# Oscar Right Eye get bigger even with treatment



## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

Hi, all,
I have a 3 years old oscar, it is almost 8 inch long. two weeks ago, I found some ich in our tank and treated it with rid-ich plus and change water everytime when we add medicine. I stopped treating it when I can't find any ichs on fish body.
the tank is 36 Gallon, temperature is at 82F, this is the only fish in the tank, there is no grass or other live animal in the tank. 
However, starting from last week, I found its right eye poped out (around half the size of the eye in the picture). Since then I tried following:
a 50% water change
Treated the fish with Maracyn Two for four days
added salt
I also tested the water for last 3 days. the PH was constantly 7, ammonia grew from 0 to 0.25, nitrite and nitrate are both 0
since the popeye happened, my fish struggled to find pellets so I bought blood worm for it and he eats the worm normally
today my old filter stopped working (completely coincidence), so I bought a new canister filter and installed it. However, right after the filter stopped working, the size of the right eye almost doubled (within 3 hours) and it looks very scary right now

I am worried sick for my fish but I don't know what to do now, any advices could help. Thanks in advance


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There should be nitrate in your tank if it is cycled. Are you shaking the test kit vigorously both before adding the drops and after adding the drops as directed?

When you installed the new filter, did you keep the old filter media?

I would change 50% of the water every morning and every night until you have more information.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

Thanks.
I didn't keep the old filter media as I threw it in garbage when it broke.
I did shake the test kit and the tube hard, maybe it's because I changed water today so the number looks good. I will change water tomorrow morning and update here.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

What I don't understand is its eye has recovered a little after first 3 day's treatment, but it worsened all of a sudden today.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

When you removed the old filter, you may have removed a significant portion of the beneficial organisms. You already know ammonia increased. Nitrate may have increased. Did you test today with the extra shaking?


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

Hi, I changed water last night and retested nitrate this morning. The nitrate level is very high, around 80ppm now. What can I do?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Keep doing the 2X daily water changes. Since you have been doing 50% you can safely go to 75%.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

DJRansome said:


> Keep doing the 2X daily water changes. Since you have been doing 50% you can safely go to 75%.


Thanks, I am on it. Will update later today


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

I did two water change today already. added medicine, conditioner and bacteria after each change. I haven't fed my fish today since it can't see the food. 
However, the nitrate is still high, between 40ppm to 80ppm. Is this cause by the new canister filter? Should I buy some nitrate absorb filter media for it?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No, you need to remove it by water changes. Does your tap water have nitrate? Did the ammonia in your tank disappear?

Keep doing 75% am and pm. It is not caused by the new canister filter. Is the substrate clean throughout? Remove the decor and do a thorough cleaning.

What conditioner?

Why bacteria?

What medicine?

Your 8" oscar needs a bigger tank than a 36G. I believe a 55G (or larger) would be the right size for a single oscar and it would allow your water parameters to remain more stable.


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## fishboy75 (Jan 16, 2020)

Correct, keeping any Oscar besides an juvenile in a tank that small will lead to sky high nitrates and poor water quality which leads to disease as you have found out. Not being judgemental, most of us have been guilty of similar situations. Have to learn from them and move forward with a better understanding of how to properly keep the fish we have. A single full grown Oscar needs a 75 gallon tank and thats the absolute minimum size they should be kept in. Moving that guy to a 75 with fresh, clean water should solve most of your problems. Good luck!


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

fishboy75 said:


> Correct, keeping any Oscar besides an juvenile in a tank that small will lead to sky high nitrates and poor water quality which leads to disease as you have found out. Not being judgemental, most of us have been guilty of similar situations. Have to learn from them and move forward with a better understanding of how to properly keep the fish we have. A single full grown Oscar needs a 75 gallon tank and thats the absolute minimum size they should be kept in. Moving that guy to a 75 with fresh, clean water should solve most of your problems. Good luck!


You are right. I wish I had learnt all this earlier.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

DJRansome said:


> No, you need to remove it by water changes. Does your tap water have nitrate? Did the ammonia in your tank disappear?
> 
> Keep doing 75% am and pm. It is not caused by the new canister filter. Is the substrate clean throughout? Remove the decor and do a thorough cleaning.
> 
> ...


I suspected the same thing so I checked tap water and it doesn't contain nitrate. I changed water rapidly in last two days and added a API nitra-zorb to the filter. I also made a hole on the tank cover, so that I can have the filter hoses on separate sides of the tank. The nitrate level is not between 20ppm and 40ppm. I will keep changing water till the parameters are better.

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for the advice

I used the seachem prime conditioner, I added bacteria whenever I was adding new water to it (although I read that water change won't take away too much bacteria as they are good at stay at surfaces), The medicine I used before yesterday was Maracyn Two. From yesterday I switched it to metroplex. My fish didn't eat in last two days, so far I was treating the metroplex directly in water, I plan to feed it with food when it grows some appetite

About the tank, I do plan to give it a bigger tank when it recovers a little bit. At current condition I am afraid I might kill it to move it to a new environment. Besides, I need to make some space for a bigger tank


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

There are some typos in last reply.
the nitrate is level is now between 20 and 40. I typed it as 'not'. Sorry for my English.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No need to add bacteria, that could be contributing to your problem.

Did you remove the Maracyn from the water before adding metroplex? Do you suspect ich, velvet or hole in head?


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

I stopped using maracyn for one day before adding metro, I don't know how to specifically 'remove' maracyn tho. 
Ok, I will stop adding bacteria. 


> Did you remove the Maracyn from the water before adding metroplex? Do you suspect ich, velvet or hole in head?


I see them three days ago around the eyes, looks like ichs. I changed water multiple times and added salt, the parasites diappeared and never showed up again. 
today the fish's eye didn't get bigger, and it is more active than yesterday (I am not sure if it is a good sign or just coincidence). I tried to feed it some food covered with metroplex, but it seems to be too blind to see it. However, when I used my hand to push the food towards it, my fish escapes very fast. then I spent half an hour to clean the food remains..

Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For next time you use carbon to remove medications.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

DJRansome said:


> For next time you use carbon to remove medications.


Thanks, will do next time. What's the harm of combining those medicine together?

I finanlly brought the water to an acceptable condition. Now both ammonia and nitrate are 0, and nitrate is at around 20ppm. I will keep monitoring it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Unless you have a recommendation from the manufacturer to combine the medications, it is safer not to mix.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

I retested it today before changing water, the condition is same as yesterday (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, <20 nitrate). I guess it's because the fish didn't eat and didn't produce much waste.
However the eye just doesn't shrink, in effect there are more fluids behind right eyeball, now there is some small convex around the swollen eye and made it look even bigger.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

lyxking2009 said:


> I retested it today before changing water, the condition is same as yesterday (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, <20 nitrate). I guess it's because the fish didn't eat and didn't produce much waste.
> However the eye just doesn't shrink, in effect there are more fluids behind right eyeball, now there is some small convex around the swollen eye and made it look even bigger.


This picture may make people uncomfortable. So currently there are new bloated parts around the eyes, and we can see little blood dots on the most bloated areas.
He is lying on the graval bed all day, the water quality is getting better every day but his situation is not getting better. He hasn't eaten anything for three days either


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

He may have been too far gone when you started. Unless someone else has an idea, I might double dose with metronidazole for three days.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

I will give it another try. Just double dosed it.
No matter what happens, thank you so much for following up with me and answer all my dumb questions. I wish I knew everything earlier.


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## lyxking2009 (Sep 11, 2020)

I am heartbroken to report that he didn't make it. His situation went worse every day, today i decided to euthanase him with clove oil. He fell asleep quickly and stopped suffering.
Thanks for your help. I would do more research before I restart another aquarium, I hope he rest in peace.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sorry for your loss.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

So sorry for your loss!


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