my oscar is breathing hard?
i have a 4.5inch oscar in a 55gal.he was 3inches when i got him a month or so ago.all of a sudden 3 days ago he started breathing hard.looks healthy,no spots,just breathing heavy.he ate yesterday but not today.i have a large hob filter which i thought would be okay while he is small. he is the only one in the tank.10%water changes have ranged from about 2.5 to 1.5 weeks as he gets bigger.i know its bad but i never tested the water until 2 days ago when i bought some test strips. i tested his tank and my other 2 tanks. other tanks are fine but the nitrites in his tank are a little high.ive done 3 water changes in the past 3 days.the night i saw that he was sick 15% the next morning 30% then tested water (high nitrite) next day another water change 50% nitrites slightly lower.i will keep doing water changes but if my nitrites are in fact high how did they get that way so quick ? i change the filter cartridges, the water looked clean,my fish was healthy and growing.ive had fish for years(not oscars)and never had this problem.whats wrong my fish?any helpful advice would be appreciated
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Maybe you bought him when he was middle aged. It seem like to me that hes just aging and probalby wont survie much longer.
Hi
Did you test for ammonia?
The tank can dump Nitrites in to the water from the substrate if you haven’t been stirring it up when you do water changes
Bottom line is that they are really messy fish and they need very good filters. I think HOBs are better for planted tanks with a low bioload. Oscars need either big cannisters or a sump
I keep 2 in a 6x2x2 with an eheim 2080 and a 2180
If you have nitrite in your water then your tank has not fully cycled yet.
Oscars, even small ones put a much higher load on the filter than most common fish, so ammonia and nitrite will build up quickly in an uncycled tank.
Keep doing the large water changes (50%) as often as needed untill the nitrite level comes down. A little aquarium salt may also help to reduce the effects of the nitrite.
You probably need do do more than 10% water changes even once the tank settles down, but just test for Nitrates and change as needed.
But the long term solution is to let the filter cycle properly.
Ian
My oscar was also acting that way. I had a leaky tank emergency and had to do a rather abrupt tank switch. I replaced all the gravel and decorations without cleaning anything (to keep the bacteria up) but i actually added too much of the original water. (it was time for a water change) the stress of the move and the water quality brought him down fast. I did a 50% water change and added some stress coat. Within a day he was almost back to normal. I just kept testing the water every day in case it cycled with him in there. So like the others said, change out more of the water and keep testing the water. If it cycles with the fish in the tank you have to do more water changes until the bacteria level comes back up.
If you have nitrites your tank was not cycled before you put your oscar in the tank. Nitrites should always be 0. Any is too much. He is suffering from ammonia and nitrite poisoning. You need a new, better filter asap. I would recommend a cannister filter. If you want another option try a Hagen AquaClear 60-110 gallon filter. These are great filters and you never need to buy cartridges. Filters that take cartridges are junk and a waste of money. Everytime you throw out a cartridge you are throwing out valuable beneficial bacteria and your money.
You need to do a 50% emergency water change and treat the water with Seachem’s Prime. This will condition the water from chlorine and will help neutralize the ammonia and nitrite. It doesn’t remove it but it neutralizes it so that the fish is safe from the toxic effects. The only way to remove it is water changes.
You will need to do 25% water changes daily or every other day. Without this he will stress out and die. Ammonia and nitrite has to always, always be a flat 0. Looking clean doesn’t mean a thing. It’s what you cannot see that will kill him – the ammonia and nitrites.
Also, ditch the strips. They are horribly inaccurate. Invest in a liquid drop test kit. Much more accurate and $25 will last you a long time.
Good luck: )