cichlid may need help

[autofreak44]

my brother got a cichlid for a science project (of corse being him he asked for the most agressive fish they had) and they gave him a cichlid. kinda cute when he bought it at about 2 inches. the only thing we had to keep it in was a fish bowl but once it got to 2 3/4 inches i suprised him by buying him one of those goldfish filter/tank/light combos from walmart. the fish seems fine and happy now (from what i understand cichlids are hardy fish) but what about when he gets bigger. i know from saltwater that the fish is already way to HUGE for a 2.5 gallon goldfish setup so what are his future/present needs. tank size etc. lookin out for him, my brother is in love with him, and i dont wanna see him belly up in __ days so help me out. also he is just feeding him tetra cichlid pellets. im shure he needs something else in his diet so what else do we need to feed him? :confused:

thanks in advance:hi:

[tanyaj77]

What type of cichlid is it? That will determine what size of tank etc he will need. Of course it will definitely need a much bigger tank no matter what type, but some can do well in smaller tanks where some need a very large tank.

[autofreak44]

all i know is that its silvery with orange splotches on it

[tanyaj77]

Could it be an oscar? Similar to this guy, or am I way off?

[autofreak44]

not realy like that. i googled cichlids and couldnt find one that looked like his anywhere so ill have to go over to his house and take a pic of it so you guys can properly identify it. best descripion is rounded wavy fins accept the bottom fins which are kinda pointy tipped. hes got big eyes, kinda a silvery gray, and has faint orange splotches. :huh: anyone got any ideas?

[autofreak44]

actualy like the exact same shape as that fish but different color. ive seen the same fish but like 6 or 7 inches so thats why im worried

[tanyaj77]

Oscars come in many many different colors and patterns. If it is indeed an Oscar they get big (10 inches or so) someone correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know too much about them but I believe they need a tank around 50 gallons or bigger.

[jessicar613]

They get quite a bit bigger than 10 inches, and will need more than 50 gallons. Better start saving for a bigger tank! :D

Nice fish though.

[autofreak44]

haha yeah. we are probably gonna get him a 10 gallon and once he outgrows that probably give him away because my brother isnt gonna take the time to clean out the tank, and i dont live at the house that the tank is at so i couldnt take care of it:sad: i like da fish but i know its gonna get HUGE so we will just enjoy it while we can and sell it to the lfs for dirt cheap.

oh well tough nuggies... if anyone has any other info on how to care for these fish then please chime in. in the mean time ill keep bothering him till he puts down the cash for a 10 gal

[autofreak44]

oh yeah and if anyone in the so cal area whants this cichlid in the future, just gimme your email and ill send you an email when he outgrows the tank. i would rather give him away for free to a good owner rather than get 2 bucks for him and see him sit at the lfs for the rest of his life. thanks for reading

[tanyaj77]

haha yeah. we are probably gonna get him a 10 gallon and once he outgrows that probably give him away because my brother isnt gonna take the time to clean out the tank, and i dont live at the house that the tank is at so i couldnt take care of it:sad: i like da fish but i know its gonna get HUGE so we will just enjoy it while we can and sell it to the lfs for dirt cheap.

oh well tough nuggies... if anyone has any other info on how to care for these fish then please chime in. in the mean time ill keep bothering him till he puts down the cash for a 10 gal

You know, sometimes you can get great deals on used tanks... if you keep your eyes peeled you may find a big tank for a good price.

[autofreak44]

yeah and i would but my brother wouldnt keep up with the tank. hes more of a goldfish kinda guy so once this guy gets to big ill get him an easy to maintain 5 or 10 gallon with some tetras and stuff. we will need to get rid of him in the future tho

[Weezer]

Can you post a picture....?:idea:

[Star_Rider]

if this is an oscar..do the fish a favor and find an owner for it now.

the problem with placing fish in tanks that you intend to use as grow out is..you will most likely impede the fish..if thisfish is already at 2" it needs a much larger tank to grow into.
it already sounds like your brother may not do any maintenance on the tank..Oscars are messy..in a small tank they will need frequent water changes or..you may find an oscar with HITH..

btw..oscars are tropical fish...do you have a heater for it? or do you live in a warm climate where the ambient temp remains stable at around 78-80 degrees f?

[autofreak44]

the tank's temp is like 75. maybe its time we found him a new home. ill try to get a pic sometime soon

[autofreak44]

heres a pic of the cichlid, if anyone is interested pm me

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/Dallas_Downing/IMG_4586.jpg

[electromen]

Almost looks like an Albino Oscar. Cute little guy

[red devil 18]

u should find it a new home though unless u can give it the right tank size. id say 55 minimum. Like someone stated earlier, i bet u could find a 55 gallon used with everything for 150 or maybe even less

[nicole1788]

That fish is going to get huge...i have two of them.