Let me bring you guys up to speed......I have 2 large oscars in a 55G bare bottom tank with airstones, heater and a HOB filter. I do a 50% w/c every week and feed them once a day without over feeding them. As I fed then today I noticed these whitish blotches in the head area. First word that came out of my mouth was "sh!t, they're getting HITH." Now this would be my first experience with HITH, but I want to be certain that it is. Also the water was way warmer than normal. I don't have a thermometer, but I could tell it was warmer just by dipping my finger in the water. One of them must have moved the setting on my heater. Anyways, I immediately did a 50% w/c and turned down the heat. LMK what you guys think and how to treat it if it is. Thanx.....................

it's not actual HITH, but it may be beginning.
Well, you know the drill.
Can we get readings of your ammonia- nitrites- nitrates and pH?
that would help us tell if your fish is at risk.
Mind you, we recommend 55 Gl for a single oscar.
We do that because expierience in the past has taught that limited amounts of water with large bioload will buildt up toxins real quick.
IMO 50% weekly wc with 2 big O's in a 55Gl will not be enough.
So, i think this is not HITH yet, but the tanksize could become a problem.
Any plans for an upgrade?

I plan on getting them into a 100G withing 2 weeks. I don't think my water readings are bad due to the w/c's that I do every week, and I'm almost positive I am not over feeding them. But in the mean time I plan on doing a 50% w/c twice a week............

lol, thinking about your waterlevels will not cut it.
You have to test them, to be sure.
I think that you could have some nitrite and ammonia present.
But that's only thinking too.lol
Mind you you would still have to cycle the tank, so that would be another 2 months for your O's to be in the 55Gl.
Good idea to up the wc anyways, but the test results could tell you if more or less maintenance is nescesary.
Do you have a liquid testcase at your home?
And do you use Prime when doing waterchanges?
btw your fish do have a lovely colour and look healthy, except for the spots.

Agree with Noddy...gotta get yourself a liquid master test kit so you can test for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Its the only way to know for sure what your water condition is. Like he said...can't think you know what your water cond. are...gotta know for sure.

Also wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a thermometer as well so you know what the temps in the tank actually are. I know when I dip my finger in the tank sometimes it feels really warm and sometimes it feels very cold...but my temp is always the same within a degree.

thats not HITH just bruising from hitting the sides of the tank or decorations
by the way you needd to upgrade to a larger setup soon

Dalerfootball95 wrote:



X2

Thanx for the replies guys and compliments....On the other hand on thinking about what my levels are. Even if I did test my water and any reading was high. My next move would have been plenty of water changes which I was planning on doing anyhow. I'm not trying to be an a$$ or anything. But just seems that everybody jumps on what are your readings wagon. When it all leads down to is w/c's regardless .........

There are several causes for HITH. And water reading help us work through the process of what could be causing it... If you know it all leads to water changes anyway... Then do them... The water changes are required NO MATTER WHAT... Perfect water is required to keep Oscars helthy and if TESTING, not thinking about your water readings is too much work maybe you should keep something else... Not trying to be a B***h or anything....

That will always be the first question asked... so if you want our help... TEST YOUR WATER!

well said nikkisue

There is actually no "known" cause for HITH, just theories and speculation. But that's exactaly the response I was expecting.......

Nickisue wrote:


X2

Testing your water is part of proper fishkeeping. Just because you do the water changes doesn't mean you don't need to test the water. If something happens and you need to know why, water test results are the first thing anyone will ask you for.

I don't understand why you would ask a question here to get help but then jump on people who ask for your water reading results saying they are unnecessary. These people are just trying to help and water readings are the first tool in diagnosing problems.