Hi,

I have had my oscar (5in) for over 2 months now. He lives in a 226 liter tank along with a severum (3in) and a pleco (6in). His diet includes Hikari cichlid excel pellets, blood worms, dried baby shrimps and occasionally flake food. I feed him about 1/4th tea spoon twice daily. I have an external canister filter which filters at the rate of 1450 liters/hr with zeolite, bio-balls, ceramic rings and biochemical cotton. I also have an internal sponge filter which filters at the rate of 400 liters/hr. I change 25-30% of the water using a siphon to vacuum over the gravel once a week without fail and rinse the sponge filter media with removed aquarium water. I have been advised by the store to rinse the canister filter media only once in 2-3 months and to replace the media once in 6-8 months.

a) I have noticed now that the oscar has 4 very very minute holes on his right pectoral fin, size lesser than a pin head. they don't seem like an injury caused by external source. The veins have gone around the hole and there is a gray-white ring around the hole. This attachment is hidden for guests. Please log in or register to see it.
b) He also has a black smooth round lump on his right pelvic fin. It's about the size of a pin head and is not there on the other pelvic fin.
c) The margin of his dorsal and tail fin are almost transparent, just the outermost thin line of about 3mm. Is this normal? He has had it that way since I've had him.

I have not treated him for any of the above problems as I still dont know what it may be. I have treated him in the past for lice (which he carried from the store) and for fungus soon after the lice left. Since then he has had no other problem. His behaviour and appetite are normal. I would really appreciate any help regarding this matter because I'd like to treat him before it gets worse.

Thanks!

can not open to visualized the picture...
can not give input then.

Hi, I'm sorry it didn't open, It downloads as a zip file in my computer. I'll try uploading another format

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based on the sketch, it looks like ick.... but sketches is
different from the picture. if it is a hole indeed, then
some sharp object had punctured the fin.

ick can be treated by increasing the temp to 80 deg F
and adding pure salt at 1 tablespoon per 10 gal water ratio.

have you carried out water tests, what are the results please. can you post they actual test results and not say good or fine. if you are about to do a water change please test before the change so we can get a idea as to the environment the fish live in most of the time. Thanks

usually holes in middle of fins are previously unhealed splits .......they heal down to the base but dont completely close over .....i have reopened the split back through to the fin edge to allow the healing process to start again as the small hole left will not close over as the healing process has now stopped for that particular injury and EXCELENT QUALITY WATER WITH NITRATES BELOW 20PPM AT ALL TIMES IS ESSENTIAL !!!!!!!!!..BUT I DO NOT RECCOMEND YOU OR ANYONE READING THIS TRIES IT UNLESS VERY EXPERIENCED AT HANDLING AND TREATING LARGE AGRESSIVE FISH !!!!!!!!!

I tried what BGH said on my last oscar fish that I had and it worked great... I agree though if you have never handled your oscar and are not experienced then I would not do this. It could cause a lot of problems

Thank you everyone for your suggestions...Paul, I tried photographing the fin but it's been impossible because as I said the holes are very tiny and cannot be seen in a somewhat hazy picture... scar doesnt have spots anywhere else on his body or other fins...If the white areas grow or increase in number I'll go ahead with the salt treatment...

Marcus, I changed about 25% of the water 3 days ago and I tested the water now...

pH - 8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - around 20
Temperature - 79

I don't have a kit for chlorine as yet, however, the tap water I use does have a slight smell of chlorine so I always let the water stand for 3 days or so and use the chlorine remover liquid.

BGH and Warlock, this oscar lived with a bigger one who used to injure him a bit. The fins would tear but heal within a few days. So what you said does seems like the answer. But for the past two months he has been with only the severum and pleco and I always keep a watch and as I noticed he never had any tears and did not have these holes. Also the hole is in the middle of the black vein/rib of the fins.

I'll keep a watch and see if it changes and get the water tested before the next due change. Thanks again!