My Oscar fish just seem to be laying around the bottom of the tank is that normal?

Question

they look dead but they are not, when i open the lid for them to eat the swim up other than that they just lay around, is this normal?

Answer 1

It may well be, I have seen many oscars do that for no apparent reason. To be more sure it's not a problem, check the temperature, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the tank and look carefully for any signs of parasites. If all that is ok, odds are your oscars are just showing out a bit.

MM

Answer 2

It can be normal behavior or a sign of a problem, including stress/fright. They could be stressed from loud noises, quick changes in light, new tank, changing tank, cleaning tank, temperature change in tank, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/other chemical spike or water parameter change, parisite/bacteria/fungal infection, you didn't say hi so they are sad, it is mad at you, it is sleeping, it ate too much, it thinks it is hunting something (tricks prey in wild to think it is dead and eats it when it comes to nip at him).

It is a good sign they rush up for food. If the water is fine, they will eventually not do it so much. Some Oscars are more dramatic than others. Sometimes I think they are called Oscars because of their acting abilities.

If you go to the forums and read or ask, they will give you a similar answer as above, I tried to sum up all the reasons I have read so far. The best thing is to check your water quality, inspect for disease, and if those two check out, don't worry too much. They can go through new tank blues for months, though it is usually just for a few minutes or days at longest, but each one is different.

Answer 3

I am guessing you have a tiger oscar. I have owned many many oscars for many many years and when i bought my first oscar i was confused on this same problem as you were. After researching for about a month i learned that oscars will lay on their side for absolutely no reason. And since you said the second you open the top it springs back to life my answer is correct.
If your oscar was laying on its side because of ammonia or temperature it would not come to the top. This is an easy problem to solve, first off how big is your oscar, did you just buy it?
Put in 10 goldfish and let them swim around in there, your oscar will spring back to life as it chases it.
And if you just bought your oscar give it a week it will be fine.



Feed your oscar the following
1st day-pellets 3 times a day in small amounts
2nd day-one blood worm cube twice that day once in morning once at night
3-Shrimp two times a day about 4 shrimp during the first and 5 the second
4-pellets 3 times that day in small amounts
5-feeders just buy 10 goldfish and throw um in there
6-pellets once that day during mid day and in small amount
7-pellets 3 times a day.

Also if you want you can throw in some veggies like lettuce or an orange and will munch on it but not to much.

Answer 4

thats what happend to my fish,and that i found out that it develop into scared it is going to do this for a million week or much less,has anybody been around the tank like bumped it or somthink reason after a together because it gets use to it,Its only scared,I definitely have a million tiger oscar and a million albino oscar.he's suking

Answer 5

It means something is bothering them but you got to check it, possibly the water condition, Ph value, nitrate amt. and all or lighting conditions and tank space.

Oscars are fishes who do not have the habit of lying on their bellies or lying down on substrate at all, unlike loaches and most catfish.

So it is wise to go check the above mentioned qualities of your tank to see if they suit the oscar's preferred range, if the error is corrected, the oscar should be a fish that dwells frequently on the mid level of the tank.

Answer 6

sorry this is not an answer but a questions about same thing but its a goldfish.my daughters goldfish is usually very lively he even came to top of tank and would let my daughter stroke his head hbut the past few days hes been very wierd.hes lying on bottom of tank on his side with his rear fin curled round hes still alive.but is this normal or do you think he could be dying hes about 2 years old.my daughter will be devastated she got him on her 1st birthday.