Well I am very new to this forum and very new to the aquarium hobby. I recently saved an Oscar from, sad to say, a family member. He is pretty big. They had him for about a year now. He was living in a 10 gallon tank with horrible conditions. There was no substrate at the bottom and the water was extremely filthy. When I mean extremely filthy I am not over exaggerating. The water was so dirty, I could barely see him in there. Well I took the hanging filter off, and it was so gross, I had to rinse it out before I put it in a bag. When I returned to the tank (less than 4 minute later) he was lying at the bottom, and it looked like he was going to die. I panicked and put the filter back on. And he started to swim again. At that point I did not know if I could rescue him and take him home because I live about 45 minutes away. I didn’t think he would make it, because I am pretty sure the water had little oxygen in it. I knew if I left him there he would die very soon. I figured that he would have a better chance with me. So I dumped out half the water and carried the tank to my car. I drove home as fast as I could and carried the tank up the stairs to my apartment (a difficult task, because I am 5 feet tall, 110lb, and my stairs are steep). I added treated water to his tank, but it was still cloudy. Now I could see him a little better. It was so sad he was just laying there on the bottom. He wasn’t swimming, but he was breathing. I thought Oh crap he is going to die. The next day he was still at the bottom, but he would get up and swim a little, then lay back down at the bottom again. I also noticed he was starting to develop fin rot. I began treatment right away. So I told myself if he would make it through the rest of the week than I would go buy a 30 gal tank for him to live in. I know before you go shouting, remember I am new at this aquarium thing, and the only fish I ever kept is a betta. I did some research on the internet and this forum and found out that the minimum for a single oscar is 55 gal some say 75. Oh my, was I surprised... I really didn’t want a tank that large, but I had to do what was right. Went to the pet store and discovered that a 55 gallon tank alone was way too much for my budget, I didn’t even bother looking at the 75. I left empty handed. Luckily my husband had a cousin who was selling his 55 with everything in it for $125. The tank wasn’t in the best condition, but the filter and pumps where nice. Now I am in the process of resealing the tank. I figured the Oscar has been living in that ten gallon tank for a year, that another week or so won’t hurt him. Oh and the oscar is doing just fine he will live. He has been moving around alot more, fin rot stopping, and has been eating better. I will move him into a bigger tank when I get it completely set up and when done with treatment. I think he is a little bit too weak for me to just move him into the big tank now. I don’t want to stress him out more than he already is. I can’t wait to see him in his new home. Any tips on how I need to move this oscar into his new home without stressing him to death? Oh and any suggestion on names for this fish would be more than welcome. (not sure if it really is a boy). Now the moral of the story...... Please don't buy a fish you can't take care of and please no oscar in a 10 gallon tank. Thanks for reading my story.
Dying Oscar made me interested in aquariums.
- Thread starter Phuong Tran
- Start date
you might want to put the filter from the larger tank on the 10 gallon for a week to help it establish bacteria while your re-sealing the larger tank.
it might also help to increase the water quality in the existing tank and reduce shock when you add him to a clean environment.
I'm no expert so wait for more people to chime in but it won't hurt to establish the new filter while your waiting, if it is too much current for the 10 gallon put a filter sponge on the output portion.
I would also do small daily water changes untill the water in the 10 gallon is clear. Maybe change a gallon a day so as not to stress the fish.
When you move him to his new home, take the new established filter with you or at least put the media from the old one in the larger one if you could not mount the large one on the 10g, and also take the top layer of gravel from the existing tank (put it in some kinda mesg bag or something if you don't want to add it permanent).
Since your going to a much larger tank you may experience a mini cycle.
What equipment did the 55 come with? I'm jealous all I can fit in my room is my 20 gallon.
Enjoy your Oscar im sure he will remember what your doing for him for at least 5 minutes! :thm: they have a good memory for a fish. I thoguht they need like 100 gallons to be happy though but I don't rememebr for sure anything is better than a 10 thats just wrong like keeping kittens in a fish bowl!
it might also help to increase the water quality in the existing tank and reduce shock when you add him to a clean environment.
I'm no expert so wait for more people to chime in but it won't hurt to establish the new filter while your waiting, if it is too much current for the 10 gallon put a filter sponge on the output portion.
I would also do small daily water changes untill the water in the 10 gallon is clear. Maybe change a gallon a day so as not to stress the fish.
When you move him to his new home, take the new established filter with you or at least put the media from the old one in the larger one if you could not mount the large one on the 10g, and also take the top layer of gravel from the existing tank (put it in some kinda mesg bag or something if you don't want to add it permanent).
Since your going to a much larger tank you may experience a mini cycle.
What equipment did the 55 come with? I'm jealous all I can fit in my room is my 20 gallon.
Enjoy your Oscar im sure he will remember what your doing for him for at least 5 minutes! :thm: they have a good memory for a fish. I thoguht they need like 100 gallons to be happy though but I don't rememebr for sure anything is better than a 10 thats just wrong like keeping kittens in a fish bowl!
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HOORAY FOR YOU!!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
Unfortunately the poor oscars situation is an all too common one. I commend you for taking action!!!!!
Read and learn all you can about cycling a tank. Your new tank will need to cycle or you could temporarily move the filter from the 10 gallon onto the 55 until the bacteria are established.
I think that the 55 is the best you can do for him and it will be just perfect!! After a year in the 10 gallon I'm sure he is really stunted in growth (bad thing...insides continue to grow..outside they stay small). To him the 55 will be HEAVEN! You are doing a wonderful thing for this guy. I wish there were more people like you!
Clean water will help the fin rot better than anything. Continue to do daily small water changes until all the water is replaced and then keep up the water changes until you get him in the 55. Oscars are really messy fish and keeping up on the water changes is important. Even in the 55 you will want to do weekly water changes to maintain him in a healthy environment. I wouldn't change all the water he is in now all at once because it could be a big shock to his system. Go slow.
What a lucky little oscar he is that you found him! Lucky could be a name to consider
Good luck to you and please keep us posted on how you both are doing. Don't be afraid to ask tons of questions. People here really love to help.
Unfortunately the poor oscars situation is an all too common one. I commend you for taking action!!!!!
Read and learn all you can about cycling a tank. Your new tank will need to cycle or you could temporarily move the filter from the 10 gallon onto the 55 until the bacteria are established.
I think that the 55 is the best you can do for him and it will be just perfect!! After a year in the 10 gallon I'm sure he is really stunted in growth (bad thing...insides continue to grow..outside they stay small). To him the 55 will be HEAVEN! You are doing a wonderful thing for this guy. I wish there were more people like you!
Clean water will help the fin rot better than anything. Continue to do daily small water changes until all the water is replaced and then keep up the water changes until you get him in the 55. Oscars are really messy fish and keeping up on the water changes is important. Even in the 55 you will want to do weekly water changes to maintain him in a healthy environment. I wouldn't change all the water he is in now all at once because it could be a big shock to his system. Go slow.
What a lucky little oscar he is that you found him! Lucky could be a name to consider
Good luck to you and please keep us posted on how you both are doing. Don't be afraid to ask tons of questions. People here really love to help.
your fish store may be able to give you some things to help you cycle the new tank. You can take the medium from the new filter and put it either in the filter for the 10 or at the bottom of the tank. I would put it in the end piece of a pantyhose leg, to keep it all together, and hopefully keep the oscar for trying to figure out if it will fit in his mouth.
I have a friend who worked at petsmart. one day, when the people went to open the store, they found an abandoned oscar, about 5-6 inches long in a 5 gallon tank. No filter, no heater. Just some blue gravel and a blue oscar. They didn't even call to see if anyone would take him, thats how little they cared. Just dropped him off. Poor thing almost froze. Luckily, one of the workers had a large tank and adopted him. It's a good think you are doing, and I hope things go well for your little friend.
I have a friend who worked at petsmart. one day, when the people went to open the store, they found an abandoned oscar, about 5-6 inches long in a 5 gallon tank. No filter, no heater. Just some blue gravel and a blue oscar. They didn't even call to see if anyone would take him, thats how little they cared. Just dropped him off. Poor thing almost froze. Luckily, one of the workers had a large tank and adopted him. It's a good think you are doing, and I hope things go well for your little friend.
I'm not much of a fan of PITA. They tie themselves into knots over cats and dogs, but they don't seem to care about fish. Why not?
The answer, of course, is that you can't pick up fish and cuddle them.
Great story! May I suggest a cube of frozen brine shrimp for the big guy when you move him into the new tank?
The answer, of course, is that you can't pick up fish and cuddle them.
Great story! May I suggest a cube of frozen brine shrimp for the big guy when you move him into the new tank?
PITA's are good only on gyros, im not a big hummus fan.
I like PETA only for the Pam Anderson posters. And the fact that they dislike Jennifer Lopez as much as me.
I like PETA only for the Pam Anderson posters. And the fact that they dislike Jennifer Lopez as much as me.
thew world needs more people like you, he will love that 55 gallon too. But wach out because next thing youll no youll want another fish and get another tank and it keeps going around in circles...lol
I LOVE this story! That is so wonderful that you saved that poor fish from that tiny little tank. I applaud you!!! I love oscars ..they are so cute and such neat fish. I don't have the room for a big enough tank for them. ONE day when I add on to my house I will have an enormous tank with a couple of Oscars! Good luck with him!! I "vote" for the name Lucky also!! It fits
While its generally true that bigger is better, I think in the case of oscars, a 50 gallon breeder tank would be better than a 55 gallon tank. A 55 is 13 inches from front to back and an oscar can get to be 14 inches long. He would have to twist around just to turn around. I Don't mean to be critical, not at all, just informative. I had a similar situation. My neighbors had 2 gold fish in a one gallon mini tank. They were all ready stunted to the point that they weren't growing any more. I didn't have much room or money, so I put them in a 10 gallon tank. Still too small for them, but its better than what they had before.