I am so sad to report that the oscars we had for 4 years passed away about 2 months ago. We were devastated...but we cleaned the 150 gallon tank, and set it back up for about a month with nothing but water in it. Recently, we got two more oscars, an Albino and a Red Tiger (both about 2 inches long). They loved each other and bonded immediately. About a week later, the Red Tiger started jetting around the tank and hitting the sides, then the lid! It acted as if it was having a seizure almost! We checked the temp, everything seemed fine. He had stopped eating and within two days we lost him. This was about a week ago. Now, the Albino is showing the exact same signs. Depressed, laying at the bottom, won't eat, and jets around on occasion to the point of hurting himself! We are so sad! My wife and I are clueless as to what is going on! Our water readings are: GH-30, KH-0, PH-6, NO2-0, NO3-20. We are on well water, and we have a Rena XP3 pump running. We also have a bubble wand and the temp is staying right at 78 degrees. I also do a 20% water change every week. Please help! We don't want to loose this little oscar!!!!!!
Thanks so much for your time!
Matthew

Okay, you've given us PH, nitrite, and nitrate but you've left the most important one out, that is ammonia, this is what kills fish most of the time. I have to say that the behaviour you describe indicates poor water conditions. It sounds to me as if you have not cycled your tank. I'm afraid that filling the tank with water and leaving it for a month does nothing but dissipate the chlorine. Have you been cleaning your filters out at all?

Okay, you need to do an ammonia test ASAP. I would advise you to get hold of some prime as well. If you have got ammonia present then prime will detoxify it and at least give your fish some relief.

Thank you so much for the advice!!! We will check ammonia quick and let you know the results. We are going to have to get the prime though. I hope this little one will be ok. Thanks again, yalls website has helped us so much!!!!

Matthew

No problem, I'm glad we are here to help you. I would also advise you to reduce the amount of food going into the water dramatically until we know what's going on. Food will just create more waste which you don't want if you already have poor water conditions.

Im with OFL, check this link out on cycling- it explains what it is all about and how to do it

www.oscarfishlover.com/helpful-articles/cycling-an-aquarium

keeping an oscar for 4 years, i assume you are doing the right procedure
in cleaning the filtering system.... the absence of info for ammonia give
us no clue yet why your fish is getting the seizure.... but i just want to
find out.. what is your feeding regiment. any changes lately?

Twice a day a pinch around 7 or 8 pieces of top fin small cichlid pellets. Their are about the size of a seasme seed. one feeding around 7 am then the next around 6 pm. Going to day to get a ammiona test kit. My wife and I realized last night that the test kit we have doesn't test for ammiona.

ammonia is toxic, but having a good nitrate and nitrite level, i don't
think there will be any issue about it.

if i may ask...how big did your o grow so far??? after 4 years....
my oscar grew up 14 inches in 27 months.

one was about 13 inches or so and the other was about 16 or so our tank is about 3 feet tall 4.5 feet wide abd 2.5 feet deep. To answer your other question no physcal changes just routin water changes.

matthewkozik77 wrote:

wow... you have a good tank footprint... 239 US gal huh!
temperature drops during water change and sometimes it did affect
the mode of the fishes. any idea what difference it takes during the
water change?

i could not think other factor that may trigger behavioral change.

Our tank is 150 us gal I use a hose just for filling their tank from a spicket out side along with a 5 us gal bucket of warm water the temp drops it around 68 or so not a real big difference I know their ideal temp is 76 to 82 degrees we are in the U.S.

any improvement lately????

i did have expereince that my oscar refuse to eat for 3 weeks...
but that was during the spawning period... after the first egg laying,
i never did experience the same..it become normal...