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One sick tiger oscar

23 14:44:30

Question

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
HELLO, I HAVE AN EIGHTY GALLON TANK WITH TWO 110 GAL 3 STAGE FILTERS.IN THE TANK ARE A TIGER OSCAR(7 INCHES LONG), A JACK DEMPSEY(6 INCHES LONG), AND TWO PLECOSTEMUS ALGAE EATERS(ONE IS 4 OR 5 INCHES, AND THE OTHER IS 6 1/2 INCHES LONG).I USED TO HAVE AN ALBINO OSCAR(EQUIVELENT IN SIZE TO THE TIGER) BUT REMOVED HIM. IVE HAD MY TANK NOW FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 YEARS AND HAVE TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE PROPER LEVELS OF EVERYTHING. I RECENTLY NOTICED THESE LITTLE WORMS THAT LOOK ALOT LIKE BLOOD WORMS BUT WITHOUT THE RED.NOW, THESE WORMS ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN A BLOOD WORM BUT LARGER THAN A PLANARIA WORM. THEY "SQUIGGLE" ABOUT(KIND OF LIKE AN "S" PATTERN) AND I`VE NOTICED ALSO THAT THERE WERE LITTLE BUGS ON THE GLASS "DOOR" TO OPEN THE TANK TO FEED THE FISH. THESE BUGS LOOK LIKE LITTLE MISQUITO/NATS(GREEN IN COLOR).I HAVE JUST COMPLETED A TREATMENT CALLED LIFEGUARD. MOST OF THESE WORMS ARE GONE, BUT SOME ARE STILL FLOATING AROUND. ALL FISH SEEM STRESSED AND THE TIGER OSCAR HAS WHAT LOOKS LIKE "HITH" DISEASE. HE HAS ALSO "AQUIRED" THESE WHITE PATCHES OF IRRITATION ON HIS SKIN.AFTER THE TREATMENT WAS DONE THE PATCHES SEEM TO BE GOING AWAY, BUT THE FISH ARE STILL ACTING STRESSED AND THE OSCAR IS JUST HANGING OUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK.HE DOESNT SEEM TO HAVE MUCH OF AN APPETITE EITHER. I`VE MOVED THE TANK FROM ONE ROOM TO ANOTHER PRIOR TO THE TREATING WITH LIFEGUARD.WOULD THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SYMPTOMS? WHAT KIND OF PARASITE ARE THESE LITTLE WORMS? HOW DO I FIX THIS PROBLEM I`M HAVING WITH MY TANK?
SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT I NEED HELP!
-----Answer-----
Hi Adam,
 
 Are you doing regular partial water changes?  For a tank like that, with the oscar and jack dempsey you should be changing 25% of the water once a week every week.  Those little worms typically appear if there is too much free nutrients in the water.  While oscars are great fish, they tend to eat a lot and make a lot of waste. As a result, you need to pay particular attention to doing the regular water changes.  If you do the water changes, the worms will go away on their own -- there is no need to treat the water.  
 If it were my tank, I would do a 25% water change tonight, and then do the same thing for the next 3 or 4 nights.  At the end of that, go to the 25% once a week, and my bet is things will be much better.  

 Give it a try and let me know what happens.

(BTW, please don't use all caps, it's really hard to read and technically in email language it means that you are shouting, which isn't likely what you mean).  

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

Answer
Hi Adam,
 Something wrong seems to have happened with the system because I didn't get your message other than the original message.  Please try again.  Thanks.

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