Oscar HITH

Question
Hi,
I have a 7" Oscar in a 55 gal. alone, that I've had for 6 months now. I have been fighting to eliminate the affects of HITH for a couple of months now, with no luck. My readings are Am=0, Nitrite=0 and Nitrate < 10. I change from 15-25% of the water weekly. I feed once a day with a combination of pellets, sticks and Freeze dried foods. I am using 5 drops of VitaChem every day, but he spits a lot of the vitamin loaded food out (must be the taste). The tank is completly bare, but he/she doesn't seem to mind. He is always active and hungry. Besides the holes getting larger, he seems in excellent condition. Can you suggest anything to help? I have also been using Aquarium Salt and MelaFix.
Thanks a lot...


Answer
Hi Blake,
  I'm not sure why you add the salt?  That would seem to hurt, not help. Oscars come from pure freshwater; i.e., there is no salt in their water at all.

  When he spits out the food, do you remove that?  Or does that accumulate in the tank?   Oscars are very sensitive to excess nitrogen in the water and uneaten food would do it.  However, you say that you are doing regular partial water changes which is a good thing.   You might try increasing the amount that you change to about 40%.  

  Gravel in a tank is often a good thing because it provides surface area for beneficial bacteria to live on.  You might consider adding an inch of gravel to the tank.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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