Oscar

[Christina]

She is a beaut!
We have had her since she was a little weeny thing and she used to eat feeder fish but has stopped :(
She likes insects like meal worms and crickets but do you think that would suffice the supplementation for feeder fish?
She gets Ciclad food as well as insects and still gets hole in the head.
We have been treating the water to help her heal but was wondering if we should up the insects to help prevent it from happening again?
Christina

[Youkai]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but is hole in the head caused by poor water conditions and not diet?

Feeder fish, unless you quarantine them and feed them well yourself, are a very poor diet. (they are often diseased and starved at the store.) Cichlid pelets, frozen food, and insects are good choices.

Can you maybe describe how often and how you clean, the tank size, the filters, etc etc?
Perhaps have your water tested, as well.

[homebrewed]

Youkai is right, feeder fish are not that nutritional. in fact, if they are getting to many feeder goldfish is causes a lack of vitamin B for the fish. stick to the insects and cichlid pellets and he'll do fine

Youkai, hole in head is also caused by diseased feeders

[Youkai]

Is it really? I knew it was also common in discus, who I'm sure are rarely exposed to feeder fish. (I hope!) Is it a pathogen they carry that can be to blame, the mess they cause, or the vitamin dificiency they cause in the fish they are being fed to?

I guess my main understanding was that some fish are more likely to get it, especially if they are weakened by particularally innapropriate water conditions or anything else that could lower their immune system...

[Shane Tesser]

Hole in the head if you do research on it like i have as i had an out break in a discus tank once is actually an intestinal parasite of all things believe it or not. The parasite is not normally likely to spread in fish...but they do attribute poor water conditions to its spread. You can apply medicative creams to the infected area, but for the most part all that will ever manage to be done is stopping the spread of the hole. Normally there is no cure, and not many books even cover it. Most cases prove to be fatal but many fish will live for years with it. Your best bet for prevention of death or spreading of the hole is the make sure you do large partial water changes regularily of the tank water. Also insure that there is a good biological filter system, and that it is in good condition, and clean.

As for feeder goldfish, there will always be a debate as to theyre use. Supplimenting any sort of vitamins will usually be good for the animal. In the wild Oscars are carnivours. They may go after insects etc, but if you study their natural habitat, they are clearly fish eaters. If you are worried about feeder fish, i would say quaranteen, its key. Make sure you buy from a reputable store, and that the feeders are active, colourful, and will readily eat. Have them in a tank in your home with slightly raised temps for a week or two if you can before you feed any to your oscars. The raised temps will make sure that any parasite if there is any on the feeders will reveal themselves alot faster with heat.

As for feeding your oscars, ive managed to get them to suppliment flake food. Alot of ppl over look flake as they are dazzeled by high priced speciality foods. The truth is, its crude protein that aquarium fish need. Rule of thumb when buying any fish food, the higher the protein, the better the quality. Usually, anything under 46% should not be purchased. In an aquarium, there is no need to introduce fats....this is what a high concentration of most speciality foods have. Fat is required in large amounts in the wild as most fish may only eat weekly...or even less. They rely on the storage of those fats to survive. In our home aquariums it is not required, as we feed regularily. However, fatty foods is know to increase colouration in some fish...thus the colour differences in fish fed with some speciality foods. :)

[marisa]

Usually, anything under 46% should not be purchased.

DAMNIT! LOL. My fish food is exactly 46%. I am such a bare minimum fish mother. *crying*

Seriously though, thanks for that info. A friend has an Oscar and I am going to pass this along

Marisa

[Christina]

Oky doky Shane.
The conditions of our tank are good.
We clean it on a regular basis the filter is Aqua clear for the proper size of tank it is a 50gallon. And we change those regularly as well. One at a time because we were advised to not do the charcoal and the sponge at the same time.
Like I said though it does not eat the feeder fish it only eats insects and gets Ciclad food as well.
We will try a higher protein diet and take it from there next.
Thanks all Christina

[Shane Tesser]

I should add Christina..im not saying you should solely feed your Oscar with flake..but it you can get them interested in something like a large flake made for cichlids or, one with a good protein percentage..go for it :)

[Christina]

Oky doky
I was not going to keep it strictly flakes because I do like the colors the cichlid food produces :)
She is a huge colorfull brute with an attitude love it :)

[Pia]

Your diet sounds good. HITH is caused by an internal parasite and should respond to medications containing metronidazole. Also check nitrate levels in the tank. Nitrate is what nitrite is converted to and is harmless in lower levels (I try for a maximum of 20ppm) but can creep up to very high levels over time. High levels eventually cause stress over time. The only way to lower the levels are by physically removing it via water changes. If levels are high try doing one 50% water change then 10% every other day until levels are lowered.

[AymKing]

I think the insects and the cichlid food are way better! I work at a pet store and those feeders die within 4 days or so and never look good!! It's a good thing she doesn't lke them anymore. Follow her lead ;)