# is this normal behaviour for my new oscar



## rotccapt (May 31, 2011)

hello and thanks in advance for your help.

well i just bough my first oscar. my 1" albino tiger oscar was nice and lively at the store but when i got him/her home and started acclimating it to my tank it just kinda sat there and flopped onto its side. now about 8 hours after adding it to the tank it will swim around some but then settle back to the bottom and lay there. it did eat some today when i fed the other fish ( 6ea 1.5 inch nics, 1ea 1.5"gt, 1ea 1" jd) currently they are in a 46 gallon bow front till i finish building my 300 gallon plywood tank next month. all the other fish are acting fine except the jd i also got him yesterday and he is showing similar behavior.

is this normal behavior for my new oscar? i will be getting a liquid test kit today to verify water parameters so i can not tell you what they are. i dont know if it has something to do with it, but i just noticed i have ich on the other fish in the tank so i am currently treating with salt and raised temps.


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## Phill0046 (Nov 9, 2011)

All of the oscars that i have bought hid and stayed to the bottom for a few days. If it lasts longer then that i would expect someone is being aggressive to him.


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## rotccapt (May 31, 2011)

well he is up and about a little more now. also i just tested my water

ph-7.8
nitrite-0
ammonia- 0-0.25
nitrate- 5


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## rotccapt (May 31, 2011)

well im not worried about him now he is swimming around just fine now and there appears to be no aggression in the tank. also after a 30% water change the nitrates are at 0


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## Catfish Dan (Apr 12, 2011)

We've had our Oscar for about a year now and he still gets plenty pouty... during water changes, when we have visitors to the house, when we're cleaning, when I pet my dog in front of his tank... He's a big baby. Actually goes to the floor of the tank, in the corner, and eyeballs me. You'll love these guys. They have so much personality!


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## Buzz_ (Apr 29, 2012)

rotccapt said:


> well he is up and about a little more now. also i just tested my water
> 
> ph-7.8
> nitrite-0
> ...


Maybe try and lower your Ph slowly..

Oscars and most southern american cichlids should be kept with a Ph of between 6.5 and 7

There is a great product called JBL tormec active. They are small peat pellets that you add to your filter


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## Mr.Dempsey (Jan 4, 2012)

You should be fine with your nitrates as long as they are under 20 ppm


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## rotccapt (May 31, 2011)

well the albino oscar died the other day not sure what happend but i think he was doomed from the get go. but we took him back and traded him for a new regular tiger oscar and our new oscar is doing great. also our fish load in lower now due to the ick taking out 4 nics


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## mabirchell (Jul 10, 2012)

I would leave the ph alone. I've got a fully happy healthy Oscar in 8.2 ph. Stability is the key, the fish will adapt. Sounds like you just have a nervous new guy, give him a few weeks. He will go through another shy spell when he gets older.


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