Poorly Oscar - Help please!

**MrsB** · 09-19-2009, 02:23 PM

Hi,

I have 2 Oscars who are approx 4 years old. One of them has developed a very unsighlty and unhealthy looking patch above it's eye. I have tried to take picture of it but it's not great, best I could do though!

Anyone have any idea what this is? Or how I should treat it? I have had these fish a long time and they have never had any health problems before

Sorry the picture is so huge, I have no idea how to resize it.

Just as a note I have seen in various places that you shouldn't keep more than one or less than 6 Oscars in a tank, but my two have been together since they were babies and I have never had any problems with them being together.

**Northernguy** · 09-19-2009, 02:27 PM

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!

Your oscar has hole in the head!
You need to start with large water changes every couple of days!
Get a med that is for hole in the head!
What size tank do you have?
What size filtration are you running?
Here is some accurate info about Oscars.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/oscar.php
Here is some info on HITH.http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/dise...einthehead.php

**robnepper** · 09-19-2009, 02:28 PM

could you plaese provide tank specs, latest water test results? It looks like hole in the head to me, but you probably have already ruled that one out if you're asking what this is. I am not an oscar expert, although i am a huge fan of them, so hoefully someone with more oscar know how will answer this post.

**Deleted User** · 09-19-2009, 02:29 PM

I am really new to keeping fish, but wonder if this could be what is called "Hole In The Head" or "HITH". You can google and see if you think it fits. I do think it's treatable if that is what you're dealing with (has to do w/ water issues, I think).

Good luck and I'm sure others here who are more knowledgable can offer more guidance. Hang in there!

**robnepper** · 09-19-2009, 02:29 PM

That's funny NG. I was thinking you should reply to this one and then you posted seconds before me!

**krystalsohun** · 09-19-2009, 02:29 PM

from the picture it looks like hole in the head to me. how often do you change your water? how much water is changed? how big of a tank? do you test your tank and if so what are the parameters?? how long has it been there? and do you see aggression between the two? sorry all these questions need to be answered in order to make a diagonsis.

**MrsB** · 09-19-2009, 02:35 PM

Thanks for the responses, I hadn't ruled out hole in the head as until now I had never heard of it. It's my Hubby that deals with the fish so I have no idea about water tests etc, the tank is 90G, and has only the two Oscars in it. That's the way it's been from the beginning. They get about a 20% water change every few days, I think. Filtration.....erm.....No idea. I'm really clueless.

It's been there for about a month (nowhere near as big as it is now) there has never been any aggression between the two fish. The fish is still eating and does not seem sick in itself.

Where can I get what I need to cure it? Will my fishy die?

**krystalsohun** · 09-19-2009, 02:39 PM

i'd say definitely hith. you need to do large water changes almost daily. the reason for hith most say is dirty water, which is from having to bio-load monsters in a 90 gallon tank. so up the water changes and since it's so bad i'd get a medication for him also. and yes if you do not act fast you will loose your fishy sorry.

**MrsB** · 09-19-2009, 02:46 PM

OK, so I will do large daily water changes. Where can I get the medicine it needs? The filtration is a Fluval 305.

**Northernguy** · 09-19-2009, 02:50 PM

Please read the link I posted!Get the medication specifically for HITH at your local fish store(LFS).
You may want to add another filter.I recomend an Aqua clear hang on the back filter.An ac110 should make a difference.
Do your water changes and do not be shy about 50%!
These fish are very messy and need a huge amount of filtration and clean water.I have two in a 135 with almost 500gals of filtration/hour running. I do two large water changes every week.
It is neccesary too keep their water clean.Its about the only way these fish get sick!
Good luck with it.Its not very difficult to heal if you get started now. lol
It can be fatal if not treated. It is approaching an advanced stage by the looks of the pic.