Hello everyone,

Been on this site a while now, but this is my first post. I've had one of my OScars for about 4 years and 3 months. Yesterday, I noticed she was breathing very heavily, as if she was gasping for air. Sometimes she will just lay on the bottom of the tank, other times she will slowly swim around. She has no appetite whatsoever, which is very unusual for her. She has not had any problems previous to this. Could she just be old and ready to die or could there be something else wrong with her?

She is in a 125 gallon tank with one other oscar, 3 pictus cats, and a common pleco. The water parameters are fine: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and around 10 nitrate. I do weekly water changes, anywhere 75 to 80 percent. I did a 50 percent change today just to see if it would help, but she is still acting the same.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am at a loss and have no idea what I should do.

Joe

welcome to the site in your uncomfortable situation.
i had move this post to the emergency section so that
every body can response accordingly. since your water
parameter is good and the other fishes are not having
same problem, it is difficult to evaluate what is wrong.

can you check your pH. oscar could live for 15 to 20 years
thus 4 year is not the end. what is your tank temperature?

as an emergency approach, i suggest you dose the tank with
pure salt to enhance oxygenation and ripple the water to create
additional aeration.

lets wait others to chime in.

Thanks Paul. The temp is the tank always hovers around 79-80 degrees. The PH is always stable at 7.6. I've been doing some research and it sort of seems that she may be egg-bound. She has all the symptoms: lethargic, no appetite, and heavy breathing. COuld this be what is wrong with her?

heavy breathing means something is wrong. maybe your
other fishes is just having higher resistance and not
yet affected for now.

my oscar spawned regularly.... yes, they do not take food
for a while but never got heavy breathing problem. they move
everything inside the tank and attack anyone who come near
their slate. sulking, yawning, yes the do occasionally.

better re-check your water parameter. temp and pH are ok.

is her excrement white and stringy......almost translucent in apearence????????

As a matter of fact, yes. Looks like she's trying to go right now. I talked with someone else and they suggested she may just be constipated. Would this explain the heavy breathing and lack of appetite? I've been recommended by some to set up a QT tank and dose with epson salt. If I go this route, what should the dosing schedule look like?

Thanks

the white stringy translucent excrement,gasping,lack of appetite and lifeless/lethargic.......im afraid to say are the classic symptoms of HEXIMITA / increase in the flagelite count in the fish intestinal tract..google it for further info as it would take me 4 pages to explain this condition to you but basicaly its an internal parasite that can only be treated with metronidiazole/ flagyl ..antibiotic and pristine water ..its also connected to early stage lateral line disease HLLE