schooling/colorfull fish in a 30 w/ small Oscar

[always learning]

I've got a 30 with a 6" Oscar but he doesn't show himself too much and the tank is pretty dull, what kind of fish could I put in that aren't too small to be eaten by the Oscar and aren't too shy either. I was thinking about 3-5 tiger barbs or a few angels and if I can get my hands on one cheap then a small arrowanna.

out of curiosity I heard some sort of rule with tiger barbs like, only keep them in odds or something, details?

thanks for any help

[Oddball~]

Umm, the Oscar itself will grow too big for the 30 gallon tank. Hope you're going to upgrade to a 55-75 gallon tank soon!

Arowannas will want 125 gallons by themselves probably... Bad choice for a 30 gallon tank IMO.

[cohazard]

I've got a 30 with a 6" Oscar but he doesn't show himself too much and the tank is pretty dull, what kind of fish could I put in that aren't too small to be eaten by the Oscar and aren't too shy either. I was thinking about 3-5 tiger barbs or a few angels and if I can get my hands on one cheap then a small arrowanna.

out of curiosity I heard some sort of rule with tiger barbs like, only keep them in odds or something, details?

thanks for any help

Look in the 'Species Profiles' section of this website to find information on fish you would like to keep. You will easily find that the Oscar is a bad choice for a 30g, and so is an arowana.

You could keep barbs in your 30 and maybe a pair of angels, but if you don't have at least 6-7 barbs, they will become very nippy and could raise hell for the angels.

HTH,
Serg

P.S. Do your research before purchasing ;)

[always learning]

thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll stick to about 5 barbs though

"Umm, the Oscar itself will grow too big for the 30 gallon tank. Hope you're going to upgrade to a 55-75 gallon tank soon!

Arowannas will want 125 gallons by themselves probably... Bad choice for a 30 gallon tank IMO."
-Oddball~

ya know, I can understand making the fish happy for a full life, but I think some people go a little overboard...

P.S. I usually just sell fish once to big anyway, then get smaller ones :)

[powellmacaque]

That's not going overboard. How would you like to live in the trunk of a car your whole life?

[sublime1184]

PM's right! The oscar would grow to 12-16 inches...and a 30 gallon will not provide any swimming room for him....the oscar and Arrowana will out grow the tank and most likely both fish will die of stress....

You sell your fish when you can't provide proper living arrangements? So that means you keep buying big fish knowing that this happens? :rolleyes: give up the idea of buying anymore big fish.

[powellmacaque]

I am keeping my Oscar in a 10 gallon tank... for the time being, but I have every intention on getting him a nice 75 gallon tank or more! Not only will your fish get stressed out, but their own ammonia will kill them off. Why do you bother buying fish if you don't want to care for them correctly? That's like buying a DVD and putting it in a VCR. It's a big waste of money. And fish aren't plastic like DVD's, they are living breathing organisms.

[sublime1184]

:clap: Same with My RBP's, I have two 5 inchers in a 29g and they are going to a 75g or better soon....That is just wrong to KEEP them in a tank that small.....upgrade or just don't buy any fish....big or not...

[hcgirl80]

If you don't want you fish to live a good, full life, then Why on earth did you come to AC? Our GOAL is to let our fish live a good full life!

~hc

[rich311k]

Oscars wont live with colorful schooling fish. they think of them as dinner. I have 2 in a 75 gallon tank. I change water 2 or 3 times a week. Please take him back or upgrade the tank soon. Oscars are not shy he must be under stress.

[Kasakato]

What in the world is happening here?

OooooOOOoooo. Why are you even trying to go againsted what the "experts" say?

[SodeeMama]

.....all of which are about 1.25 to 1.5 in length. I've got them teamed up with a pre-existing pl*co and ADF...which I will transfer promptly.

All of them will be coexisting together for approximately 1 month, until I can get my 75-gallon in order.

Input please?


oops..................need to start new thread.........sorry......

[Oddball~]

Hehehe, it's ok... However, African cichlids shouldn't EVER mix with New World cichlids (south american cichlids).

The ADF will also be eaten, too. I would suggest only the Oscar and the pleco in the 75 gallon tank... Even that might be stretching it.

Always Learning, you apparently AREN'T learning at all. Plus the arowana will probably be as long as the 30 gallon tank, also.

[SodeeMama]

I've got a 30 with a 6" Oscar but he doesn't show himself too much and the tank is pretty dull, what kind of fish could I put in that aren't too small to be eaten by the Oscar and aren't too shy either. I was thinking about 3-5 tiger barbs or a few angels and if I can get my hands on one cheap then a small arrowanna.

out of curiosity I heard some sort of rule with tiger barbs like, only keep them in odds or something, details?

thanks for any help

:OT:

You fish nazis need to get a grip.

READ what the author originally wanted input for. ...125 gallon tank....don't you want your fish to be happy comments...blah, blah, blah. We ALL want our fish to swim around with smiles on their happy little fish pouters...isn't that why we come here?

Do us all a favor and give your education, not your holier-than-thou narcicistic and VERY carnivorous (by that I mean the unmentionable few who tend to consume a thread comment, and BLAM! by the time it reaches the other end, it's become something ENTIRELY different - but hey, isn't that what all carnivores do?). After all, some of you CAN be downright vicious...sort of like a cornered vegan in a meat-packing plant.

I don't expect to get alot of positive feedback for this. But then again, that would just prove my point further. Just do me the one wicked favor......clam it.

Oh, and if your really curious...go here:

http://www.veganporn.com/1052273755.html

It's not fish, but you'll get my point.

There. I said it. Get me back with a good typigraphical comment. I don't care.

I've had my therapy for the evening. Now I'm going to go watch the new episode of The Shield.

SM

[SodeeMama]

PS: Thanks for the input Oddball. Your response to my reply was well taken.

[Kabong]

:OT:

You fish nazis need to get a grip.

READ what the author originally wanted input for. ...125 gallon tank....don't you want your fish to be happy comments...blah, blah, blah. We ALL want our fish to swim around with smiles on their happy little fish pouters...isn't that why we come here?

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah


I dont see anything in the orignal post about a 125 gal, I see a guy wanting to cram a bunch of schooling fish in a tank with an oscar, Oh an a arrowanna if he can find one cheap.

His tank is to small, that is a fact not an opinion.

[Raskolnikov]

...blah, blah, blah.

So advice should be dulled and dumbed down to the point where it's impossible to be offensive to anyone, and in the process said advice is rendered useless? Sounds like you've got a future in public education.

Keeping a 6" Oscar in a 30gallon tank is irresponsible pet keeping, just as sure as keeping a pitbull in a closet is. If you do something irresponsible in an area where people care about their charges, you're going to be called on it time and time again.

[SodeeMama]

My point made.

Yes, I may have a sound future in public education. But at least you'll have happier fish than I will.

Neener. Neener. :argue:

Got to hit the hay. G'night.

[sublime1184]

Maybe you should try living in your trunk for a day.....

[mooman]

I'm no even going to get into the whether a full grown oscar will fit into a 30 (it won't), and the arowana idea is just silly. But my libertarian side will comment on this:


P.S. I usually just sell fish once to big anyway, then get smaller ones

If he can consistantly find buyers for his tankbusters, before they start to suffer from cramped tank syndrome, then he can do whatever he wants!!! They are his fish. There are people who make thier living off of "growing up" livestock. If what always learning is saying is true, then what he is doing is no different than someone who raises horses.

With that said, I personally find it very hard to believe that there is any kind of market for large oscars. Always Learning, please make SURE you can sell that fish, or be prepared to eat it for dinner. (not something I would ever do, but this is America).

I understand everybodies eagerness to denounce poor husbandry habits because we all care about our fish. But the fact is he didn't really ask whether his tank was overstocked, and the first few warnings should have been the end of it. I'm sure all of those who have a problem with Always Learnings stocking choices have never eaten farm raised Tilapia (now that's overstocking), or chicken, or beef for that matter.