# Oscar not eating........eggbound ?



## scarysdad (Mar 1, 2004)

My 6 year old female oscar has all but stopped eating over the last 2 weeks......starting to get a little concerned. I had her in the tank with her mate for 4 of the 6 years...then I lost the male a couple of months ago....I was gutted and so was she.....she sulked but continued eating fine. Around a month ago my neighbour gave me his year old male as he was selling his tank. So I put in the little male and after a couple of days they paired up and began that nesting behaviour I'm sure your familiar with.....clearing the sand/pebbles then shimmying back and forth over the area. But so far no eggs. In the past when she has laid eggs my plecs/catfish have made short work of them but they were at least visible for a while. Over the last 2 weeks they have continued this behavior the little male is eating great and growing like a weed but my big girl must have eaten twice in the two weeks. No sign of her ovipositor either.
They are in a 255gal with some other Cichlids and Plecs/Catfish. The two of them get bothered only by my big male Synspillium but it only goes as far a pushing no lip/locking or fighting. In the past she used to have some big fights with her mate but they always stopped to eat!!!
I'm about to start treating with Met in case she has a touch of bloat....but thought she may be eggbound or even 'menopausal'(do fish get too old to breed ?) so sulking......
All water params check out.....nitrates were on the high side(80), as I had a dead fish in the tank for a while that I could not find, he was lodged behind my 3d background, and he had decayed quite a bit by the time I found him. Now back to normal around the 40 mark after many water changes....so maybe I should leave her for a while in the 'clean' water see if she eats again......her behaviour appart from the lack of appetite seems normal as I say continually 'nesting'.

Any help would be appreciated....


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## Kevin Van Lith (Feb 19, 2005)

I have 2 spawning pairs of Oscars and to tell you the truth they eat like maniacs, they even jump out of the tank trying to get the first bite lol. I feed them TetraMin ColourBits (they absolutely love this food).

I think your problem could be your water and maybe the content of chloromine in it. After doing your water changes did you treat your water for chlorine/chloromine? If not you should do that right away before your fish get sick.

As for the other fish in your 225G tank, maybe removing the pleco will help your fish spawn, if you can take the time to clean your tank once a week you will not need a pleco to ease the process.

Other than that, maybe old age is sitting in on your big girl. Good luck!

Kevin.


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## scarysdad (Mar 1, 2004)

Water change of 50gal done weekly, always treat new water with Prime dechlorinator......

She ate a little bloodworm last night but still not herself....normally loves Hikari Gold pellets


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## shadowspar (Nov 16, 2009)

thats how my big oscar was before he died. it was a cold month in florida. my heater was working and i didnt notice. i didnt check the thermometer untill it was too late. the cold got to him, he was VERY active but didnt eat probably for about a week untill he died, i had waterchanges 30% every week tested water and everything. i loved that guy too. check your heater.


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## scarysdad (Mar 1, 2004)

Sorry to hear that shadowspar......temp in water is fine around 79.....as always.
I'm hoping that she is just in a sulk because of the upheaval with the dead catfish(high nitrates etc)
I'll give her to Mon - next w/c day then I'll start the tank on met. Even if there is no bloat in my experience treating with Met makes fish HUNGRY.....


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