Hi all,

Please can you help?

This behaviour started today, My tiger oscar will sit at the bottom of the
tank in one corner for 10 - 30 mins then he will fly around the tank, chasing
his tail, rushing to the surface and diving back down and swimming up to the sides of the tank really fast and sometimes bumping into the sides of the tank
quite hard. He is not gasping for (air) if thats the right word.. I did a 50%
water change last week, The water is clear and fairly clean i have not tested the nitrate levels yet but will in the morning, i may do a water change any way.

Is this a sign that he is dying?

Please let me know if you have heard of experianced this before.

Thanks

Jason

When fish suddenly start darting around the tank very quickly banging into things, it can be a sign that there are toxins in the water. You need to test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and pH. Unfortunately, it can also be a sign of health problems. I've never encountered this with any of my Oscars in all the years I've kept them, however, my water has always been in pristine condition.

I don't want to worry you unnecessarily, you just need to test the water very carefully and make surethere are no toxins present

Hi OFL Admin,

I suspect you are correct about the toxins, The advice i get from here is normally spot on. I have done a 50% water change just 20 mins ago, i am going to wait until tonight to do the toxins tests, this should give time for the
water to circulate thru the filter etc. Also last week i lost my red oscar, i came down stairs one morning and found him at the bottom off the tank dead. I don't know how or why he died, Could this be related? who know's, fish can't talk..

Thanks again.

I'll keek you posted.

Jason

in many cases, toxins are involved in health problems, or even death.

As to why your Oscar died, I have no idea. We should really look upon fish death in the same way as any other creature death, including humans. The only conclusive way to find out how something died is to do an autopsy. And yes, if you've got the money, you can have an autopsy done on the dead fish if you want.

Hi All,

Well it seems that a good old fashioned water change has done the trick,

My oscar is swimming around happily again now after 6 hours of sulking after
his water change. But the main thing is he is happy again.

Jason.