55 gallon and twice a week water changes

[BayBayBay]

Agreed, fancy goldfish do not get 18 inches long. They usually range between 6-10 inches. With this in mind, I still stand firm that more than 3-4 goldfish in a 55-gallon tank is really pushing the limits. These fish like to swim around, not having to bump into each other. They need pristine water conditions, or you'll notice discolorations on the fish, eye or gill flukes, and blood streaks on their tails. These are not beginner fish at all, which is why beginners should start with tropical fish first, in my opinion.

Are your 4 Oscars, which were in a 46-gallon for 6 years, still in that 46-gallon tank? And how large are the fish? Most would agree that to stick 4 Oscars in such a smallish sized tank for that many years would stunt the fish. Oscars, by the time they are 6 years old, should be around (or over) a foot long and quite hefty looking. Can you say the same for your Oscars? I'm just asking.

Thankfully, DLeung10 is looking for a permanent home for his fish… not a temporary situation with the idea of “upgrading soon”. I commend this person for that. I've said it before and will say it again, pets are not cheap, but they are our responsibility from the moment they were domesticated - we must take care of them, and must be able to do so from the beginning, or else one should wait until they can afford the extra 'family member'.

I don't have the 4 ocars anymore. They passed away 4 years ago when I was on vacation. They were around 10 inches long. I fed them earth worm, beef, pellet and shrimp.
I didn't think the tank was too small for 4. when I was young, one of my friend's brother has 8 in a 75 gallons. They were all like 12" long. Of course, the bigger of the tank is always better.
I saw you have gold fish too. What kinds do you have? for me, I have lionhead, red cap, rachu(sp?)

 

[aquariumfishguy]

I don't have the 4 oscars anymore. They passed away 4 years ago when I was on vacation. They were around 10 inches long.

I didn't think the tank was too small for 4. when I was young, one of my friend's brother has 8 in a 75 gallons. They were all like 12" long.

Well you do know that the fish didn't die of natural causes, right?

And while we can reflect on our younger years and remember when Johnny had that tank with the big fish, we almost never recall how long little Johnny kept those fish. Did they die a year or two later, or has he kept them alive all this time? You just never know. What appears to be a stable tank can crash suddenly, if pushed to the limits.

 

[BayBayBay]

Well you do know that the fish didn't die of natural causes, right?

And while we can reflect on our younger years and remember when Johnny had that tank with the big fish, we almost never recall how long little Johnny kept those fish. Did they die a year or two later, or has he kept them alive all this time? You just never know. What appears to be a stable tank can crash suddenly, if pushed to the limits.

I don't remember but I think he had them for like 10 years when I saw them.
How long do you expect an Oscar to live? I don't think 6 years is too young.

I have a question for you. Do all your fish live forever and don't die? If they do, good for you.

 

[TKOS]

Oscars can be expected to live for 10 plus years fairly easily if kept in the right setup. 15 years is no unexpected either.

I keep smaller, as I don't have a four foot aqaurium yet. But my cory catfish and white cloud minnows are over 3 years now, my tetras are approaching 4 years. Yes, I do loose fish to natural and occasionally unnatural causes. I don't say I haven't probably killed some fish int he past through bad practices, but I try to learn from them. And it is pretty well known that a full grown male oscar of 12 inches or greater will just be far too big for anythign less than a 75-80 gallon tank. They are massive waste producers, just as goldfish are and require a minimum amount of room to swim in based on their adult size and waste production.

 

[RTR]

A full grown Oscar who has not been stunted should be over a foot total length, and I agree that a 75 is the minimum tank size. Expect the fish to live to the low to mid-teens with proper care (no feeders and high water quality), exceptional fish can make it longer.

I think that a lot of folk too easily dismiss the importance of space for fish, and its impact on water quality and fish health and lifespan. You can put a dog in a crate, but it cannot live well there. Fish need exercise - they do swim, and need to do so. Larger fish hovering in a smallish tank are not "normal". They will survive a lot, but that does not mean it is what is best for them anymore than keeping a dog in a crate full time would be. Think about it.

Oscars are too bright and active to be cramped and what we interprt as "bored". Give them space and "toys" and they will be pets, not specimens in glass boxes. If you are unwilling to provide for their needs, select a much smaller and less demanding fish.

 

[aquariumfishguy]

I have a question for you. Do all your fish live forever and don't die? If they do, good for you.

RTR really summed it up well.

...And bay - it is really too bad that you took my comments in a smug or snobbish way; they shouldn’t have been interpreted as such. It was a simple answer for a very complicated problem. Stunting fish (which not only involves the physical stunting, but the stunted lifespan as well) is never acceptable, and if you cannot learn from it, that is your prerogative, but do not lay a guilt trip on us for trying to help you.

 

[RTR]

No, my fish do not live forever, but they do live long and heathly lives. I've had puffers make it to the mid to upper teens, ditto mbuna and SA Cichlids, catfish from multiple families doing the same. Neons (which should live longer) and Cardinals average ~ six years mean survival for the school, some other Tetras less, some more. Clown Loaches do seem capable of living nearly forever.

Don't yours? If not, why not?

 

[BayBayBay]

A full grown Oscar who has not been stunted should be over a foot total length, and I agree that a 75 is the minimum tank size. Expect the fish to live to the low to mid-teens with proper care (no feeders and high water quality), exceptional fish can make it longer.

I think that a lot of folk too easily dismiss the importance of space for fish, and its impact on water quality and fish health and lifespan. You can put a dog in a crate, but it cannot live well there. Fish need exercise - they do swim, and need to do so. Larger fish hovering in a smallish tank are not "normal". They will survive a lot, but that does not mean it is what is best for them anymore than keeping a dog in a crate full time would be. Think about it.

Oscars are too bright and active to be cramped and what we interprt as "bored". Give them space and "toys" and they will be pets, not specimens in glass boxes. If you are unwilling to provide for their needs, select a much smaller and less demanding fish.

Thanks for the info. The 4 Oscars are my first fish I have. I felt very sad when they die. I know my tank was not the best for Oscars, but that was my first tank. Don't you agree for a first timer to keep Oscars for 6 years is not too bad.

 

[BayBayBay]

RTR really summed it up well.

but do not lay a guilt trip on us for trying to help you.

If you felt way. I don't know what to say. I didn't know you are taking it
so serious.

 

[DLeung10]

Many thanks for the replies !

Have been visiting a few pet shops/tropical fish shops to see what fancy
goldfish are available in Northern New Jersey......

I have not seen any real nice fancy goldfish yet. Most of them were the
4.99 - 9.99 variety/sizes. One store must have had 30-40+ 3-inch fish in
a 29 gallon tank. Talk about sardines !

Anyone here know where I can go see some really nice fancy goldfish in
Northern/Central New Jersey or New York City ? Looking for nice ones in
the 50 dollar range.

What do nice 5-6 inch goldfish go for ?