your water looks a bit cloudy could be a build up of particals and make sure your water isnt to warm they like it around 77 degrees, i heard hole in the head is difficult to treat, and im sure it is usually on top of head are you over feeding? or to much live food?

cutting back on feeders will help you maintain a better water quality. poor conditions in the water's chemistry are leading causes of HIH. also, if you've been feeding goldfish feeders, switch to rosies. they are far less toxic and cause alot less mess. what kind of pellets are you feeding as his staple?

ive been fedding him wardley cichlid floating pellets mediums he seems to like them.thansk u for all ur help so far cichlididiot i would really like it if u could keep commenting on my oscar to make sure im doing things right its the first one ive ever had thanks again

no problem. you are feeding the right food,but you haven't mentioned anything about feeders. and what kind of filter do you have. also, i've writen another comment under a 150g with 5 oscars in it under the name brian black on page 10-11. that should help you out.

TetraMin ya when i first got him i was feeding flake food PRO tropical crisps but it took alot to fill him up so as soon as he was big enough i started feeding him lots of feeder goldfish thats where i think i went wrong but the last month or so ive stopped almost completly but i just got a jack d last week and he wont come to the top to take pellets i think cuz of my oscar but not sure so ive been feeding him shrimp becasue they sink but my oscar as got just as much out of it and my jd so i would love to hear from u back once again to figure out this feeding thing and i would also like to know how often to feed these guys thank u for ur time

one more thing is it hole in the head yes or no im kinda gettin mixed singlnals

last thing u asked wut kind of filtration system im using im using a double whisper on te box it said it was good for 40 to 60gls its seems to b alright i guess but my cartriges are so dirty so fast is that from ver feeding or are oscars just messy

oscars are very messy! ok, one thing at a time. as far as HIH goes, it can affect a fish as far back as the gill plates, just under them, and as far back on the head as the base of the dorsal. i think this is what your oscar has. you don't need to stop giving feeders completely, just give rosies. never goldfish, from now on. high nitrate and ammonia levels are contributing factors as well. so get yourself a fresh water test kit, check bi-weekly and do water changes accordingly. if you are feeding pellets more than twice a day and it takes your oscar more than 3 minutes to eat everything, you're over feeding. if your oscar grabs all the food he can fit in his mouth at once and then makes a mess as he chews and swallows, you're giving to many at once. take a few extra minutes to sit with him and give him just a couple at a time so he can swallow before putting any more in the tank. but don't do this this more then twice per feeding. ok, onto your jack. have you considered a divider? try something they can see eachother through clearly like a plastic drop ceiling light grate with 1/2 inch square holes, and cut to size with a jig saw. (available at home depot, lowes, etc.) this will give your jack a feeling of security and he may come out more without the fear of a beating. lastly, your filtration system is ok. i used to use whisper, but have since upgraded to emperors. they are far more convenient, and effective. you may want to look into live plants as well to help your bio and keep nitrates down. with an oscar and jack being big diggers, try the ones with a plastic root ball casing. and i recommend a pondzyme enzymatic cleanser, which will help in the breakdown of food particles and waste. i think that should cover it. anything else?

how do u use those kit testers and wich one would u recmmend wut can i feed my jack he wont take the pellets and shrimp cloud my water up. thanks once again

get an aquarium pharmaceuticals kit. roughly $20-25 at your LFS. they're easy to use and with simple directions included. for ease and accuracy, this is the brand i prefer. for your jack, you could try a slow sinking pellet, but you may want to look into a bottom feeder who will get along with your others. he'll take care of the excess that isn't eaten. how big is this tank, maybe you need a couple dither fish that they can't eat but will break some of the tension in there.

its already to small for more fish its a 30 gallon and i got a peco bottom feeder whos bout 7 inchs long but no matter wut i stick in there my oscar gets first but my jack is starting to come to the top and get a few pellets but it takes him alot longer to chew them and by the time he does there all gone so i give them more and then my oscar eats to many he looks like hes gona explode u got anymore tips thanks again.

ok, can you get your hands on a smaller tank? say a 10g. for having feeders handy. if you throw a feeder in for your oscar. his mouth will be full, and he would never rid of it just for some pellets. if this isn't an option, try the didvider i suggested untill your jack is more aggresive at feeding. remember, if your oscar stuffs his mouths with everything he can before he starts swallowing, and then makes a big mess as he does so, your giving him too much at once. let him chew his food, and try distracting him at one end while you drop some pellets at the other end for your jack. i can't really help more than this without being in your situation myself. i can only give my advice learned from my own experience. hope this helps.

thats exactly wut i have been doin distracting him then droppin pellets in the other end but he doesnt eat very many at once maybe 2 or 3 then it takes him forever to chew them i wonder how much he needs to eat for one day im scared hes not goan eat enough and then starve but he is starting to come to the top and get food even if he takes a little of a beating

i wana get another oscar an albino i seen him the other day it usually takes a while before they sell so i figured i would ask for ur advise i havea a 30 g i have a peco bout 8 inchs a oscar bout 6 or 7 inchs a jd bout 6 or 7 inchs wut r the chances of sticking an albino round the same size in this tank to and if it is alright to do so how big will my fish get or will they stop growing because i want them to get as big as possable please right me back asap just incase u tell me wut im hoping to here i can go get him before anybody else does thank you so much i c u havent been gettin back to me very often anymore i figured u might b bored of my fish but i will stop if u can answer this last question the reason i would also like another osacr is becaseu if mine does have hole in the head and dies i want to have some back up there hoefully i didnt jinks him thansk so much take it easy .

ok nick, calm down. lol, it's ok. i don't get bored with people looking for advice. i'm not sure i understand the last post but i think that it was you. anyway, if you only have a 30g, don't get that albino oscar. the tank is small for what you have already, and they're not even done growing. don't worry about missing out on that albino. fish come and go, and there are always going to be new ones. some that you'll even like more than the last. wait it out with you current oscar as far as his HIH. chances are, if you keep up with what i've told you, you're not going to lose him. i know how easy it is to want every fish you see, but it is more important to perfect caring for the ones you have rather than putting more in your hands than you can carry. anything else?

and not to totally burst your bubble.... you're not completely out of options. you could trade that jack or your oscar for that albino if you are that heart set on him. or you could just start all over with a few different types of cichlids and pan them out as time goes on. if you're as into cichlids as i am, you're not going to get attached to one or two cichlids forever as if they were a cat or dog. your going to get a bunch, grow them, maybe even breed a few, and then upgrade, or even start over. that's half the thrill itself. if you don't keep yourself interested by tweeking every once in a while, this will become more of a chore like cleaning up after a puppy, rather than a hobby which is supposed to give you pride and joy for the time and work you've invested. let me know what you think.

YOU OSCAR LOOKS NOT SO HEALTHY, THE WHITE SPOT IS A BACTERIA CALLED BAROCUDIS IF ANY OTHER CICHLIDS IN THAT TANK WILL PROMBLY GET IT TO.

is barocudis hole in the head or is it worse or better please answer back cichlid didot is this true wut vet joe has told me

lol, nick, it's obviously some jerk trying to mess with you. if this guy's a vet, i'm an astronaut. first of all, a vet is a doctor, and i don't know of a single person who could possibly complete the schooling required to become one when they have the spelling and grammar skills of a 4th grader. secondly, barocudis is not even a word, ANYWHERE, in the english vocabulary. don't listen to morons like this guy. just listen to what i told you. i've been taking care of cichlids for half of my life. and i'm 28 years old now. so, should we see how "vet joe's" math skills are too? lol. so any other news lately?

hey can u tell me y my jack has turned light grey and is not very colorful anymore like he looks nothing like he does in the pictures uve seen of him y is this ? will he change back to a colorful fish i want to know becasue hes real boring like that and im thinking of gettin rid of him cuz he hides the hole time and when he comes out he doesnt inpress anymore with no color so i might get an oacar if i get rid of him

i honestly favor the jack over oscars, anyday. i think they're far more beautifulto look at, smarter, and alot cleaner of a fish. if i was in your shoes nick, i would rid myself of the oscar, and get 3 more different american cichlids. maybe a texas, chocolate, and green terror. i think you would be happier too. you may be attached to that oscar, but i've been where you are right now. trust me, oscars will always be around. just try it. and to answer your question, your jack is probably discolored due to stress caused by that oscar.

my oscar got his ass kicked last night by the jack he finally stuck up for himself

good for him !

so cichlididiot from now on im gona call u doctor cuz ididot doesnt seem right to me well i have another question my jack beat my oscar up pretty good but only cuz he has those little teeth they would face off with there motuhs wide open then they would lock on and the dempsey would finally get loose and bit him in the fins and stuff everytime he grabbed on he did some good damage to my oscar my oscar is fine tho he still the boss of the tank he keeps the jack in his long for most of the day so if hes staying in that log most of the day that would mean that theres only 2 fish in there for very little time of the day so that would mean i could maybe sneak another fish in there? i live in prince goerge b.c and ive never seen a green terror in my life at any of the pet stores ive been at are they hard to get a hold of or can u order them or wut i usually deal with total pet thye usually have good size fish can i order or wuti really like the looks of some of them on this site like that real big purple one thats on here uve prob seen it well hope to hear from u back soon thanks for ur time

hey i got a quatrous or something like that hooked up should i get it or will it not live with jacks and oscars

doctor the one day i could of used ur answer the most u didnt reply i think im gona have to ask the pet store people wen i go there im driving 2 hours to get a fish today i hope they know wut there topping bout or im gona have a problem if they dont get along please answer back its 12 01 pt

hey nick, sorry for the delay. i'm not sure what a quatrous is. are you sure you're spelling it right? do a little research and give me the common name. i honestly think you should trade the fish you have for a small group of 4. a green terror, oscar, jack dempsey, and maybe a synspillum, or blackbelt, or chocolate cichlid. when you get a group as babies, they tend to get along better because they grow up with eachother. another thing is, with my experience, and what i would recommend, you should do away with oscars all together. there is much more and better out there, and really think you'd be happier all together. tell me what you think.

hey hows it goin doc well to late to reply but no prob i got a new peco hes bout 20 inchs long maybe longer and i got a texan but i think the peco is to big for my tank my oscar is not bothering the texan at all hes only bout 4 inchs long to but hes still cahsing the depseyi dont know maybe cuz the jacks bigger he wants to make sure that hes the boss and the texan is smaller so its not really a threat but anyways i dont think i gave u the right name for that fish i know the fishes actual name was rosie she was a round fish very deep with a pink head and a green grey body but she was way to big for my tank she was huge but anyways tell me wut u think tanaks alot

actually my texan isnt actually called a texan but it looks exactly the same as one the guy said but its not called a texan he said texans have smaller white spots and the one i got has bigger light blue spots so if u know the name can u please tell me thanks doc

how about posting new pics of these guys. that way i don't have to look all the way into the 80's now to find you. i can help you better then. thanks

c wut i can do i dont have a camera right now but the guys i bout it off said its not a texan but ive looked at texans on here and it looks just like the rest my peco fish hes huge have u ever seen one 20 to 22 inchs long strong as a horse and he will cut u wiht his spikes no problem o hey doc i have something very important to ask u my tank has little tiny white things all over the bottom of the glass and the rocks there very very tiny they look like little worms crawling all over the bottom of the glass if u know wut they are can u tell me if its dangerous should i clean my hole tank out but theres more and more everyday and there very small the look like little magets almost but soo soo small please answer back.

oh geez, you have tubifex worms. they won't hurt your fish, and your fish are to big to eat them, so they're going to multiply like crazy. but it means your water is VERY dirty. yes, clean your tank. honestly, i had this problem along time ago with one of my tanks, but never since. and guess what fish i had! oscars. i would seriously rid of him. i can't make you, but trust me, i don't think of mine anymore or miss them. neither will you. you just need to part for the sake of your hobby. those tubifex worms are almost impossible to rid of unless you completely restart your tank or you use chemicals. and even then, the recycling or chemicals screw your tank up. i want to guide you in the right direction, but you have to be willing to steer and not be afraid to leave something behind. it's the only way to advance in the fish keepers world. ok, also, what i meant about posting a picture is to post anything, even REpost a picture, and we'll continue conversing on that one. that way i don't have to spread through over 90 photos now to get to you. just repost this pic, it'll be much easier just retitle it to my attention. talk to you soon.

sounds good and they do reproduce like crazy.

hey cichlid idiot i posted another picture its at 20 already so thats where it is same oscar