View Full Version : oscars
RockabillyChick
12-02-2005, 10:06 PM
someday i would like to get one or two oscars. it wont be for a few years though. i'd have to have my own house first. but i'm just curious about some things
would a 100 gallon tank be a good size for 2 oscars? i know they get 12-16 inches long. would it be deep enough for them to turn around and everything?
could i keep any other fish with them?
and just for anyone who has oscars, what are your expiriences with them? i've heard that they have a lot of personality and they're almost like dogs.
Roan Art
12-02-2005, 10:40 PM
Might want to post in the Cichlids Forum, too.
Roan
cyberbeer65
12-03-2005, 12:57 AM
someday i would like to get one or two oscars. it wont be for a few years though. i'd have to have my own house first. but i'm just curious about some things
would a 100 gallon tank be a good size for 2 oscars? i know they get 12-16 inches long. would it be deep enough for them to turn around and everything?
could i keep any other fish with them?
and just for anyone who has oscars, what are your expiriences with them? i've heard that they have a lot of personality and they're almost like dogs.
Well,just take a look at my signature......
vitesse
12-03-2005, 4:19 PM
Yes. Dogs. In every way, except they're wet!
My wife and I adopted some 3 months ago and I can't believe how smart these fish are. From recognizing people from across the room (hiding from visitors, coming to the top-front for my wife and I) to snapping their jaws above the surface when they want our attention, these guys are smart.
They are also wicked hardy. A true humanitarian would see an 'O as a bad temptation for a new fish owner. They can live through some rough stuff (the guy I got my 'O's from barely used declorinator and never cleaned the tank or changed the water in 6 months!) so people tend to mistake them for a good beginner fish.
The work is outrageous sometimes. As one poster said in an article, the "rabbit-sized feces" are quite annoying. I have to gravel-vac (absolutely neccessary if you don't already) every 2-5 days. I have to clean the filters almost as often. Another friend of mine has 2 full sized O's in a 150gal tank by themselves and is able to get away with once every 1-3 weeks.
The only other thing I can think of to share now is that they are clumsy and destructive. They run into things- sometimes at full speed. If they are annoyed or curious about an object in the tank, they are likely to attack it or try to toss it about the tank a bit. Some people have complained of smashed heaters and cracked tanks because of "Oscar attacks", but mostly they only get crazy at feeding time or when they get bored. (Yes- I said bored)
If you want an animal that will interact with you, eat out of your hand, and solicit petting, and you have the room for their tank, O's are the way to go. If you travel 2 weeks per month and work 12 hour days, they might be a strain on your schedule.
Read up on hole in the head disease first as well. There are many opinions on it but generally it is thought to be a combination of lack of something in their diet coupled with poor water quality. They are messy fish and require a lot of water changes. A 75 gallon is generally considered the minimum tank size suitable for an adult and they do grow fast, so starting in a big tank is the best idea.