Oscar help... possible tumor, lump? Don't know.. help!
- Thread starter landmineyouth
- Start date
you obviously didnt read any part of this thread but the first post, the OP is treating with epsom and has for the past week
to op thats good that hes starting to seem better but it does seem to me with it taking this long that it will need other medications, like stated i would halt on the prazi and it is most likely a bacterial infection and not parasitic (unless you have been feeding unquarantined feeders, but even then i doubt parasites would cause an otherwise healthy fish to bloat like that), also salt does not evaporate out of the water or anything like that so the only time its getting taken out if when you do a water change so that should be the only time your adding new salt to replace the salt that was taken out during the water change (not sure if your doing this or not but just thought that i should mention it case, you should also make sure to dissolve the salt in a cup/bucket of tank water first and then pour it in the tank rather than just pouring the salt directly into the tank)
Landmine ......... Over the past 30-60 days, have you fed anything besides pellets to this tank?
As Sarah just stated, you only need to add epsom salt to the water to replace what's removed on water change day.
I'm beginning to think that this may possibly be the problem. The fact that the epsom treated water and the epsom infused food has increased his appetite, and you are now seeing normal waste being passed, is very good news. Epsom salt would have no effect on an internal bacterial infection, so perhaps your fish just has extreme internal blockage, from a piece or pieces of gravel?
While I have seen cases of internal parasites cause this type of extreme bloating, if that was the case your fish would not be eating anything. So for now let's rule IP's out. If it was an internal bacterial infection, I also doubt that your fish would have any type of appetite at this point, and I would not expect it to be eating. So for now, let's rule that out as well.
So that leaves some type of internal blockage, which leads me back to Sarah's comment on page 1, and I'm really beginning to think that may very well be the cause here .... gravel. Could be wrong, but to me it's the only thing that makes sense, unless you have been feeding something other than pellets.
As Sarah just stated, you only need to add epsom salt to the water to replace what's removed on water change day.
I'm beginning to think that this may possibly be the problem. The fact that the epsom treated water and the epsom infused food has increased his appetite, and you are now seeing normal waste being passed, is very good news. Epsom salt would have no effect on an internal bacterial infection, so perhaps your fish just has extreme internal blockage, from a piece or pieces of gravel?
While I have seen cases of internal parasites cause this type of extreme bloating, if that was the case your fish would not be eating anything. So for now let's rule IP's out. If it was an internal bacterial infection, I also doubt that your fish would have any type of appetite at this point, and I would not expect it to be eating. So for now, let's rule that out as well.
So that leaves some type of internal blockage, which leads me back to Sarah's comment on page 1, and I'm really beginning to think that may very well be the cause here .... gravel. Could be wrong, but to me it's the only thing that makes sense, unless you have been feeding something other than pellets.
Thanks, I have been adding a little more epsom salt every other day (about a 1/4tsp), but I will halt on this practice. It hasnt seemed to hurt him honestly, if anything maybe it is helping, but I definitely dont want to chance killing him this way. And yes I am dissolving before adding
To RD - ^ His staple diet is pellets, he hasnt a had a live food or feeder in over 3 years now. Just about a month ago, before leaving for a weekend, I fed him a few pieces of frozen krill, besides that, pellets are the only food he has eaten.
I DID place a large apple snail in this tank about 3 to 4 months ago, which only lasted a day or so before he inspected it, killed it, and let it retreat into its shell, then later die in the tank.. it was scooped out of course. That is my only idea on maybe how some other living thing could have infected him with an illness..
As I said before, he DOES scoop/eat his gravel, has for years, and this gravel theory makes sense. All the same, he just ate another salty-pellet this morning, so that is encouraging to me, even tho his general behavior is still to sit on the bottom of the tank and mope.. I know Oscars are prone to this as is.
So if we are ruling out all other factors (IP's, bacterial infection, etc), and placing our theory soley on a HUGE internal blockage, would it be perhaps wise to start NOT feeding him again, for perhaps upwards of more than a week?
Good question, I'm honestly not sure? If he's eating, and passing normal waste, I don't see any harm in him eating something, even on a limited basis. Hopefully if it's a case of eating gravel at some point that gravel will pass.
If he's acting normal, eating normal, and crapping normal that kind of points toward it being a tumor in my mind.
I would agree if he's been eating like he normally does, but according to the OP he hasn't been.
He's eating, but just a bit here & there. But still, it could very well be a tumor.
He's eating, but just a bit here & there. But still, it could very well be a tumor.
