I just started the fungus cure treatment yesterday. I'm assuming the salt is what took care of the general infection. According to the box it's a 4 day treatment. But the infection had moved into meaty part of his tail and when it finally came off it left some exposed muscle and tendon. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. Maybe he will perk up.
What gets me is my first oscar was ignorantly mistreated and neglected for most of the first part of his life and lived to be 10 years old and grew into a 13 inch beast of a fish.
He was the reason I fell in love with oscars and after losing him I promised myself I wouldn't get another one unless I could properly care for it.
This guy started his life in a 55 gallon. I tried my hardest to do everything right.
I saved the money to get a bigger tank for him and did, and have every intentions of upgrading him again as he continues to grow. I give him food variety, I clean his tank every weekend, I even built his filtration system to better suit his needs. Lots of bio media (filter sponge, lava rock, ceramic rings) an algea scrubber, a place to keep his heaters out of reach so he doesn't break them. I went out and bought plants that he could shred but they'd just keep growing (java moss and hornwort).
I have spared no expenses on trying to keep him happy, healthy, and spoiled.
Other than the ich he came from the pet store with, which I knocked out pretty quickly, he's been extremely healthy and happy. But then this happened and it happened so fast! The poor thing hasn't even had the opportunity to enjoy his new bigger home.
But the most heartbreaking part of it all is that he's always been so EXTRA. He didn't go through the new home pout when I bought him. He was eating out of my hand within a week. He very much let me know when he didn't like a new food (everything from playing dead to full on tank wrecking tantrums lol). When I moved, he had no issues settling right in. This little guy has never missed a beat. And now he just looks so tired and unhappy.
If worse comes to worse, at least I can say I tried. He could have ended up with someone who didn't care because "it's just a fish". At least I can say I did give him a decent life, and I really hope I can continue to do so. He deserves the world.
