i just got a new oscar fish yesterday....he seems to be very mellow and swims to the bottom of the tank and just beaches himself and gets up... he does that repeatedly...he seems to just sink to the bottom as if he is going to die...is this normal in an oscar?
2007-06-23 06:18:35 · 6 answers · asked by Chris L 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
My oscars did this for a few days when they were new. Make sure the ph is okay and the water is the right temp.. that should help..he is prolly just getting used to his surroundings.
2007-06-23 06:22:16 · answer #1 · answered by raginblaze 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
yes and no. oscars often just sink and sit on the bottom for hours. but since he is new to the tank could be any number of other things. how many other fish do you have in the tank with him?? what kind of fish are they and what size are they compared to the new oscar.?? also water temperature, quality, size of tank, and how did you introduce him to the tank?? could be shock if you just dumped him in there. this is just a few of the possibilities. just watch him for signs of listing to one side, or breathing difficulties. how is his slime coat?? if he looks slimy he is losing it and you need to add the proper slime coat chemical to the water. if he is getting little white specks on his body, he may have ICK, a stress related disease. you will need to treat the water with ick medicine. i hope this help with your question some. i have had many cichlids and as with people, oscars all have different personalities. this may just be what he wants to do right now. good luck.
2007-06-23 13:37:44 · answer #2 · answered by kityklaws 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have an oscar also. Oscars are very sensitive to changes. My Oscar layed flat on His side when I first got Him. They act like this for at least a week or longer. he has to get adjusted. Oscars decompress much like a deep sea diver has to at certain depths. They lay on their side when they do this. When your oscar is on the bottom look at him and he may look dead but he will roll his eyes at you. They must adjust to the new surroundings. Your oscar wants to make sure nothing in your tank means he or she no harm. I have a wonderful website for you- forums@oscarfish.com this is an excellant site for you to visit! Happy oscaring!
2007-06-23 14:02:57 · answer #3 · answered by walking on sunshine 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If your tank is less than 40 gallons, the Oscar will be way too dirty and get far too large. If he is just stressed, turn off the lights, and try not to bother him. I would suggest not feeding him for a day if he is not eatin the food.
Nosoop4u
2007-06-23 13:24:06 · answer #4 · answered by nosoop4u246 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont use a heater because my oscar live 5 with out heater it's fine or you'll need to get another oscar at the best fish store
2007-06-23 15:00:12 · answer #5 · answered by always right 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
maybe he is stressed because you just got him, give him a few days to adjust....we have had 3 big tanks going at once, the oscar was definitly one of the "hardiest" fish!
2007-06-23 13:22:17 · answer #6 · answered by PegBundyWannabe 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋