Hi guys. I have an eheim aquarium couple of 50gal with a mature oscar and 12inch long. All well and good until today. I arrived from the office and I found this on my fish. I have no idea what can be and I want to help me if possible. I mention the water temp(77-80gr F) is normal the parameters are NO2=0(just measured it) N03=50(measured it yesterday) and PH 6.4-6.8. I aso have a pleco in the aquarium .. The fish is fed with Ocean Nutrition's "frozen(shrimp, super shrimp, mosquito larva, lence fish). THANK YOU

looks to me like you have some hith going on there. if this is the case your fisrt course of action will be to get the nitrates down below 20 and keep them there. secondly you need a way bigger tank. 50 gallons for 2 oscars and a plec is way to small. assuming the pleco is a common plec you should be looking for a tank in the 125 gallon range.

water changes will be the key to cure hith but if you dont improve their living conditions it will be a never ending battle.

good luck with your oscar and btw welcome to the site.

I am sorry I think I made a mistake in what I said i have only one oscar and one pleco.

I don't think i am dealing with hith disease because that starts "digging" in the pores
of depth and pressure sensores on the fish's head. These are completely avoided by the thing on his head. I think this can be easily seen in the image.

THANK YOU!

I think Necro is dead on in his advice. If there is only one Oscar and the Pleco then you need to find a 75 gallon tank....

And could you please post your reading for Ammonia?

Nicki--Sue wrote:


Ammonia or other burn???

Noddy wrote:

i concur with Noddy but it is also possible with early stage of HITH.

the nitrate levels scream "major water changes STAT"

It doesn't look like HITH at all to me, some form of infection?

I would suggest large water changes with fresh water treated with Mellafix

P.S. get rid of the pleco

Protozoan parasite= a grey like film or mucus. thats my guess