HITH is not going away. Help!!

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S

susieg

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 12, 2005
22
0
0
70
Pennsylvania
My Oscar has a serious case of HITH. I have been able to get it to go away but it always comes back. Now it is back with a vengance. I have been cleaning his tank twice a week ,changing the filters everytwo week. (One one week and the other two weeks later. giving an assortment of foods live(no feeders), krill, beefheart, Hikari Gold, peas, romaine and cukes and zuchinni( altho I think the pleco likes these more) I put aquarium salt in the water after every change. Increased the temperature to 80 and started using Melafix in the tank every night for the directed time. What else can I do to help this great guy? He is really a great Oscar ! Loves his food and comes to the glass everytime he sees me. Sorry this is so long. Please someone with experience please help!! :cry: I would hate to lose him .Susie
 
rase it to 84-86
sorry but thats all i can help
how old is he?
 
do a lot of water changes, don't clean the filters too much because that could be more harmful than good.

add salt and feed food with lots of nutrition, maybe even buying some vitamins from your local pharmacy and add it to your fishes diet (like soaking shrimp or pellets in them).
 
i only put 86 b/c i was just reading that in the wild the blackwater ponds can get to 86
 
Thanks everyone. I'm going to try some vitamins and soak them in pellets as suggested. I've raised the temp (have to check it soon to see where its at) and the canisters really get disgusting if they arent cleaned out. but I rinse the sponges out in cool water. I have two filters so that is not a problem if i interchange cleaning. the pads need changing anyway. Thanks for all the prompt suggestions this should help Oscar on the road to recovery. Started Melafix about 4 days ago and already the ulcers are starting to close. Susie :grinno:
 
HITH with oscars is usually caused by poor water quality... try melafix and massive
regular water changes and see what happens.Make sure your nitrate and ammonia are low.. nitrate should be under 40 and 0 ammonia.

It could be caused by Hexamita but its primarily caused by poor water quality and to some extent nutritional deficiencies. Try to vary your oscars diet by using different pellets and using fresh food like beefheart etc..
 
yeah, water change and good diet should help.

clean all filter media by using water from you tank, using the sink water may (to some extent) kill the bacterias due to the chlorine (and sometimes chloramine) in the municipal water.
 
took the other oscar out of the tank (my son put him in) to increase water quality. This is why I need a 90+ gallon tank. He and the pleco are growing too large for the 55. There is 8 inches of oscar and about 10-11 inches of pleco. both large bodied fisah. need at thyis writing 57 gallons of tank water to support this LARGE ammonia output. And they are still babies. just a year and only half grown. I do regular water changes. 2x a week or more and feed good quality food. Will start on the vitamins as soon as I can get to the store. Vitamins in beefheart seem to be good too. Thanks for all the tips . Susie PS Phatboy-I will use aqua water for changes. I didnt think of that.
 
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