Oscar @ Work

Question
Hi, I am in need of help regarding a sick Oscar.  We have a 50 gal tank with a single oscar that is about 1 year old.  He has been awesome until the last few days.  He has stopped eating (takes food in and spits it out).  I also came in today from a long weekend and one eye has something major wrong with it.  It looks as if a bullet came from inside his eye (outward).  Part of the surface skin on his eye is floating along with him but it doesn't seem to have gone deep into the eye (just on the surface).  His side fins also have little white bumps on them or knot like things.  It is at the base of the lines that come into the body from the side fins.  Any ideas as to what this could be or how to help him?

Answer
Hi Kevin,
 It sounds like he has a bad case of a disease called ich.  The first thing to do is to change a lot of the water (about 50%).  Then get some ick medicine in there quickly -- today.  
Keep doing large water changes for several days.  

 There are various brands of ich medicine, e.g., Rid-Ich, Quik-Cure, etc.   Get one and follow the directions and keep treating for 7 days.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>