Hey I have a possible large problem. Today I just got a pleco and an Oscar from the local fish store and was told by an employee that it would be fine to put the oscar and the pleco in my 10 gallon which also houses my crayfish and feeder guppies. I put them in about 7 hrs ago I just checked and cannot find my pleco (crayfish most likely culprit). I noticed the oscar was under a log where the crayfish calls home. This is where is gets tricky. I am worried about losing my new Oscar to the cray but I cannot put the crayfish in my 5 gallon as I have 2 newts, 2 snails and a betta in there without a heater. I don't think I can put the crayfish into my 20 gallon because I have 2 fiddler crabs, large pleco, 3 platties, 2 swordtails, 6 danios and 1 rainbow(he killed off the other rainbows). Can I put the Oscar in the 20 gallon? Any help would be greatly appreciated! -Gino
Need help
- Thread starter Regehr28
- Start date
you need to take that oscar back. it will not be ok in a 20 gal it will not be ok in a 10 gal. as for the large pleco in your 20 gal... my guess its a common pleco. that will not be ok in a 20 gal.
common plecos get over 2 feet long. they need very big tanks. bigger the most people have.
oscars need at lest 75 gal. they get over a foot big. something like 14-15 inch or so.
you also need to get a heater for your 5 gal.
common plecos get over 2 feet long. they need very big tanks. bigger the most people have.
oscars need at lest 75 gal. they get over a foot big. something like 14-15 inch or so.
you also need to get a heater for your 5 gal.
If the oscar is very small you might get away with putting the oscar in the 20 gallon OVERNIGHT until you can take him back tomorrow. Unfortunately, you don't have a tank big enough for an oscar....they grow to over 1 foot in length and need a tank that's preferably 5 feet long or more.
In order to save the Oscar from the crayfish, I think it would be fine to put him in the 20 gallon, as long as the water conditions are similar. The fish there sound peaceful, and he is small enough not to bother them.
Your plan of gradually upgrading the tanks as he grows sounds fine to me too. They don't grow their full size overnight, you just have to budget for buying the extra tanks. It may harm your wallet in the long run, but I cannot see how it would harm your oscar. Plus, when he out grows a tank, you can put more fish in the empty ones.:idea:
Your plan of gradually upgrading the tanks as he grows sounds fine to me too. They don't grow their full size overnight, you just have to budget for buying the extra tanks. It may harm your wallet in the long run, but I cannot see how it would harm your oscar. Plus, when he out grows a tank, you can put more fish in the empty ones.:idea:
Oscars grow very fast and as they grow, along with the other fish in the tank, they release growth inhibiting hormones. The plec will grow too large as well, as stated by others above. In my opinion, I would take them back now, and wait until you have the large tank first, 75 gallon and preferably larger, and then buy an oscar and a plec. They won't be hard to find!
