I was away from home last week, and my wife was looking after my tanks for me. When I got home Saturday, and went to feed my fish, my big oscar, which is in an 80gal tank with 4 juvi Green Texas, wouldn't eat. The texans are perfectly normal, and ate well. The oscar sits in one spot, very near the bottom and just seems to gasp like he has something stuck in his throat. Three days have gone by now, and still not eating.

He is about 2 years old, 11"long, and he has always been heatlhy. Should I just wait this out? He looks pretty good, maybe a little duller in colour but not much (he is a tiger oscar).

I don't think he is gasping for oxygen, as the other fish are fine, and the filters are working properly. As a matter of fact, I just reduced the population in the tank two weeks ago, removing 3 JDs and 7 convicts, and adding the 4 texans. There is also one 5" pleco in the tank.

Any ideas?

Try a 50% water change and see what happens. Was he eating before you left and while your wife was taking care of him? For an Oscar to not eat is not normal....I would try a W/C to start off.

A water change to start with, and be careful with the pleco. They're opportunistic little bastards, and won't think twice about nomming on the Oscar if it's laying in the same spot extensively.

Well, I did the 50% change two days ago, and I just fed them. The Texans were very hungry, ate right away. But the oscar still just stayed off to the side and ignored the food.

Yesterday, I found my oscar dead, lying on the bottom of his tank. I will never know what killed him, but will miss him.

Srry bout that Stilla.
R.I.P Oscar

That sucks, I would have to assume some type of internal parasites, sorry we could not help much.

Sorry you lost your Oscar