White Blotches on oscar's head

[Adictd2Fsh]

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
View attachment 1509422

Compare the water parameters of Mexico where Herichthys are found, to waters in S America east of the Andes where Oscars live.
View attachment 1509423
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.

Makes a lot more sense. I get it now. And it really makes sense cause these Oscar’s are about that age range. I’ve only delt with HITH one other time and it was a four year old FH he also would have been in time frame of being exposed to harder water even tho they are always prone to diseases anyway. Thanks for the elaboration.

 

[Adictd2Fsh]

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.
View attachment 1509424View attachment 1509425

These options won’t really work for me as I don’t have an RO system that would produce enough water to dilute this many gallons to make a difference especially when you factor in water changes I would be dumping it down the drain every week. I also live in the desert in middle of Nevada, rain really isn’t a thing here. Does Pete or drift wood actually help with hardness? I used to keep Angel Fish and put Pete in the HOB filters but never really checked to see if water was softer.

 

[duanes]

The tannins found in peat, and Rooibos Tea are somewhat anti bacterial, and would be worth a shot.
I have not found them to actually reduce pH, or make water softer (depending on the waters natural buffering capacity), but the antibacterial action of tannins could be significant enough to ward off the bacteria.
Certain leaf litter and branches can also be added, don't know what grows there but some might work.
Palm leaves, almond leaves, could also work, and I find them an attractive part of th biotope.
At the moment my tank water is inundated with tannins from the surrounding, dripping from drying vegetation, and pH hasn't budged, but I welcome the tannins..

With the drought you're in these days, even minor water changes would be hard to justify.

 

[LBDave]

It does look like early HITH. Some almond leaves could help. If it progresses and starts to looks bad I would treat with meds.
I have battled this and found that a lot is due to genetics. Some will get HITH and some will be able to fight it off with their immune system.
The tannins can help but I have found it is no cure.

 

[FINWIN]

This is why I keep an eye on my O Brick, who just turned 4. My water parameters are marginal (7.6 - 8 PH seasonal increase in summer). So far so good. I make sure he gets Vitamin C which I read O's have a requirement for. His environment is low stress as well.

 

[LBDave]

This is why I keep an eye on my O Brick, who just turned 4. My water parameters are marginal (7.6 - 8 PH seasonal increase in summer). So far so good. I make sure he gets Vitamin C which I read O's have a requirement for. His environment is low stress as well.

I had a pair that just turned 4 a few months ago. #1 would get lesions/ white patch areas. Happened for last year. They would heal but come back. Finally had to put her down because she got a hole that apparently affected her brain. It was heart breaking. Really distressing. This pair was always together. Digging and shaking. Moving rocks. They were this way up until the end.
This was my wife's favorite fish.
I should have medicated her long ago. Was trying to solve root causes with ground probe, almond leaves etc. Garlic guard, Vitachem etc. etc.
Water was always pristine. Ph 8+ and water is hard. High Gh and Kh.
#2, the male is fit as a fiddle. So genetics I think is a big part of this. Not just "stress".

 

[FINWIN]

I had read that it's a combo of genetics/immune system/stress/diet and water quality. Some do seem more vulnerable to illness. When Brick was a baby ( ~2") he caught a bad case of ich and was completely covered in the stuff like he was rolled in salt. Kept right on rough housing with the sub adult parrots like it didn't even bother him, crazy little snit. The parrots were carriers and didn't get it. I treated the whole tank. Brick's sibling Ice succumbed to the ich in 2 days.