flatworm

Question
Hi,
I am asking a question based on an answer I read about an Oscar and a pleco.  I have 4 year old Oscar and recently (last 4-6 months) he has been getting bad injuries to his head.  I didn't seem to bother him at first but now I am very worried, he isn't eating much and breaths very quickly.  Anyway I think it is flatworms. My water is very cloudy and the medication I have used does not seem to help. My question is along with my pleco and Oscar I have a large blue crayfish.  Can I medicate with the crayfish?  If not when I put the crayfish in after the medication will he just bring the flatworms back?  All was well until I used some bargain feeders.

Thanks,
Kevin

Answer
Hi Kevin.  First off, you should NEVER feed your Oscar live fish unless you breed & raise them yourself so you can make sure they are disease free.  IF you want to try live foods, you need to quarantine them first and medicate them to make sure they are not sick. This is usually a pain in the neck.  They do not need live foods, it's mainly for your entertainment that people do this. Instead, try feeding him a piece of shrimp (cooked) or something like that.  They usually love it!  Live fish also don't have much nutritional value anyway.  My advice....stay away from them, they are only trouble.

I need for you to write me back and try to be more specific about the "bad injuries to his head". That really doesn't help me because you're not explaining what it looks like.  At this point, it could be hole in the head disease (HITH) or something more, I cannot tell.  Please get back to me with a better description and pictures would be even better if you could get them and post them!

You should be cleaning your tank WEEKLY with this type of fish.  They are VERY VERY messy fish and you need to keep their water in pristine condition or you are no doubt going to run in to problems. They do not do well in poor water conditions.

To be honest, I would not even have that crayfish in the tank with the Oscar and Pleco. I hate those things, they are NASTY and they kill fish.  Chances are if you medicate him along with the Oscar, he will die.  BUT, you should not be treating the Oscar for anything until you are relatively positive what you are treating. Not all medications are the same.  You say you think it's flatworm, but you don't tell me why you think it is flatworm?  Flatworms (planaria) usually are visible in the tank and stick themselves to the glass, etc.  These things usually only present themselves if one is overfeeding and/or is slacking on water changes and regular maintenance.  Do you see any of these guys in your tank? Please get back to me and let me know and then we can go from there.

Ok, until we can establish exactly what your Oscar's head looks like, my hands are tied.  I have several thoughts, but I want you to write me back and let me know what it looks like.

Please, in the meantime, stop treating your tank and immediately do a 50% water change while siphoning and cleaning the gravel real well.  When you re-add the water, use a product (water conditioner) called "Prime" and also use aquarium salt according to the directions.  The aquarium salt will assist in healing his head wounds while we try to treat whatever it is going on.  The 50% water change so do a lot of good in itself and you may see a difference with his breathing and overall appearance.

Please get back to me ASAP, i will be watching for your reply.  ;o)