Oscar with HITH...Help...

[jlennon]

So brief history. I had two Oscars together which needless to say did not work out for to very long. I had to remove the 5 inch Oscar from the 75 gallon tank and the 12 inch Oscar. Lasted longer then I expected. So the little guy went into a temp 29 gallon which lasted longer then I wanted it too. While in the 29 gallon things started going down hill and I started setting up a 55 gallon for him. So the fun started with pop-eye, and then flared up his hole in the head. So now it is an up hill battle of water changes every day and testing. Below I will add test results and notes:
7/14
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
pH 6.9
50ml EasyBalence
5tbs (just started the salt)
30 ml malafix
15 ml AmQuel+
7/15
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
pH 7.2

7/17 --WC

7/18
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
pH 7.2

7/19--Did a 20 gallon water change.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
pH 7.2
I cleaned the cascade 600 filter and added new media (not prepped with bio). Added some sand for substrate.
Added with wc:
10 ml AmQuel +
25 ml Pimafix
25 ml Malafix
5 tbs jungle jims salt
20 drops of quick cure

7/20
Last night I came home to find the Whisper 60 had gone belly up around noon and the tank was cloudy as hell. The Nitrate went up to 40ppm. Preformed a 50% WC
3 tbs salt
25 ml malafix
25ml primafix
30 ml AmQuel +
20 ml Easy Balance
30 drops of quick cure
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 - 40 range (added 55 ml Easy Balance)
pH 7.2
The test was taken about an hour to two hours after the WC. Tested the Nitrates again and got est 20ppm to 30ppm.
Did a Nitrate test 7/21 @ noon and we are now at 20ppm.

What else do I need to be doing or what might I be doing wrong? This is not the first time dealing with HITH but it just keeps getting worse.

Up until last night I was getting 20 gallons ready in buckets with the chemicals and letting it sit for 15 min to 30 min for things to settle. If I removed more then 20 gallons I would have a bucket ready but may not have sat for long. Last night I turned to doing what I have done with my 75 gallon with my other Oscar. I have a tube set up to pull the water out (watering my flowers) and i have a tube from my sink to fill the tank back up. I set two five gallon buckets aside with the chemicals mixed for the water removed and put one in the tank when I begin to fill and the other I put in at the end of the fill to top off the fill.
So I tried that last night and waiting to see how that works out. Anybody have some pointers please hit me up.


P.S. I am on a budget and have a bad back hence the change in protocol.

 

[jlennon]

I forgot to mention that I add vitamin C to their food along with only feeding them every other day to every three days.

 

[Metalgearliquid2]

you need vitamin B1 (thiamine)

go to your lfs and get Metronidazole

im using it for my oscar w/ HITH and its working

 

[Metalgearliquid2]

also make sure you have good filtration and do 25% water changes twice a week

 

[jlennon]

Here is a pic of my O. You can see it is starting to get bad. I can only blame myself.

 

[jlennon]

you need vitamin B1 (thiamine)

go to your lfs and get Metronidazole

im using it for my oscar w/ HITH and its working

Should I continue with the vitamin C?
How is that administered?

 

[jlennon]

7/20 before w.c.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite O
Nitrate 20 - 40
pH 7.2 - 7.6

Did a 25% w.c. (est 13gallons). Instaled a new bio wheel 350. Now opperating with Cascade 600, and two bio wheel 350.

est one hour after w.c.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
pH 7.2 - 7.6

For the w.c. I set up 3 five gallon buckets with (buckets sat for a little over 20 minutes with chemicals in them):
1.5 TBS salt
7.5 ml AmQuel+ --2.5 ml per five gallon bucket. (rec. 5ml per 10 gallons).
7.5 ml Melafix --2.5 ml per five gallon bucket. (rec. 5ml per 10 gallons).
7.5 ml Pimafix --2.5 ml per five gallon bucket. (rec. 5ml per 10 gallons).
15 drops of Quick Cure (five drops per bucket).

How often should I do this? Is this a good method? I also found a food with thiamine in it. He seems to like the food so all the better. I had him eat a couple pellets today. Has anyone used the API test strips? Are they good? which is more accurate? chemicals r strips? Would like to know because the kits are half the price. Thanx in advance.

 

[jlennon]

So tonight I will test my tap water. I am thinking I am getting high Nitrates from the tap. If so would a 50% w.c. once a week with h20 from a LFS be recommended? Along with a 25% w.c. every other day from the tap.

 

[jlennon]

So tonight I will test my tap water. I am thinking I am getting high Nitrates from the tap. If so would a 50% w.c. once a week with h20 from a LFS be recommended? Along with a 25% w.c. every other day from the tap.

Tested the tap and it came out @10ppm so verdict is tap is high in nitrates.

 

[knifegill]

Oh, man. Have you tried adding plants? I have water lettuce and elodea with my Oscar and it's working out just fine. Keeping the nitrates low, too.

Or you could try an algae scrubber.

Other HITH Q's:

Have you checked for stray electric current?

What is your normal feeding routine and does he get some decent live food now and then?

EDIT: My O started showing a small pit and I treated with a metronidazole product and then added one of those funky vitamin pyramids to the filter. Pow. HITH gone in two days.