Oscars are meant to die.
- Thread starter knifegill
- Start date
The reason he hasn't changed the filter cartrige is that he is stressing the fact that he don't want carbon. Not that he does
.
Maybe his lack of filter maintenance may be the cause?
.Maybe his lack of filter maintenance may be the cause?
i have raised oscars for about 4 years now i have a pair at 12 inches and two gold oscars 10 inches,i do 75 percent water changes every week and have never had a problem,as far as carbon if you change it regularly you shouldnt have a problem,the reason it is bad to run carbon some times is alot of people think they can leave it in for a long time and it becomes a breeding ground for hex(thats where the problem with carbon is)and if you feed them as much variety as they will accept you should be fine.
Hole in the Head Disease, also known as Head and Lateral Line Erosion or HLLE, is a fish disease that affects both freshwater and marine fish in captivity. Sometimes "Hole in the Head Disease" is used to refer to the freshwater version of the disease, and "Head and Lateral Line Erosion" is used to refer to the marine version[1], though the causes and treatments for each are similar. Among freshwater fish, it affects cichlids and angelfish, with Oscars developing the disease more frequently than other related fish. Angelfish, tangs, and groupers, and to a lesser degree lionfish, damselfish, and clownfish are susceptible in marine aquaria.
There is much debate as to the cause of HLLE. Very little scientific research has been done on the topic, and most information available is anecdotal.
Removing carbon from the filter is a commonly suggested remedy for the disease. It is suggested that the carbon may either a.) add fine carbon particles to the water that irritate the skin, b.) leach phosphates and other potentially harmful chemicals into the water, or c.) remove minerals that are important to the health of the fish. Though there have been many reports of affected fish recovering after carbon has been removed, no studies have substantiated these theories, and many aquariums use carbon while still having healthy fish.
Many people believe that hexamita, a flagellated protozoan, is to blame. HLLE and hexamita infections are often seen in the same specimens.[3] However, HLLE can be found in many fish who do not have a hexamita infection, suggesting that a hexamita infection may cause stress or interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals causing malnutrition, which may be the actual cause of the disease. Hexamita may also be a secondary infection common in fish already weakened by HLLE.
Individual studies have shown that improvement in nutrition will help symptoms most effectively. Key vitamins in preventing or curing HLLE seem to be Vitamins A, C, and D. Adding these vitamins to the diet of affected fish usually leads to improvement, however, deficiencies in any of these vitamins do not always lead to HLLE, so nutrition is also questionable as a cause.
It has also been suggested that HLLE is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by stress.[4] The disease does not appear to occur to fish in the wild, only those in captivity, supporting the idea that stress and unnatural living conditions are to blame. Anything that reduces stress appears to help in the prevention and recovery from this disease.
There is much debate as to the cause of HLLE. Very little scientific research has been done on the topic, and most information available is anecdotal.
Removing carbon from the filter is a commonly suggested remedy for the disease. It is suggested that the carbon may either a.) add fine carbon particles to the water that irritate the skin, b.) leach phosphates and other potentially harmful chemicals into the water, or c.) remove minerals that are important to the health of the fish. Though there have been many reports of affected fish recovering after carbon has been removed, no studies have substantiated these theories, and many aquariums use carbon while still having healthy fish.
Many people believe that hexamita, a flagellated protozoan, is to blame. HLLE and hexamita infections are often seen in the same specimens.[3] However, HLLE can be found in many fish who do not have a hexamita infection, suggesting that a hexamita infection may cause stress or interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals causing malnutrition, which may be the actual cause of the disease. Hexamita may also be a secondary infection common in fish already weakened by HLLE.
Individual studies have shown that improvement in nutrition will help symptoms most effectively. Key vitamins in preventing or curing HLLE seem to be Vitamins A, C, and D. Adding these vitamins to the diet of affected fish usually leads to improvement, however, deficiencies in any of these vitamins do not always lead to HLLE, so nutrition is also questionable as a cause.
It has also been suggested that HLLE is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by stress.[4] The disease does not appear to occur to fish in the wild, only those in captivity, supporting the idea that stress and unnatural living conditions are to blame. Anything that reduces stress appears to help in the prevention and recovery from this disease.
great post! i have never ahd a wild fish get it,but i know of peoples fish that are tank bred that got it alot,i use carbon and have never gotiinh it,but i also change my carbon alot(once a month)
Oscars are extremely hardy. Bad water quality and sick feeders will give them oppurtunity for the fish to self destruct. I did weekly water changes, an extremely varied diet with NO fish only live earthworms and flies. They are great fish! Don't get down and keep changing the water and he should pull through. Although i do know how you feel because after my first oscar died, i got another one and he got ich on his second day.
HITH fall under the catagory of GOK. God Only Knows why some fish get this even under pristine conditions. No fish in the wild gets 2 squares a day. often every other or every third day is when they might eat. we tend to overfeed our fish (myself included) but i've learned it's the quality of their food, not quantity that helps keep them happy. I got an oscar about a year ago with the same fear of it getting HITH even knowing how well i care for fish...so far so good...but now for you is the challenge of trying to salvage it. Just think how you'll feel if you do. It's good to see people like you making the effort...keep it up and good luck.
Almost everything said here makes good sense. One thing I hadn't done was consider that the antiquated charcoal could be doing anything. I thought it was inert by now, since it was the charcoal I used to cycle the tank before adding my O. I will, by virtue of desperation, remove it. He's the only fish in 80g of water. I did the math before buying this guy.
Most of my filtration is biological. The tank is overfiltered, really. Aquaclear 500, Magnum HOT, and a Penguin 300. And with the basic water quality monitored regularly enough to know what's going on in there, the only thing new to consider would be those vitamin pyramids I read about. I've done everything else mentioned, but I will likely reduce water change sizes if/when I find liquid vitamins to soak his foods in. Sound like a plan already! I'll check in later to update with actions I've taken. Let's beat this thing!
Most of my filtration is biological. The tank is overfiltered, really. Aquaclear 500, Magnum HOT, and a Penguin 300. And with the basic water quality monitored regularly enough to know what's going on in there, the only thing new to consider would be those vitamin pyramids I read about. I've done everything else mentioned, but I will likely reduce water change sizes if/when I find liquid vitamins to soak his foods in. Sound like a plan already! I'll check in later to update with actions I've taken. Let's beat this thing!
