3" Oscar, HITH will not go away, good water & diet

[Fergy]

My small oscar got hole in the head, 2-3mm hole, so I put him in a hostpital tank and treated with Flagyl. I changed him to quaility pellet food and vitamins, originally was only getting sm feeders and worms along with my TT eel and CK (which are also off feeders now) and likely contributed to the original Hith.

After 2 weeks in hospital tank it seemed to go away, another week later it came back in a different spot significantly worse. The water is testing fine, 0 to less than 5 nitrates, 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, regular water changes and gravel cleaning, its the same with all my tanks.

All my other fish are very active healthy and lively. He is the only one that has a problem and also he is total dud unless food is dropped onto the tank. It's my first oscar and I am not so sure I like them anymore.

Any thoughts, $15 worth of meds already into a $6 fish, going further hardly seems worth it, I almost want to feed it to the cat

Also how susceptable are my TT eel and CK to HITH? I can't keep the oscar in the 10gallon Hosp tank much longer without feeling cruel.

 

[Fergy]

Also he hasn't grown a bit since I got him over 4/mo sgo. in that time the CK has grow 2", the TT 3" and the Syndontis Lace Cat 2".

I am serously considering writing this fish off. He never seemed too healthy after I got him home but ate well so I didn't worry until the HITH problem set in. He has some of the nicest markings of a tiger Oscar that I have seen, which is why I got him, but I wonder if he doesn't have a serious defect with immunity or something.

Any thought or advice would be very appreciated.

Thanks

 

[lighthouse39183]

What type test kit are you using? HITH is usually caused by poor water quality. What is the temp of your tank? If the water is too cold the oscar will not be as active. The fact that he is still eating is a good sign. I wouldn't write him off just yet. You could try a different medicine or use the aquarium salt treatment at a dose of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Some people use table salt (non-iodized). I understand that you said you are doing regular water changes and gravel vacs, but how often are you doing them and how much water are you changing? Do you have any airation in the tank? If your water temp is really warm you will have less disolved oxygen in your tank. Be sure you have good surface movement to help with the oxygen and if you don't have an air stone or 2 you should probably get some. The best cure is good clean water. In a 10g tank with an oscar you are going to have to stay on top of those cleanings and water changes.

 

[Fergy]

Temp of the tank is 82 and I have been using a little salt. I have just been using test strips recently but I plan to get one of the dropper test kits, any suggestion on brand.

I generally change 20-30% water at least once a week, every other day on the 10 with the oscar. Ph is alittle on the high side here, 7.6, but still within reason. I use airation on all my tanks. The only thing that is maybe a little amiss with the water here is the Kh, it is on the low side of ideal, but I have not had any Ph swings.

Thanks for the input, I will try to keep him going and anything else anyone can suggest that I am not already doing I will try.

 

[Fergy]

He's looking pretty bad tonight, ulcer is growing, he's getting pale (almost a green color), and just hanging at the bottom of the tank. But he still perks up to eat then goes right back to hanging at the bottom, even leaning on the side of the tank.

I did another water change this morning. But I really am thinking there is something wrong w/the fish that clean water will not help at this point.

I am going into the city tomorrow so I am going to pick up a good test kit and see how accurate the Mardel test strips are. I don't think they are far off because all of my other fish and tanks are active and healthy.

 

[sostoudt]

do you use activated carbon? the use of activated carbon will remove some of the vitamins in the water, making the condition worse. from now on i would feed the fish flakes or pellets so its getting the correct nutrition not feeders or worms.

 

[Fergy]

do you use activated carbon? the use of activated carbon will remove some of the vitamins in the water, making the condition worse. from now on i would feed the fish flakes or pellets so its getting the correct nutrition not feeders or worms.

I stopped giving Feeders to any of my fish about a month ago, Now the CK and TT are getting Pellets, Blood worms and earthworms. The Oscar has been eating only Hikari pellets and some tropical flakes for the 3-4 weeks he's been in the 10g.

I had only removed the Carbon during the Flagyl treatment. I will remove again and see if it helps

 

[zerojquan85]

hole in head is nasty... usually result from bad water...

Try keeping ur tank temperature high and do medication.. My huge 8" Oscar had something like that for awhile.. he had develop bad hole in head and thick slime on him for a good month..

I thought he was gonna die.. but after i transfer him to another tank and high temperature.. he got better.. now its healthy again..

just takes time.. the bigger they are the stronger they will heal up..

and i would not recommend feeders.. try a pellet diet.. or if u DO want to feed ur fish raw food.. do market shrimp or market meat.. i feed my arowana those and my oscar sometimes gets lucky and eat a few...

 

[Fergy]

The Ulcer is looking a bit better today and his color is back. I will keep an eye on him and hopefully he turns ths corner and gets better.

And for a third time, I stopped giving feeders over a month ago and now all my fish eat primarilly pellets, Except for the Eel, who still will only eat earth and blood worms, he's getting close though he ate one and watches the other fish eat them.

 

[albyoscar]

Water changes . small ones daily along with salt and he should show improvement quickly. Ive never seen a small oscar with hith before .. thats strange