Oscar problems...?

Question

Ok...I need some help.... My roomie has an Oscar-quite large now, 7-8 inches long at least, and in a large enough tank- but she never cleans it. I know it's a hassle, since it's such a large tank, but it's very gross now. The most she does to clean it is wipe the inside glass with a sponge to get the algae off, she never cleans the rocks, decorations, or swaps out for fresh water. She has three filters set up but it still stays pretty dirty. He's in the tank by himself. The decorations she has for the tank are now dark brown from the algae. The water is a good 3 inches too low most of the time-but I remind you, IS in a very large tank, 55 gallon, I think? I was putting fresh water in the tank weekly, because it was getting low and very noisy, but she started relying on ME to do it, and relies on me to do a lot of other things too- I have to stop. But now she doesn't do anything. How can I tell her she needs to take up responsibilty. I plan on getting a new roomie when lease ends in May

Answer 1

This is not a fish problem, its a personal problem, post it in relationships column or have a straight talk with your room-mate and inform her that you are not "free labour".

Answer 2

Here are some relatively inexpensive tools to make maintenance easier. Get a "Jiffy Kit" -- waterbed fill/drain kit, a drinking-water safe hose ("RV hose), a "siphon kleen"(siphon hose with a large rigid tube at the end for vacuuming gravel), and a hose fitting adapter that lets you connect the end of the siphon kleen to the hose. You now have a tool for cleaning gravel and draing 20 - 30% of the tank water for water changes every couple of weeks. The jiffy kit allows you to use water running in the sink to make the hose power-siphon water from the tank.

You also need a 5-gallon utility bucket (or 3 gallon if you can't lift 40 pounds to shoulder height), an aquarium thermomenter, dechlorinator/chloramine remover chemical, and a suction-cup sold to hold aquarium heaters in place. The suction cup will hold your hose in place when you run back and forth to adjust the sink and jiffy kit.

Once you've removed 20-30% of the tank water, wipe the inside glass to remove algae.

Disconnect the siphon kleen, an suction cup the hose end to the inside of the bucket. Adjust the sink water to the same temperature as the tank water. Throw the reversing valve on the jiffy kit to fill the bucket with water. Cut the water supply. Mix dechlorinator/chloramine removing chemical in the bucket, lift and pour back into tank.

Here's a nifty trick for cleaning artificial plants and ornamants: pay careful attention -- do this wrong and it will kill your fish!

Remove some of the decorations and plants for cleaning (leave some in so that your fish aren't stressed, scared, and vulnerable. Placed soiled ornaments into a bucket. Take 1/4 cup of Clorox bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) and pour or spray over your dirty ornaments (wear gloves, work in well ventilated area). Fill bucket with HOT water. Leave it alone for an hour or so. After at least an hour, pour dirty bleach water out of bucket and down the drain. Rinse the bucket and contents a couple of times with hot water, then fill with hot water. Add a LIBERAL squirt of plain-old cheap De-chlor (sodium thiosulfate). Stir, and allow to stand for a half-hour or longer. Dump and rinse ornaments in cool plain water. THERE SHOULD BE NO SCENT OF LINGERING BLEACH. Clorox is highly toxic to your aquarium animals, so it is crtical to keep this chemical away and avoid any contamination. Don't be afraid of this, though, the process described will completely eliminate the bleach. You may now return the cleaned ornaments to the tank.

Some donts:

Don't remove the gravel for cleaning -- it's home to some friendly bacteria that keep your tank healthy -- just stir and vacuum with the siphon to remove built up detritus.

If you have a carbon filter, change HALF of it when you do the water change (it's also home to a big, friendly bacteria colony, so save half the colony).

The tank may be murky for a few hours after a maintenance like this. If you want an "instant" sparkling tank, and have the money, buy a diatom filter and use for an hour at this point. Your local aquarium store may have a rental program for d.e. filters.

Answer 3

Well take the fish down to your local let store and tell your bone head room mate that the fish died. Sorry but I would want to live in that. But I would really start calling your local pet stores and find one that would take it in for you. Just tell your bone head roommate that the fish died and you tossed it because you did'nt want to keep looking at it

Answer 4

yes sounds personal but ask her to sell it to you or give it to you and you clean it up other then that the only thing you can do is let it die and she will kow why it died