Oscar tank size

flyte

flyte

^ has crabs
Oct 29, 2004
30
0
0
46
PA
i know the rule is "the biggest you can possibly get" but..What size do I need for my common oscar, as a permanent home. Also 1 common Pleco. I'm looking at a 90 and 125 atm. The 125 just seems so rediculously long and not so tall
The corner tanks look cool as well, looks like it would be more natural to be able to swim that way, rather than just back and forth.
When my 3 clown loaches and 1 irridescent get big enough, I'd like to have them in there as well. (my other sharks died.. perhaps it would be better to rehome the one survivor.. Don't they prefer to be in groups of 3-5?) I had thought I might eventually get another oscar as he seems bored most of the time and the pleco wont play catch with him.. but the loaches are very busy and could entertain him.
My oscar is extremely docile and has been friendly with every other similar sized fish he has ever been near so I don't think there would be a problem with them. If there is they will be removed asap. Thanks from me and Clyde the Oscar..
 
The 90 or 125 would be fine for an oscar and pleco but like you said go with the biggest you have room for and can afford. Also go with a wider tank (front to back) instead of a tall tank. Your irridescent shark could become a problem though as they grow very very large. One website says they grow up to a meter long so you'll even need larger tank for it than you would for the oscar and the rest of your fish.
 
the footprint of the tank is the key not hight or width... Oscars get big and they need room to turn around... You need as much depth as you can afford. My 150g is 30in tall 4ft long and 2ft deep. That would be a perfect oscar tank.
 
Both the 125 and 90 are 18" wide, so that will be fine for a full grown oscar. And since they swim forward and not up, the longer tank will be more appropriate than the tall tank.
 
A Corner tank would be good since it usually has a larger, more square footprint than a long aquarium. They really are a pain to clean though....
 
It would have to be a very large corner tank though to make up for the room provided by a long tank. And oscars are more of a sit and wait predator, not a cruising species like pacus. So if the corner tank was very large it would be great. The only other thing is that odd sizes like corners are more expensive, and you could get an even bigger rectangular tank for the same cost of a corner, which also means that the rectangular tank is more appropriate.
 
In your new tank if you oscar is still shy try adding some giant danios or buenos aires tetras. They will bring him out and are very fast so they wont become food immediately.....I had some last years with my oscar.
 
Hey guys thanks so much for all the replies. And my Oscar isn't shy around me, he's like a dog with me.. (and like an attack dog when my parrot is near him).. he's just fearful of most other fish, so I assumes if they were of similar size, they'd probly not get eaten by him. When they are large enough, will the clown loaches be alright with him? Thanks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom