Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 i have pick up a very very dirty tank on saturday, the fish are n a very poor state. The worst being an Oscar that seems to be very slow and having periods just sitting on the bottom then on its side at about 45 degrees. Tank is clean and have started it going again with all the fish back in except a clown loach and red tailed shark, they are very well and in my other tank. Two other laches are well. The other fish are two Angels they have eaten today and seem very happy locking lips. One large silver dollar not so well, one opual gourami seems to be ok. three sissor tails ok. Is there anything I can do for the Oscar? / Silver Dollar? Thanks Mal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 What size is the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Tank is a 900mm x 400mm deep x 450mm high, I think that it is to small. It also had no lights at all, I have put some on from one of my other tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 That is not big enough for one oscar let alone all the other fish in with it How old are they do you know? How big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 The Oscar is about 200mm long, Silver Dollar is about 70 - 80mm. Mal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 not sure how old, they just looked really sick I could not leave them. I am happy to give away if they will come right. I do not have a bigger tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Whats your ph at? Tank cycled? Filters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Do not know ph. The tank was cleaned out and started again from fresh. The person I brought it of did not have the fillter running and it was full of crap. I will check ph today. Tank will not have had time to cycle so the fish would have a shock and did have a shock being put back into clean water. The other fish seem to be ok. Had no choice. I will check them now this morning, just checked fish all alive, Silver Dollar seem to be a lot stronger. The Oscar is upright. What do yu susgest I try and feed MR Oscar? Mal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 You will need to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia and other levels down. This is the best you can do at the moment. Do you have a filter on the tank now? Lights don't matter as you won't have live plants in there. If they survive all this then please try and rehome them as soon as possible. Anyone here able to help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Take some 'dirty' water from your other tank and put it in the new one to introduce some of the bacteria you need to start processing the ammonia etc - it sounds to me like your Oscar has Nitrite poisoning - lots of large water changes and seeding the filter with a starter culture are the only solution until you can rehome the Oscar. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 thank you every body for your advise. What a great site and eveybody is so helpful. I will keep you all informed, I am of to our lfs to advertise the fish, or to see if they now somebody that would like them. What size tank would you recomend as a min - average for an Oscar, the kids like the large fish? thanks again Mal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 They can grow up to 30cm and a single adult oscar needs at least 200 - 250 litres of water. That is about a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 thank you every body for your advise. What a great site and eveybody is so helpful. I will keep you all informed, I am of to our lfs to advertise the fish, or to see if they now somebody that would like them. What size tank would you recomend as a min - average for an Oscar, the kids like the large fish? thanks again Mal. Be aware that a healthy adult Oscar will eat just about every other fish you put in there - they are highly aggresive and predatory, and generate a lot of waste, and they will dig holes and uproot every plant they can - but they are really, really cool fish if you are prepared to look after them. I have a pair (male + female) in a large tank along with an adult Rusty Plec - even with the biggest filter I could get they still need 90% water changes every week to keep them happy. They are hilarious to watch digging holes and spitting stones at the Plec (who has some big twisty logs to hide in) and they spawn regularly. I say get rid of all the little fish and keep one big one in a good sized tank (or get more tanks :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I have been to the lfs. They are happy to look after him/her for me. I do need more tanks and bigger ones but money doesn't grow on trees. The kids would love me to keep it. The lfs said that the filter is a good one, but yes Oscar's do make a bit of a mess. So until I get a bigger tank set up he/her will be at the lfs. Just checked on him/her and he is upright and moving slowly from time to time. Thanks again to those you have help. Mal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I could buy the oscar from you and if so you could use the the money to buy more appropriate fish suitable to the size of your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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