Baby Oscars Keep Dying

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Hey Terta, nice to see another member from the great white north. I have always found that baby oscars are usually not very hardy. FYI Even as adults, oscars are more sensitive to poor water quality, and low amounts of aeration than most other species. Years ago, (the last time I kept oscars) i kept buying a juvenile from a pets unlimited nearby. They kept dying (probably were diseased - corporate store). One day I got pissed and then bought 4 at once (I only wanted one). One died in the first week and the remaining 3 lasted to adulthood and we're all beasts, had for years. I was like... what have i done to myself haha.
 
Skalper666 said:
Hey Terta, nice to see another member from the great white north. I have always found that baby oscars are usually not very hardy. FYI Even as adults, oscars are more sensitive to poor water quality, and low amounts of aeration than most other species. Years ago, (the last time I kept oscars) i kept buying a juvenile from a pets unlimited nearby. They kept dying (probably were diseased - corporate store). One day I got pissed and then bought 4 at once (I only wanted one). One died in the first week and the remaining 3 lasted to adulthood and we're all beasts, had for years. I was like... what have i done to myself haha.
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Haha that's what's his happen I just know it.
I think its something I'm doing though, the Oscars at petland are still alive
 
Terta said:
Haha that's what's his happen I just know it.
I think its something I'm doing though, the Oscars at petland are still alive
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Yeah just treat the chlorine, and try giving them more air than u think u need to, and try doing 50% water changes.
 
For sure baby oscars can be sick and beat up by the time you get them home, but dying over night like this is odd. Usually they'll linger for a few days or a week. If you can get beyond that point they're typically a keeper.

Terta, what water test kit are you using? If it's the API master test kit are you 100% sure you're doing the nitrate test correctly? It's super common to not.

The only other thing I can think of is stray voltage being transmitted into the water from a faulty heater.
 
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FreshyFresh said:
For sure baby oscars can be sick and beat up by the time you get them home, but dying over night like this is odd. Usually they'll linger for a few days or a week. If you can get beyond that point they're typically a keeper.

Terta, what water test kit are you using? If it's the API master test kit are you 100% sure you're doing the nitrate test correctly? It's super common to not.

The only other thing I can think of is stray voltage being transmitted into the water from a faulty heater.
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I'm using Nutrafin test kit and yup positive I'm doing it right or all the other fish would have been sick.
I never thought of the heater, but wouldn't it affect the other fish too.

The Oscar do stay alive 4-5 days. Each pair was different.

I'll add more air. Change heater out. Get ANOTHER replacement pair of Oscars, and try again.

I'll post photos of my next water test. I do them the day of or day before the water change
 
I will hold on any thing on this one. i will say box store oscars have a way of dropping dead.
 
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pops said:
I will hold on any thing on this one. i will say box store oscars have a way of dropping dead.
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That's what I'm worried about. Then you think it might just be the Oscars, not me?!
 
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