Oscar Newbie!

[hende]

I've had a pair of baby Oscars for about a month and a half now. They're both Longtailed Tiger Oscars. I believe they're paired up now. Arkady is the larger of the two, and he is obviously a Longtail, his tail is so long it makes my female look like she's a normal Oscar. Creed is the female and is slightly smaller and lighter in scale colour. Neither one of them have any colouration. Arkady is like a dark brown, almost black. While Creed is a lighter shade of brown. I can see a slight design of where they would be red, once their colours start to show. As babies, I've been feeding them medium size cichlid pellets, the colour enhancing type. But they've stayed the same dull colour. Once in a while, I'd buy them like 60+ goldfish in one day, and just dump them in, to have a feeding frenzy. I kept the tank clear from clutter, I took out all my decorations from my previous fish, but I threw in an artificial plant, and a castle for the feederfish to hide in, to enlongate their existance. But still, the Oscars will eat them all within 2 to 3 days. I noticed when they had a lack of cichlid pellets, that's when their colours would start to show, a lil bit. I know I'm a horrible, horrible person for this, but right now they're only in a 20 gallon tank with a heater, auqa clear filter, and a long bar-type oxygenizer thingy-ma-jiggy for air. Besides that, I only threw in that dechlor to take out the tap-water stuff, and I keep them at about 80-82 degrees. I'm planning on getting a corner 55 gallon pentagon shaped tank sometime this month. When my babies were only 4 inches, I had thrown in a Tinfoil Barb and a Clown Knifefish. They both turned into expensive feeder fish, considering they ate the Knife within the hour, and Creed finally caught up to, and ate the Barb the very next day. Not to mention, I started off with 3 Oscars, but Arkady killed his brother once they hit 5 inches. That's what led me to believe Arkady and Creed are paired up now, plus the fact that they're extremely agressive for Long-tails. Right now, my fishies are about 6 inches each. I'm asking anyone for suggestions, like the actual perfect size tank for 2 Long-tail Oscars, and what else should I do to the tank I have now, and my future one, in order to ensure their health and Longevity?

before you tell me how to read why don't read this again he had 3 but one of them killed of one and its about to kill the other thats what happens when morons buy fish

 

[livebearerfreak]

hende, u really need to stop calling name and being such a bully, hes a newbi im sure he didnt now what he was doin thats why he came here to get advice from this site.. ppl like u shouldnt even be talking if u dont have anything nice or helpful to say!!!!

and to the OP, get a bigger tank as soon as poss if u can like around a 75 to a 100 gallon range.

 

[excuzzzeme]

before you tell me how to read why don't read this again he had 3 but one of them killed of one and its about to kill the other thats what happens when morons buy fish

You can drop the negativity and explain why you disagree - it helps the new people to learn from their mistakes. To just resort to name-calling isn't productive at all.

If you must resort to it, please do so on another forum. Every one is new at some point - even you.

 

[livebearerfreak]

thank u excuzzeme

 

[mostlycichlids]

Well time is of the essence, if you can't get a bigger tank within a couple days look for the oscars a new home till you can properly house them. A divider in a 20g is not the answer at this point...Bottom line get a bigger tank within a couple days or get rid of the fish please! Lot of good advice already given.

 

[danimal_dan]

WOW, i am a newbe to the Oscars and i have 3 -3" Oscars in a 110gal tall tank with nothing else but gravel and a few rocks, do you think my tank will be to small ?
will they start killing each other ?
the guy at the fish store told me i have a perfect tank for 3 of them if i keep it a 3
what do you think

dan

 

[blue2fyre]

Sooo at what point is anyone going to realize this post is from 2002?

 

[excuzzzeme]

You can keep the 3 but filtration is urgently important. Be aware there is no true way to sex them until they are old enough to spawn. You don't have room in the 110 to add any other fish if you have 3 Oscars. They may fight (to the death sometimes) if they are all 3 the same sex.

You need to start your own thread for your questions instead of hijacking someone else's thread. It is considered rude to do so even though we all accidentally do it at some point.

 

[danimal_dan]

sorry i did not want to be redundant

 

[mostlycichlids]

Sooo at what point is anyone going to realize this post is from 2002?

Maybe a mod should close it so we don't make idiots of ourselves.