I wrote in a couple of weeks ago about taking over the care of 2 Oscars - I have them in separate tanks now - And, I have let the tank cleaner go. (He refused to talk to be about the specifics of the tanks)Well last week I changed one of the filter (it was disgusting)and I rinsed the other one. Well Now one of the fish has developed (in the last week) HITH - I was unsure at first but today it is very evident. I just went and purchased a test kit, Ammo-Lock, Start right, stress coat and a Gravel Vac - SO, I am getting ready to do a water change - Please keep in mind I have never done this before and I am scared to death that I am going to cause more problems!!! BTW, I did not add the charcoal to the filters b/c I read on here that it was harmful.

So, can someone tell me the proper amount of water to change today and what I should put in the water to make it better.

The tank levels are:

Ph 6.5
Ammonia .50
Nitrite .50
Nitrate somewhere between 40 & 80 - the color was darker than 40 but not as dark as 80 (closer to 40)

I understand that these are bad numbers - And I feel like crap but I had no idea how to care for fish a month ago. I am not a bad pet parent- I just feel like one today ):

I would start by doing a 50% change in water. use the vacuum to clean the gravel all the way down to the glass really well.

next I would continue then doing 25% water changes every day.

Also check the parameters of you tap water to make sure that is ok as well.
If it is ok then I would continue doing water changes everyday until you get the parameters in your tank to the desired readings.

You could also add 1tbs of salt to every ten gallons of water to your tanks as well. ***check with your local pet store for the salt type and brand**

But I would at least wait until your water parameters are ok before doing this.

this is the process that I took to cure HITH and it worked for me.. HITH is not something that cures quickly but with a little time and a caring hand you will be able to defeat it...

make sure that once everything is back to normal to continue doing frequent water changes.. I do my water changes of 25% every third day and my tank parameters are consistantly good.

I hope that this helps and keep us informed

What size are your tanks and what size is your Oscars? Do what Warlock said and your problems should get better.

she has two 55 gal. tanks and each oscar is in its own tank I don't remember how big they were though. maybe 7in.?

Ocdiva I would also recomend reading this article on our website it is very informational. It explains a lot on how they get it and to how to cure it...

www.oscarfishlover.com/index.php/Hole-in...ad-Disease-HITH.html

I did read it. Did I cause it when I changed the filter? I want to buy an entire new filter - but I dont want to cause any more problems. Also, the hot water is turned off during the summer here - cheap lawyers I work for - Is that going to cause a problem? Thank you for your help.

the old filter should be just fine because it has the good bacteria built up in it that the aquarium needs. but if you want to buy a new one then I would recommend running it with the old one as well. A new filter needs to get cycled. meaning the good bacteria needs to build up so that it may become a suitable aquarium filter.

as far as the cold water goes.. I always try to get my water temp. the same or close too the tank temp when I add new water. A drastic change to water temp can be stressful and sometimes harmful to any aquarium fish.. Is there any other way to get water close to the same temp?

I could boil portions of it to get it close I guess - the temp in the tank is 72 f - Is that normal?

Oscars thrive best in waters from 75 to 82 degrees... but If you get to close to 82 degrees thats when algae starts to grow the best as well.

I keep my tank in between 75-78 all the time..

But don't worry though 72 is not harming your oscars.

It actually might be a good idea if you raised the water temp up to around 82 when you are treating the oscars for hith because the warmer water will help stimulate their immune system a little better.

also you might want to try soaking their food in some vitamines as well this will help them as vitamines help us.

Im about to start - Im so nervous. I will kyp.

ok.. ill stay online for a while.. don't be scared its normal doing what you are doing right now...

Warlock you are the man...

Ocdiva, you can do this just follow what you were told and you will be fine... You will soon be an Oscar wizard. LOL...