# Can anyone explain these



## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

My partners Oscar has had these white marks on the head. They have started to fade but linger. There is no fuzz on the white marks, so I can't think of it being white spot. He/she seems quite happy, feeding well, just generally happy. He/she is about 7 inches.

Would anyone know what these are, ic below.










Thanks in advance
Charlene


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

Hi Charlene

Not sure what they are but I can tell you it's not white spot (ick). O's do go through some funny color changes sometimes. Is the fish eating ok are there any other signs such as gasping for air or acting lethargic? What size tank is it in and do you test the water?


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Hi Oscars4me

He/she is eating o so well, not stressed or gasping for air, is in 450L bow fronted tank that had a water change on sunday and tested fine.

The spots seem to have faded.


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

Good news about the spots fading. As long as everything looks good and he's eating I wouldn't worry about the color change too much but would keep a close eye on him is case you notice a change.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Ok will do, its probably just me worrying a little but thats me.

My partner has had oscars before but they weren't black so couldn't see as much as what we do now.


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

Good luck with them hope it all works out.


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

What are your water parameters?


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Just done a test

GH 180 mg/l
KH 80 mg/l
PH 7.0
nitrite 0 - 0.5 mg/l
nitrate 80 mg/l

HTH


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

shouldnt nitrate be lower?


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

What should it be at?


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## Morpheus (Nov 12, 2008)

Not sure how mg/l translates to ppm. Ideally you want them around 20 ppm, even lower. Also troublesome is the nitrite reading. It should be a zero on a fully cycled tank. How long has this tank been set up? Was it properly cycled before adding the Oscar?


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

The oscar was in my tank RIO120 while growing up. The tank he/she is in atm is RIO450. YEs the tank was fully cycled before s/he went in. The tank has been set up for 2 years at this home.

A wc was done on sunday, would this affect the readings?


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

mg/l and ppm is the same I think, not sure what the patches are.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

I miss read the nitrates, it is actually between 50 and 60 mg/l


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## Morpheus (Nov 12, 2008)

bigcatsrus said:


> A wc was done on sunday, would this affect the readings?


It should have lowered them, unless you have nitrates in your tap water. What type of testing method are you using? Strips or liquid? As I said, I personally do not like to see my nitrates over 40, and nitrites need to be at 0. Have you tested for ammonia? I would do a 25% water change and then test the water again. Also test your tap water for nitrates and let us know.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

We use strips, ran out of majority of the liquids part from the ammonia which I shall do.

There are nitrates in the tap as we checked.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Just thinking, as far as I thought how it worked was that if there was nitrites present that there would be ammonia?


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## ScoobyRacing03 (Mar 1, 2009)

looks like hold in the head to me. I found in the past with Oscars I had water conditions could be perfect and they would develop it. I had a friend of mine tell me to stop using active carbon in the filters and it would go away. After doing that i never had hole in the head on any of my O's


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

HITH doesn't just come and go. It takes a while for it to appear and the treatment can be even longer.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

We had have experienced HITH before with another oscar, so I don't think its that. Its all cleared up now.


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