Are you worried about your oscar fish being constipated? Is there anything you can do to help your oscar relieve itself? In this article, we’ll find out what we can do to help constipated oscar fish.
Can Oscar Fish Get Constipated? Yes. Changes in water conditions, temperature, food and stress can cause an oscar fish to be constipated. There are remedies such as feeding them peas or epsom salt baths to help them get rid of the built-up waste.
It’s important to not worry to much. Oscar fish are hardy, but they get moody too. This can affect their bowel movements. Thankfully, we can help them.
Why Do Oscar Fish Get Constipated?
- New Tank
- Colder water temperature
- Stress
- Hard food
- Overfeeding
- Too much protein
- Not enough plants
- No enough water changes
The list above can grow much larger when investigating the unique or common reasons why your oscar fish is constipated.
A New Tank
If your oscar fish is the newest member of your populated aquarium, they may express nervousness. They must get acclimated to their new environment in order to fully relax.
If this is a new tank without any fish introduced to it yet, it may take more time for the water parameters to be ideal for oscar fish to thrive. The healthy bacteria in the tank can help provide the environment that assists in their ability to poop comfortably.
Colder Water Temperature
Fish are cold-blooded, but they can be sensitive to water temperature changes. If the water cools down too much, it can slow down the digestive system of your oscar fish.
Food may become more difficult to digest and move through their systems in cooler water. This could end up making your oscar fish constipated.
Stress
There are multiple factors for stress in aquarium fish. Water quality is one of them, but this section is specifically about constipation as a result of any stress.
A slow or lethargic oscar fish will become sluggish and lazy due to stress. The lack of activity may slow down their digestive systems.
Hard Food
Pellets are generally the hardest staple foods available to aquarium fish. Sometimes it takes time for oscar fish to be adjusted to eating pellets. There are other hard foods that could get impacted and make it harder for them to pass it out of their bodies.
It’s a good idea to soak hard food like pellets to make them softer before giving them to your oscar fish. Try softening the food first and see if this helps.
Overfeeding
Oscar fish will eat almost anything they can fit into their mouths. They really go for it sometimes when their mood is right. Most of the time, you’ll find them curiously trying to gobble up plant matter, leftover food, snails and even substrate rock which they spit out.
Try to minimize feedings to once a day or skip a day or two when your oscar fish is constipated. It allows for their digestive systems to rest and relax to promote the passing of their waste.
Adult oscar fish can go up to 2-4 weeks without food, so please don’t be too worried about underfeeding.
Too Much Protein
Oscar fish will prefer to act as predators and gobble up live food or meaty meals over plant matter. They are omnivores, but they like protein packed insects, shrimps, worms and snails.
Too much protein may cause the food to be impacted and give them bloated bellies. It’s best to add more boiled veggies like cabbage, spinach, zucchini or peas to balance out all the protein.
If your oscar fish adjusts to eating flakes or softened pellets 70-90% of the time, they will be less likely to be constipated. The balance of meat and plants are accounted for in most pellet and flake blends.
Not Enough Plants
The age old remedy to relieve constipation in oscar fish is to feed them some peas. You can soften them first by boiling them. You can also remove the shell of each pea to make it even easier to digest.
Boiled vegetables will help to pass anything that is stuck in their digestive systems. Oscar fish are omnivores, but they tend to go after meat based food much more. It’s our job to balance their diets.
Not Enough Water Changes
25-50% water changes twice a week is recommended to maintain healthy water parameters. Oscar fish can make your tank quite messy. The build-up of ammonia and nitrates may be the issue to the constipation.
It’s best to try more than one method to help them feel relief. Frequent water changes are highly recommended. You can try a 75% water change once a week if that fits your schedule better.
Should I Put My Constipated Oscar Fish In An Epsom Salt Bath?
You can try adding epsom salt into the main tank or better yet, use a separate tank for epsom salt baths. Do not confuse magnesium sulfate in epsom salt with sodium chloride in table salt. This is entirely different.
Epsom salt helps to relax muscles and digestive systems in humans and fish alike. We can soak in a tub with epsom salt and so can oscar fish.
- 1 tablespoon of epsom salt per 5 gallons of water
The epsom salt may act as a laxative so use it sparingly to not overdo it. If you are placing epsom salt in the main tank, you should do 40% or more water changes every 2-4 days to prevent it from building up in your tank.
Should I Give My Constipated Oscar Fish Medicine?
- Metroplex
- Seachem
- Prazipro
These treatments must be taken with precaution. Follow the instructions on the bottles carefully. A second opinion from a vet or a knowledgeable person at your local fish store can provide some input.
We’re trying to kill any internal parasites that may cause the constipation. This is a last resort therapy if all other methods have failed. Most likely it isn’t a parasite issue. Start with peas and advance to epsom salt before considering this type of medication.
Conclusion
Your oscar fish can get constipated from time to time. The issue isn’t a major one if you can help them relieve themselves with peas, softened food, more veggies and possibly an epsom salt bath.
Here’s hoping it passes soon!
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