My Oscar has developed a few white spots on its right side, one of which has recently turned into more of an open ulcer-looking sore. I was thinking it might be a bacterial infection, because based on what I've read fungal infections look cottony, and this one is pretty flush with its body and flat. What do you guys think it is and what would be the best treatment method? My tank is 55 gallons and I change out ~20% of the water every week, and the water quality is not poor, yet this problem persists.

i have never seen that before...

what are your water perimeters?

does your O have any tankmates?

Do you have a pleco in with him? Is there anything he could be rubbing up against? The sore is very round, like a pleco has been sucking on him.

Sinstinna wrote:


its unusual isnt it.... could it be a heater burn even?

Maybe the total roundness of it is odd. The mods will let us all know what it is Live and learn

yes lets wait and see

Hmm... it very well could be heater burns. My heater was being weird on/off and not shutting off when it was supposed to so I haven't been running my heater at all for the past few weeks. When it was running the fish was often up against the heater doing nothing. Ever since my heater has been off my room temperature has kept the tank around 76-78F so I haven't needed the heater at all. It has no tank mates either.

It's nice to meet you Harrisonk, were the sores round like this one? I'm glad my heaters are in plastic casing.

yes, it may very well be heater burns, ive had problems with fish liking the heater too much too....

im not a pro though and i wouldnt rule out other things yet...
though if the heater was playing up and your O sitting against it, it is quite possible that it is a burn.

lets just see what the mods say

hi horrisonk, welcome to the site....

after seeing your oscar's wound, i could only imagine you have a plecs.
but having none, i could only say it is some kind of ulcer. oscars would
not stand being burn by the heater that deep with out moving away.....

is there any other spot of such wound (in smaller size)?

well there's the two white spots behind the open sore looking one. that's what the big one looked like before.

those blemish will create another crater similar to what you have now
and will look like this later on......
i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo308/PAULHD.../ntillemansoski3.jpg

a big water change is needed and keep under check.... a dose of pure salt
will sooth or comfort your fish and help to heal. i haven't experience any
diseases like that but that is how i understand medicating such.

can you post your water parameters, please!