I recently just noticed this on one of my Oscars. Looks like some fungus of some sort. White blotches on his head. Any idea?
White Blotches on oscar's head
- Thread starter Adictd2Fsh
- Start date
Could be early fungus or slimecoat accumulation. Check your water quality and make sure it’s not stressed. Water could have too much gh.
I change water 40-70 percent every week sometimes twice a week when I have time using prime. 150 gal tank with two large canisters. Three other fish in tank including large albino pleco. Thanks was thinking fungus was forming I’ll keep eye on it before it gets bad.
This sounds alright but it is not enough. We'd need to start with basic parameters to only start troubleshooting your situation - temp, pH, general hardness, carbonate hardness, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, TDS, dissolved oxygen concentration. We'd ask about the diet second.
As for the fish appearance, it doesn't look alarming to me but IDK cichlids too well.
As for the fish appearance, it doesn't look alarming to me but IDK cichlids too well.
Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
10
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
40% - 70%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week sometimes twice a week
Water Temp?
80 F
PH?
7.5
GH?
100
DO?
I have No way to test but large air bar and canisters move lots of surface water.
Feed ?
Hikari bio gold, Sumo Red and frozen Krill.
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
10
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
40% - 70%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week sometimes twice a week
Water Temp?
80 F
PH?
7.5
GH?
100
DO?
I have No way to test but large air bar and canisters move lots of surface water.
Feed ?
Hikari bio gold, Sumo Red and frozen Krill.
Agree with thebiggeerthebetter about water parameters, and that it looks like the onset of HITH.
Volume and frequency of Water changes is basically determined determined by nitrate concentration in tandem with pH, tank volume, and stocking levels..
To me , 10 ppm nitrate, elevated water hardness (250ppm and above (7+grains)) and pH above 7.5 in a tank of 100 gallons or less, with heavy stocking of soft water and neutral pH water species (like oscars)(and more species than say 2 oscars) will require many more water changes than say,
a tank with a pH of 6.6, with neutral water hardness, (i.e.6 grains(100ppm ) and 5 ppm nitrate, of 150 gallons or more, and maybe 2 oscars and a Pleco, etc etc.
As an aside, I do not view nitrate as the total end all, but only as a general indicator of the total organic soup in the tank, because most other organics are not readily measurable, and be assumed if nitrate is elevated.
On my 180 gal tank with 125 gal planted sump, and much smaller cichlids than adult oscars, I try to change 100-120% per week.(in 40% every other day increments)
The pH is 8.2, and a total hardness @ 200ppm, but the cichlids kept, have evolved to live in that kind water parameter soup.
Volume and frequency of Water changes is basically determined determined by nitrate concentration in tandem with pH, tank volume, and stocking levels..
To me , 10 ppm nitrate, elevated water hardness (250ppm and above (7+grains)) and pH above 7.5 in a tank of 100 gallons or less, with heavy stocking of soft water and neutral pH water species (like oscars)(and more species than say 2 oscars) will require many more water changes than say,
a tank with a pH of 6.6, with neutral water hardness, (i.e.6 grains(100ppm ) and 5 ppm nitrate, of 150 gallons or more, and maybe 2 oscars and a Pleco, etc etc.
As an aside, I do not view nitrate as the total end all, but only as a general indicator of the total organic soup in the tank, because most other organics are not readily measurable, and be assumed if nitrate is elevated.
On my 180 gal tank with 125 gal planted sump, and much smaller cichlids than adult oscars, I try to change 100-120% per week.(in 40% every other day increments)
The pH is 8.2, and a total hardness @ 200ppm, but the cichlids kept, have evolved to live in that kind water parameter soup.
Last edited:
Lol. I understand HITH. I hope it’s not that. I will treat for it tho before it gets bad. I want to get on top of whatever it is before it gets bad. But the rest of your response doesn’t make much sense. Are you saying my water parameters are bad? My tank is more than 100 gallons 150 actually. 40% to 70% water change every week sometimes twice a week is more than %100 a week on average. Two giant canisters that move 700GPH each. This particular tank has been running for six years. There is only four fish in it. Two Oscar’s, one Texas, and an albino pleco. These fish have been in these same water parameters for over three years. The Texas and pleco were raised in this tank. Some elaboration would be nice.
I am not saying water parameters are bad, but.....
Oscars are prone to chronic HITH as they age, especially in water that has elevated pH (above 7), if water is hard(mineral rich), and if nitrate is above their environmental habitat waters (< 5 ppm).
Most oscars don't start to develop HITH until between 2 and 3 years old in the hard water conditions of aquariums.
When I lived in Milwaukee, where the tap water had a Total hardness of 250ppm, a pH of 7.6, and the number of older, scarred up HITH oscars turned in to LFSs was constant. They would be fine as juvies, and semi adults, but once they become adults, is when HITH begins.
This may be arguable, but I find canisters inadequate unless regularly cleaned of gunk, otherwise they are producers of more than their share of nitrate, and other organics, if not cleaned often.
The Herichthys has evolved to live in high pH, hard water, and plecos seem extremely adaptable, so not easily infected.
My Panamain Pleco was caught in 8.2 pH water
Compare the water parameters of Mexico where Herichthys are found, to waters in S America east of the Andes where Oscars live.
And its not about osmotic pressure on the fish itself, but the pH and mineral content that the bacteria that cause HITH bacteria thrive in (7.5 and above), and many S American long lived larger fish have not built a resistance to.
You do not see this problem in short lived fish like S American tetras, because 3 years is often an entire lifespan..
But many S American cichlid species live 10 years or more, so in hard water is often where HITH in Uaru, Geophagines, and oscars appear.
I know metronidazole is commonly used for HITH and there are several methods of application. Last time I delt with HITH I removed fish from tank and dumped metro right in the hole. Obviously this case is not that bad yet. What are your opinions on the best application. Or do you suggest a different med? Thanks, for your help I really appreciate it.
I seldom use meds, especially for a chronic disease.
And the last time I kept oscars was in the 80s, because of my tap water parameters were similar to ours, being comparative high pH, and hard.
And Amazonian soft water fish seemed to me an exercise in futility.
What I would do if I was in your shoes, would be to dilute your tap water with either rain water, or RO.
For the softer water species I did try to keep, I set up a rainwater collection system.
And the last time I kept oscars was in the 80s, because of my tap water parameters were similar to ours, being comparative high pH, and hard.
And Amazonian soft water fish seemed to me an exercise in futility.
What I would do if I was in your shoes, would be to dilute your tap water with either rain water, or RO.
For the softer water species I did try to keep, I set up a rainwater collection system.