I introduced myself a couple days ago and here I am with a problem!!! I know I did the mistake of overfeeding and overindulging him too much, so 3 days ago I saw a huge underbelly but he was fine relaxing and wanting more food... then I kept watching him and the belly started to get bigger and bigger and I could see poop stuck in his anus.

I decided 2 days ago to remove and not feed him for 2 days... well first day nothing, comes 2nd day and he shit like 2 bricks of poop in my aquarium... he hasn't received food in 2 days and the belly is almost gone but still when i look under i see some poop in his anus... my questions is should i start feeding again or wait 1 more day?? what else can I do... my diet consist of HIKARIO BIO GOLD PLUS and HIKARI SINKING WAFFLES that apparntly has more fiber...


Thanks guys

If you are worried, just don't feed for another two or three days, the Oscar will not come to any harm whatsoever. Obviously we can't see your situation so can only advise on what you have told us. It's not a problem I have actually encountered myself so giving you an absolutely conclusive answer is difficult. It seems to me as if you are quite sensible and doing the best by your fish

Hey!! is there anything you do to avoid constipation?? let me know please

Varying the diet, good quality food, you could try vegetables, peas, small pieces of carrot, maybe sweet corn. Although this may help your fish, a lot of Oscars just turn their noses up at this type of food. It's not common for fish to become constipated, I've never had it of any of my Oscars.

Yeah it was my fault I was feeding him 5-6 times a day ohh i better run nw

Any of you use EPSOM salt to promote bowel movement, how should I approach it on a 55 gallon??

Sounds like constipation to me. I've had a constipated oscar before.
I slowly increased the temperature to 29-30 degrees C, and added epsom salt... Cant remember dosage rate (may be 1 teaspoon per ten gallons, don't quote me). I took a bucket of water from the aquarium, dissolved the salts into the bucket and re-introduced the water into the aquarium. When the constipated fish looked like it wanted food i fed blanched peas, in small amounts, and he was back in full swing in no time. Dont forget to reduce temp again once back to normal.
Someone else may be able to help more with dosage rates for epsom salts, but my advice is to vary diet. I feed with quality hikari pellets mainly, as well as dedicated cichlid tropical crumbles. I also feed peas, cucumber and zucchini, meal worms and their beetles, crickets, and sometimes freeze dried bloodworms and krill. Vary the diet, even as basically as pellet types, and he'll love you for it.

Dan

rauljimenez wrote:

seeing big pooh in their anus is normal....this fish eats a lot and pooing a lot too.
and yes, due to their good apetite, sometimes their belly seem bloated...but that is
fine too. they will stop eating when full.


oscar can survive without food for a couple of days... but why deprive them of foods
when there is no issue yet except being greedy...
as long as they are pooing... they will be fine

rauljimenez wrote:


i have NEVER put this stuff in any of my fish tanks. as for your fish's bowel movements, if its eating, and still pooping, its fine lol.

add some worms to the diet.
I fed ciclid sticks in the morning and bloodworms or mealworms in the evening.
Gives him a little more soft tissue in his bowels.
feeding less times a day will give your O some time to digest the food.
If he poops the whole pellets out, he will not have digested much of the nutrients.
good luck.

lol if its pooping out whole pellets, you might try a smaller pellet, because o's will crush those pellets up if they can, rather than swallow one, mine make a hell of a mess. are you feeding pellets larger than the fish can break with its jaws?

My O just did this same thing. I think it's because my hubby got a little overzealous with feeding him freeze dried blood worms. He looked pregnant for a couple of days, then left the largest fish turd I've ever seen. (Hubby was impressed. )

Now the O is back to normal, and back on a regular feeding schedule. Hubby is now banned from feeding my fish. lol