50% of the water in my oscar's tank twice a week to keep HITH at bay
thats a cool fish i waz just havin a joke