a friend of mine has an oscar that just sits on the bottom of his tank he said it has white splotches and is losing its scales does anyone know what could be wrong with him

If he has white spots and abrasions/sores on his body than it is a definite sign of ick. Not sure if thats the same as 'white splotches' and losing scales though.

if i ever start a fresh water tank i hope peterkarig is still on this site..dude you dont leave anything out and tell it how it is. your post are incredible full of detail and if people dont here what you have to say they are crazy. sorry a little off topic but but much respect is due.

I didn't want to seem rude. It's just that with Oscars a tank with filter that would be fine for even a good number of other community fish may not be able to sustain the waste the Oscar can generate. Loss of scales usually indicates poor water quality. I would have your friend take a water sample to the local aquarium store and have it tested. Then it can be determined whether it is water quality or some other factor. There are ways to increase biological filtration besides adding or replacing the filter. One is to buy a cylindrical sponge filter that slips onto the intake of the filter already in use. This provides really good places for beneficial bacteria to grow and is better than just having filter pads which filter out particulates but don't provide that much area for bacteria. These do clog up, but can be rinsed easily. It's fun to feed an enthusiastic fish, but it's best to under feed for their long term health. I would in all poor water situations, change the charcoal, clean the filters, add a product called Cycle to replenish beneficial bacteria, and do 30% water changes frequently(depending on the water quality) If the tank smells bad or the water quality is low, ammonia, nitrites, low pH, are present it should be daily until things get better, and the fish should heal and become more active quickly. These fish are pretty tough and should recover without having to add medications. If you do see that it's ick with those little white pimples on fins and body then that does need treatment with ick medication. Good luck! PS Don't forget water conditioner to remove chlorine and other chemicals that are in tap water.