# Help with sick Oscar



## BigFish (Feb 5, 2004)

*** had my Oscar, Melvin for about 7 years. Hes in a community tank 220G. For the last 2 weeks or so he has been near the surface gasping for air. Tank is well aerated and has a couple of power heads for water movement near the surface. Temp is around 77F. Filtration is a Eheim Pro 3, 2260 and a Aquaclear 500?. I do water changes regularily. All the other fish in the tank, Tinfoil Barbs, 4 small plecos, Green Terror 3 inch, Tilapia Butti 9 inch, Jaguar 8 inch, Gold Severum 5 inch and 5 inch Nicaraguan appear mostly healthy. Also have a Jack Dempsey with some scale damage, looks like bite marks but otherwise healthy. Oscar has no signs of stomach bloat, not HLLE, no fungas signs, eyes mostly normal. No irregular colouring, colour is as usual. The last few days hes been lying either on the bottom or sideways on the bottom. Occasionally moves around, if he swims up abit, he seems to fall back down to the bottom. Lots of laboured breathing. Hasnt eaten in the last 3-4 days.

Anybody have any idea on this? Nitrates might possibly be alittle high, otherwise I believe the water quality is good. None of the other fish are off thier food or exhibiting any irregular habits or showing signs of diseases. The tank is a few years old and the newest fish is at least 1.5 years old.

Food is mixed pellets, krill, tubifex, algae pellets and spirullina and varied other pellets.

Anybody have any ideas? Im worred about my fish. He just sits there on the bottom looking at me.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi,

So for two weeks he was hanging at the top, gasping--but still eating--correct? And now for the past two days he's on the bottom as we see him in the pictures not eating.

Fish will hang at the top for a number of reasons. One of the most common causes is aggression from another fish. Often the aggressor won't have to continually attack but once dominance has been established all he has to do to keep the hovering fish hovering is look or swim in his direction. Perhaps your fish was in this situation and now has been attacked to the point where he is too weak to get off the bottom.

Another possibility with your fish is a swim bladder problem. Fish with swim bladder issues will either be 'stuck' at the top or the bottom. While at the top they can't swim away from the top without a tremendous effort and once that effort stops they pop back up to the surface. If they are at the bottom they seem to be unusually weighed down and can't get off the bottom without an all out effort and they will sink back down as soon as they stop trying. 
Swim bladder issues can be caused by a number of things, not all of them treatable. If you think your Oscar may be suffering from swim bladder problems you can isolate him and treat with a combination of Maracyn and Maracyn-two. Adding Epsom salt at the rate of 1 tablespoon per five gallons may also help. Dissolve the salt first and add it gradually over several hours time. 
Don't feed or worry about feeding him again until he is up and swimming around normally as in these situations food can actually complicate things.

Have you added anything new to the tank over the last several months? Try doing several partial water changes of 30% spaced a few hours apart and see if the Oscar has any reaction. (Make sure to use a good quality dechlorinator)

Robin


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## BigFish (Feb 5, 2004)

Havent added anything new to the tank in over a year. Dont think its aggression, the only aggressive fish are the Nicaraguan or the Green Terror and they fight amoungst themselves and leave the Oscar and Butti and others alone.

While he was at the surface he was still eating. I have ordered in some Maracyn 2 and some sale, it should arrive in a day or so> Did a 50% water change last night. Oscar is still on his side, but breathing is less and not as rampant. No other fish showing any signs of illness and all are eating normally.

You think its a swim bladder issue? Or do you thinks its a problem with some sort of infection inside the gills? One eye looks slight distended, but its normal colour and appears uninjured.


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## BigFish (Feb 5, 2004)

Condition has gotten worse, my fish now has to really bad popeyes. One eye on Saturday started to cloud partially over, however I keep dosing Melafix, Pimafix and Maracyn 2. The fish is still lying on his side and not eating, popeyes are still really bad, however the eye clouding has stopped and cleared up.

Does this mean my fish could be getting better?


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## BigFish (Feb 5, 2004)

My fish, Melvin died today. He was looking at me an choking and that was it. Had him almost 8 years. After I tried the Pimafix, Melafix and Maracyn 2 I tried a course of Furan 2. He seemed to get better but then had a relapse.


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## dkbrasher (Oct 11, 2009)

I'm sorry for your loss. O's can get to be like part of the family.


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## twohuskies (Mar 1, 2008)

Very sorry for your loss. I have an O myself, and they really become part of your family with their personality and dancing for food.

RIP Melvin...


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