# New Tank Stress Or Sickness?



## willrwilli (Jan 15, 2008)

On Sunday I bought 2 4" tiger oscars. For the first few days they were sulking in the corner as I read they do. Over the last day and a half the one acts like a little water puppy. When he sees me he swims over to where I am. The other one just sits at the bottom of the tank and seems to be breathing real heavy. Also on two occasions I saw a string of white poop coming out of this fish. Is this stress, or did I buy a sick fish. I have not been having very good luck with the oscars I have been getting.


----------



## plastic31 (Feb 4, 2008)

it all depends on your conditions.

i bought two larger oscars and they did the exact same thing.

one was awesome, great fish and the other just sulked around for a week or two and would not eat, i had to take it back because it just would not eat anything.

as for the poop, i cnt say anything about it....sorry


----------



## willrwilli (Jan 15, 2008)

plastic31 said:


> it all depends on your conditions.
> 
> i bought two larger oscars and they did the exact same thing.
> 
> ...


I might be in the same boat. My water is fine. It just sucks seeing it lying there. It looked so bad last night I was surprised it was still alive this morning.


----------



## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Fish get sick when they are stressed and unfortunately the whole process of being netted, bagged and moved to a new home is very stressful for fish so the Oscar may have been healthy when you got it but now is struggling. 
You could try treating with something like Jungle Parasite Clear. The white stringy feces may indicate bloat. It won't hurt to treat both fish and really if it is bloat then you need to treat them both.

Robin


----------



## willrwilli (Jan 15, 2008)

The one oscar died this morning. I am kind of frustrated. I have 2 tanks, and it seems like everytime I buy a fish from an independent fish store I have deaths, and problems. Every fish I have bought from Petsmart over the last 5 months is alive and doing well. I am new to this hobby, and it seems like I am always trying to diagnose some sickness.


----------



## mark102 (Apr 13, 2008)

what are your water parameters?


----------



## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Sorry you lost him.

IMO, new fish, no matter where you buy them, are 'iffy' just because of all the stress they are exposed to prior to you getting them. Most of this stress is unavoidable and we can help minimize the negative effect by providing the new fish with the best conditions possible once they are in our care but sometimes the stress and accompanying illness get ahead of us. 

Robin


----------



## willrwilli (Jan 15, 2008)

Robin said:


> Sorry you lost him.
> 
> IMO, new fish, no matter where you buy them, are 'iffy' just because of all the stress they are exposed to prior to you getting them. Most of this stress is unavoidable and we can help minimize the negative effect by providing the new fish with the best conditions possible once they are in our care but sometimes the stress and accompanying illness get ahead of us.
> 
> Robin


That makes sense. It is good to know I am not doing anything wrong. My tank is cycled, and I do 20% water changes every week. I just have to learn that in this hobby you are going to loose some of your fish. I have 3 that have been with me since day one, and I am glad they are still with us.


----------



## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

What size tank is this?

How "new" is it?

What are the water parameters on the tank?

Oscars are very messy fish - alot goes in and alot comes out. If the tank is cycling, it wouldn't take any time for 2 four inch oscars to tip the scales in a bad way.

Kim


----------



## willrwilli (Jan 15, 2008)

In the Water ammonia and nitrite 0 and nitrate at 5. All of this is going on in a 125 gallon tank with 2 rena xp3 filters, and 30% water changes are done weekly. The tank has been up for 6 weeks. It was cycled with Bio spira and my 12 african cichlids. I later put them back in my 55 gallon tank because I wanted to put Oscars in the 125.


----------

