Oscar swimming nose first!

Question
WOW! So, what should we do? He hasn't had feeder fish in about 3 years now. He is now eating and swimming around. I always check on him daily; he seems to be more active now. He's pitiful b/c he can't get to the top of the water where his pellets of food are. So, I have some floating granules for him that he likes. It's almost like his back end won't let him maneveur around the tank. I really hate to lose him, but at the same time I'm not sure if it's appropriate to take an Oscar to an Exotic Animal Hospital or not?? You're talking to someone who has taken her hamsters here!!  :)  I'm not kidding!! Give me your best advice so I know what's best for Oscar.

Thanks!!
Jenny
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-----Question-----
Hello Ron~

We feed Oscar 'Wardley's Cichlid Floating Pellets'. As I said, I don't believe he is eating.  This morning when I went downstairs, he almost looked dead b/c he was more on his side than anything. But he started moving around; still nose first....
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello Ron~

As you can tell by my subject I have a dilemma! Well, at least I think I do! :) I have an Oscar that is at least 8 years old and for about 2 weeks now he has been showing some strange behavior. He started by "laying" at the bottom of our 55 gal tank on his side. We changed the water and added stress coat, etc. We even bought a heater thinking the water was too cold b/c this had happened once before. We don't believe he has eaten in the past 2 weeks b/c he hasn't moved around alot. We have fed him but there is another fish in there...a Rosy Red feeder fish that survived from about 3 years back (it's a LONG story) and it has been eating so we can't tell if he has been or not.

Anyway, now Oscar has been kind of swimming around with his nose pointing at the rocks but he's still alive. What does this mean??

I hope I've been specific enough for you!  ;)

Thanks,
Jenny
-----Answer-----
Hi Jenny,
  Hmmm... that doesn't sound like good news.  I suggest you try doing more water changes.  Ideally, you would be changing 25% of his water once a week, every week to keep an oscar happy and healthy.   

  What are you feeding him?

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

-----Answer-----
Hi Jenny,
 I was wondering about the food because it sounds like he has a swim bladder problem and that is usually caused by feeding an oscar with live feeder fish (most of which carry all sorts of nasty diseases).  Feeder fish are probably the biggest cause of death in oscars.

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


Answer
Hi Jenny,
 Unfortunately I don't think that there is anything you (or even a vet can do) if it is a severe swim bladder problem.  
I have heard of a vet taking a needle and drawing air out of the swim bladder, but this was only a short-term solution and the problem reappeared in several days/weeks.  Sorry.

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