# shy, nocturnal, or sick oscar?



## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

i recently bought an albino tiger oscar he is about 3 1/2 inches long if that. he lays on the bottom of the tank (had him maybe a week) and is super shy. he will sometimes swim around but if he see's anything boom he hides and recently he just wont come out he hasn't eaten. i used tropical flakes that the pet store had him eating and now i switched to cichlid gold floating pellets and he still wont eat. is he just shy and scared or is something wrong? *note that i did see him swimming around at like 3 am more than a few times so idk if his sleep schedule is all janked up


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## Austins (Jan 8, 2011)

How long have you had him? More than likely he isnt used to you. It took all of my fish awhile to swim around with me watching them. And I believe that they feel safer at night, as if no one can see him. He might not know his territory. Make sure he isnt clamping his fins, their arent any white spots on him. If he is swimming around at night, id say he isnt sick, he is probably just shy, and not used to you. 

I would suggest checking your warer parameters to make sure they arent whacky. Keep putting food in. You might try turning the lights off and then feeding him. 

Someone with more expeirence can chime in.


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

he was just swimming around so i approached the tank (no lights) slowly and boom he saw me and hid so i'm assuming he isn't used to me and is "playing dead"


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Sounds like the fish is stressed to me. What size tank is he in and what are your readings for ammonia and nitrite? How long has the tank been set up?

If you think he is just shy, lay on the floor in front of the tank and wait. He won't be able to see you and should come out, if that is it.


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

he is swimming around again and cannot see me my water levels are fine i added some salt to reduce stress he is a baby like 3 inches if that and is in a 10 gallon with my baby rainbow shark that is 3 inches if that and i'm about to buy a 55 gallon to move them into but should i move the shark out to see if that is why he may be stressed or is he just not used to me?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Your shark may be causing him to act that way.


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

i removed the shark a few hours ago and we will see if he cheers up any


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Can you post the actual numbers for your parameters? Oscars aren't usually shy even from the time of buying them. There has to be a reason for it. Part of the problem could be very little room for him and not enough space to claim his territory.


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

i've done various research on various forums and found that oscars can be shy even up to 3 weeks after you buy them! and yes i have determined he is scared of EVERYTHING. he swims around when he cannot see me then he hides when i come into the room also he is scared of his food T_T i put in hikari cichlid gold floating and he will sniff them then they will move and it spooks him and he hides. which unfortanately has created a hole n head problem anybody know how to medicate?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hole in the Head Disease in Oscar Fish - Oscarfishlover.com


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

well i tested my water levels i had a spike in ammonia because apparently if u dont sift your sand often it gathers food in it and creates ammonia pockets and so i fixed the water levels but it was too late for mr oscar


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Oscars are a big waste producer and needs plenty of clean water no matter what size they are. A 3 inch fish in a 10 gal along with another fish your parameters were staying way off. And as you found out with the situation you were having. Before getting another oscar make sure you have a big enough tank for him to grow in and keep up with vacs and water changes and you will end up with a very personable fish.


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## [email protected] (Mar 21, 2011)

yeah i dont think i'll get any other fish until i get my 55 gallon (which i'm still looking into) my local petsmart has a 55 gallon starter kit for like 250ish and a stand for 150 and i was gonna upgrade to a filter thats registered for 90 gallons so i dont have a filtration and waste problem anymore and maybe still run teh stock filter it came with....then i went to walmart they had the same kit for 160 and the same stand for 80 so i think i found my match lol


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