My small albino(lutino) doesn't seem to be able to see very well. When i first got him he seemed fine, but about a week ago when he went for food he opened his mouth but missed the food. Its like his aim is off. For the next 4 or 5 days he started hanging around the bottom but looking up at the food(like he wanted to go for it but didnt have the bottle). Looks like he is being bullied by the 2 bigger o's. The only food he was getting was when i put in small tetra prima pellets that sink(and then only just). For the last 2 days he has been hiding under rocks and only coming out when i feed(and then he dont get much). There are 2 smaller o's than him in there and they are fine. Swimming around all over etc


Its a well cycled tank with no ammonia or nirite, nitrate reading vary getting up to about 40

Any ideas anyone???? Should i just leave them all to it and see what happens?

It does rather sound like he could be being picked on. Baby/juvenile Oscars are normally very enthusiastic when it comes to food. In fact, they normally jump out and take half your finger off. How big is your tank? This often has a lot to do with Oscars fighting. If they haven't got the space, they can start squabbling between each other. Things can be made worse if you have Oscars that don't get on. Also, have you ever had the expression, 2's company, 3's a crowd? To Oscars is okay, three Oscars can be a little dodgy, especially as two of them pair off. Just remember that Oscars require at least 55 gallon themselves. So if you've got three Oscars, you should really have the tank that is over 150 gallons

Found this here:

The albino strain, or mutation in fish has been discussed here before, people seem to think if the fish is a skin colour [not really white and not really pink] then it must be albino, and retailers are quick to list them as Albino, and charge accordingly. Normally Albino has no colour, excepting for the eye's and in some cases the fins in fish are pink, That's PINK, not red. The albino strain is also a recessive genie. And more often then not, there also barron, sterile or infertile. In nature you might get one in a hundred, or thousand, We have a white //Albino Humpback Whale that visits the East coast of Australia, every year, as they travel north to the warmer waters to breed. And has done so for a number of years. And will continue unless the bloody Japs kill the poor thing. It always makes the news and the local papers, and the whale watchers, all look for it. Any albino's eye sight is poor, and nature is not very forgiving, when it comes to something different. Also the skin has a lot of trouble with the tropical sun, and skin cancers are not unknown. And regardless of what anyone tells you , you can't breed for Albino, the odd one just appears, and your lucky if they survive. So if you see a tank full of small Oscars, and there labelled Albino, it's bulls***. They might resemble Albino, in some traits, but if a coloured fin or markings appear as they mature, well you don't have Albino. Even if you have convinced yourself you do.

Article here:
www.parcaquarium.ca/aquarium/entry/39/

Was curious about eyesight of albinos and did a quick google search...

I know most albino oscars are not true albino but are just white oscars (i think they are called lutino). They are different to tiger oscars like red oscars are. The thing is that i bought 2 and one is doing the usual oscar stuff (greedy) and the other hides(only comes out at food time and then just eats scraps on the bottom). I have 2 more oscars (one tiger and one tiger with no stripes if you know what i mean) smaller than the 2 lutinos and they are fine too. There are also 2 bigger oscars. The Lutino i have talked about just doesnt seem to have the bottle to go for the food and when he has in the past he missed the food. He gets some food so i guess i will just see what happens. The 2 lutinos are not albino as they have a red eye spot, a small splash of red behind the gills and they are also getting that dirty look about them-blackening fins and splattering of black on bod(not desirable but i have seen this on big lutinos- luck of the draw i guess)



I know if i keep them all i will be overstocked but my plan is to grow them till i decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid off. When i have to increase my water changes then i will get rid of some. The shops round here will take big oscars back. They even give you a credit for them. For a 6 inch oscar they will give you a credit for about what you paid for a 2 inch oscar.

Hi All

I have attached a picture of my oscar called piggy, she was sold to me as an albino tiger oscar, and i am interested to know whether she truly is albino!

She doesn't seem to have any problems seeing food, or the swordtails we have in the tank.

I'm not very good at editing pictures (sorry!)