pics of your oscar tank..and i have some questions

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Paroon Shark

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Dec 10, 2004
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Hello
i am getting a 33 g long tank, i am going to get baby oscars temporarely. i am wondering how big can the oscars be before i have to exchange them?(there will be 4 in total)
Also how should i set up my tank??lets see everyones tanks :D can i have a blue crayfish with these? will the crayfish **** a lot like a pleco?
 

daveedka

Purple is the color of Royalty
Jan 30, 2004
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Columbus, ohio
In a 33 g IMO if you get more than 2 you will need to exchange them in about 3-4 months, with 2 only you can go 5-6 months depending on feeding and growth. This is of course assuming 1" fish for starters. An oscar with good food and clean water will grow at about 3/4"-1" a month, and with two of them in a 33 5-6 inches will be about as big as you want to go.
you can't tell the males from the females so ratios aren't really a consideration, and before they are big enough to pair off they will outgrow a 33. a crayfish will usually attack anything it can catch, and try to eat it. he most likely won't be able to subdue an oscar, but he will rip fins and cause general unrest. My blue crayfish mistake only lasted 4 days, so I don't know about poop production rates, but I doubt he would keep up with a pleco in that department.
Dave
 

Paroon Shark

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Dec 10, 2004
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so if i had 2 of them i could let them get about 5-6 inches how about with 4 or them? how long could i let them get?
 

Candycat21

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Dec 17, 2004
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If I was you, I wouldn't even consider getting an oscar or two if you just want to have them as babies. They grow very quickly and get produce a lot of waste and when they're bigger you will have a lot of trouble trying to find local LFS's or people who will take them. It wouldn't be fair on the fish or you to keep buying them and then trading them in...most stores if they do take the fish won't compensate you for them after a certain amount of time. Also most stores are limited in space and most larger fish they aren't able to accomodate.
Oscars are wonderful fish and have awesome personalities, but if you're not willing to upgrade to a bigger tank to keep them happy then you shouldn't go that route. Just my opinion though.
I agree with daveedka that you would be switching fish out every couple of months...especially if you go with any more than 3
 

daveedka

Purple is the color of Royalty
Jan 30, 2004
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Columbus, ohio
so if i had 2 of them i could let them get about 5-6 inches how about with 4 or them? how long could i let them get?
I wouldn't let them get much over 3-4 inches, which means 2-3 months from purchase. It really is futile to try to do this as indicated by Candycat21. I was kind of hoping you'd draw that conclusion with my first response. I used to do exactly what you are suggesting with a 55g tank, and still traded fish in every 6 months. I had a good outlet, that compensated me fairly well for the bigger fish ( not profitable, but definately helped), but it was still a pain to catch them and sell them so I could start over twice a year. In addition to tank swimming space, and territory issues, Oscars are messy fish, and a small volume of water will require constant attention. The growth of these fish in relation to the water volume will prevent any possibility of estabilishing patterns or routines in maintenance. essentially each week you will need to test and re-set your maintenance according to waste levels of your growing fish. Or you will have to start out with excessive maintenance and hold that standard all of the time. either way it will take a lot of the fun out of owning these awesome fish. You will quic`kly become a filtration fanatic, and an adept turd herder, it's never bad to be a filtration fanatic, but unless you wish to make a carreer in sewage treatment the other other experience is really not needed.
My personal thought would be german rams, until you can get a 90+ gallon tank. I find the rams to be as interesting as any Oscar I've owned, and they don't get big by comparison. In the old days I tried pretty much every way I could to own big tank fish without a big tank, and it always ended up being less fun that it should have been. It took me about 16 years in this hobby to finally get my Big tank, and have more freedom to chose. It sucks to wait, but the hobby is more fun IMO and IME if you hold out and do it the easy way. Just my thoughts, good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Dave
 

Paroon Shark

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Dec 10, 2004
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thank you guys very much for the help. i have one last question LOL.
i am wondering if instead of 3 or 4 oscars could i have one oscar with maybe some asst L africans or sumthing?the only reason i say asst L african is because i gather oscars get pretty mean if they are bigger than the other fish.so is there any combination of fish that includes just one oscar and preferably another type of cichlid? this may not work and yes i kno the oscar will obviously outgrow the tank but with just one oscar could i keep it for longer?
I have reliable source for a trade in at the pet store for one oscar when it outgrows a 33. they said they would definatly take one back for credit.
Thanks very much
just a thought :rolleyes:
 

Oddball~

Brackhead
Nov 18, 2004
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Dallas, TX
the asst. cichlids u see are normally african cichlids, not new world cichlids. Oscars would not get along, in my opinion. Coupla months ago, i thought of getting a 30 gallon and 1 oscar and switching often, but I just got puffer fish and im more happy with them :D
 

Paroon Shark

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Dec 10, 2004
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haha sounds good.....so there isnt anything i can have with one or maybe 2 oscars? could i get a very small school of maybe three or 4 yellow lab or electric blues?
 
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