Hello
I have just had the euthanise my oscar "BigFish".
He was @ 9 years old and had battled everything it seemed for the last three weeks .I had, on the advice of professionals added this and a week later that medication, umteen water changes, even tried the salt baths.BigFish had developed slimy threads, holes in the head & eyes(Yuk!)was blind at the end , I do not know what else, but he had not eaten and hunkered at the bottom of the tank for 2 weeks. I tried the ick cures, raised temps. Was this a normal way for an older fish to go? I could not stand to see him gasping and waste away anymore,nothing I put in the tank seemed to help him.
The Glove oil in a bucket did the deed without any struggles, so I thank you very much for that.
Should I throw everything in the tank away as I was not able to help BigFish get over what all infected him: Gravel,decorations, equipment,hoses etc?

Nine years old is a good ripe old age for an Oscar. Suggestions say that they can live from 10 to 15 years. He was the oldest Oscar I have ever come across so I don't think it's anything you've done, you should be very happy that you've managed to give the Oscar a long happy life.

Regarding your Oscar, it's going to be impossible to actually know what killed your Oscar without some kind of autopsy. It certainly sounds like it had hole in the head disease. When you say slimy threads, were these coming out of the holes, if so, this is normal with hole in the head. There's no point in us trying to come up with a reason why the Oscar died, we will never know. I think you would be very wise to clean the tank out completely if you want to start again. I don't think you need to go over the top by thrown everything away, just give it a very good clean. If you want to be absolutely sure, let the gravel dry out completely before putting it back into the tank. You could even pour boiling water over it. I don't think there's anything in the tank that has infected your Oscar, many illnesses that affect Oscars are not contagious. But I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry

Thank you for your kind words.I know I will want one or 2 again.I inherited this fish 5 years ago as a 'take it or we'll flush it' - we're moving..from a friend...I will follow your advice about the contents.Again thank you for providing much needed information.I found this site 2 weeks ago and think it's GRAND!!!

From across the pond in Virginia, US

I am glad the information on this website has helped you with your fish. Don't hesitate to ask for any advice, we will help as much as we can

Man, that's gotta reek. I'm sorry for your loss...

How big is your tank? I wonder how many oscars you can put in it.