Tiger Oscar...

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

I just purchased a 55g tank for $175 canadian.It's in great condition.
It came with all the necessary accessaries. I need to know what kind of plants n' stuff I should put in it to make an oscar feel comfortable. It'd be great if you guys could fill me in.

thnx

[RENEGADE]

you can try a search on http://www.google.com (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=tiger+oscar+cichlid&spell=1)

[optix]

minimun of 55 gallons for a single speciman. fed 3 or 4 times a day, and they are freshwater species

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

how much and how often do baby oscars need to be fed?

[ChilDawg]

Here goes... http://www.cichlidnews.com/issues/2001jul/oscar.html

[nboylie]

55 g's each (90 should be ok for 2 I hear, but I havnt done it)
10x gallonage filtration most people say, I have 2 ac 300's on my 55, thats 600 gph and its fine. I dont think you need 10x an hour but as close as you can get.

I feed mine twice a day, once Hikari cich gold pellets and the other a cube of frozen hikari blood worms. Its good to mix up the food for these guys. I also give him the occasional feeder, from a location I can trust. If you know a good lfs you can throw em right in but if you are unsure of the health throw em in quarentine.

People have told me to feed 3 times a day but he wont eat 3 times. The pellets just soak up water and get sucked into the filter and I cant waste too much food cuz im poor.

Fresh Wata.

Definatly get an oscar I say, if you have the tank room for it. Mine dances around when he sees me wanting food. its really fun.

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

55g's for a full grown specimen right? 55g tanks are a lot of money, I don't think I can afford one right now. How much does a baby need?

[ChilDawg]

They grow about an inch a month, and cichlids should generally have at least around 5 gallons to the inch. (Generalization, but works often.)

[caz]

oscars can be alot of work, and require alot of attention, when they get older there isnt much you can do to keep your tank looking nice, except syphon every few days. if you dont have a big tank, or dont plan on getting one, there are many other cichlids that seem like lots of fun. i personally feel that petshops push oscars onto people without giving them full knowledge of the species. i had a single oscar in a 75 gallon, and he was only 9 inches or so, and he would make a mess of it in less than a week. so unless you want to clean your tank a bunch, or plan on getting a bigger tank, i wouldnt recommend it :)

[optix]

yes if you have less than 55 move on to the next best thing.

[ChilDawg]

Even a 55 might be too small if you have little fishkeeping experience...the absolute minimum means that it's something that more advanced fishkeepers can do, but less advanced ones should get larger tanks so as to avoid working on the edge of danger all the time.

[serjuanca888]

Personally I think a 55g is too small. The water volume is fine, but it does not allow for much turning room for an adult oscar.

[Tiburon72]

Hello,

I'm glad you are interested in keeping oscars, they are alot of fun and very enjoyable to see grow.

However I will recommend to you, that if you can't afford the correct tank size for them righ now, you should wait. Remember that everyone of us here in aquaria central have onething in common, the LOVE for fish, and as a responsible Aquarist you should keep this in mind. If you trully are serious and sincere in your concern for maintinig Oscars, then wait, save your money and buy them the correct Tank, filtration and aquascaping, and I can promise you from own experience, once you have an Oscar, you will always Loved them.

Please think about it, I know You'll do the right thing, I had Oscars and I'm currently saving my money to purchase and set up a 200 Gallon tank, for just them. Remember every adult oscar (FULL GROWN) needs about 100 Gallons of water, that is if you want them to thrive.

Sincerely and Respectfully Yours
Tiburon72:D :D

[Rometiklan]

Agreed...well said, Tiburon72.

[DarthV]

100 gallons each? That's an awesome way to treat your fish, but a 90 or 100 should be able to house 2 of them.

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

word.

[Swbuda]

I have two of them and enjoy them everyday! Yes, they are messy. They are constantly chasing me for food but also enjoy being handled (if you are into that sort of thing). They use to be about the size of a half dollar when I got them but are 9 inches long and 5 inches wide, now..

[Ranger]

Hey Sack

Great to see you're interested in Oscars. They are a great fish with lots of personality. Keep in mind, any juveniles you buy for your 55 will need a bigger tanks as they grow older. Of course, that’s if you become attached to them. They are a game fish in South America, very abundant and plenty of them. Watch people flame me for that one;-). That said (more than once) they will thrive in a wide range of water condition compared to some fish. Here are some general guidelines.

Get a good filter!! Oversized for your tank if you can. Ensure allot of aeration occurs from the filter or add a stone and pump. Oscars diet consists of high protein, which eventually ends up as nitrATE (NO3). The only way to effectively remove this is to do water changes. The effect of this build up will be minimized between water changes if the fish have an ample supply of oxygen.

Don't use live plants. Oscars love to rearrange things. A good trick it to buy attractive artificial plants, remove the base, drill a hole in a lava rock and epoxy the plant to the rock. These will still look attractive when the fish pull them up and they won't float.

Oscars get ick!! Just have some meds on hand. It is a combination of the polluted water and live food.

Oscars will eat almost any kind of general fish food. There are plenty of cichlid pellets available and most have a picture of an Oscar on them. Vary the diet for good nutrition. I like live feeders, that’s part of the charm of Oscars but they can introduce diseases.

Maintain a stable pH any were from 6.6 to7.4, key word is "stable"

Good luck and have fun!!!

[chevyII]

My oscars liked English tea cookies and occasional popcorn :D

I raised 4 oscars in a 55 gallon to about 6" then 1 set paired off and I returned the other 2. Raised the remaining 2 to 12" each in my 55 gal then got rid of them.

[Swbuda]

never thought..:D Mine like strawberries and zucchini, so far...will try other things..:) How could you get rid of them? They are so entertaining?? I get attached to my "critters", like my cats and dogs..he-he...Got other fish?? I am also interested in starting a tank with frontosas or green terrors....:p Thanks for replying..!