<stuffs RTR in a closet and closes the door 
>
I do wholeheartedly agree that 4 oscars in a tank of that size is one too many. But then, I tend to recommend understocking for size, especially on cichlids. I've seen too many of my OWN fish die due to aggression, and DIRECTLY due to my own greediness in wanting to have "just one more"....
I have 2 pair of convicts in my 55, and feel it is very crowded (one pair is going back to the store next week, in fact), and apparently they do too, since they killed my bristlenose pleco a couple weeks ago over territory. Cichlids are wonderfully personable and feisty and smart, and know when their space is being invaded, and act accordingly. All cichlids are prone to territoriality in this manner, I've found, no matter how docile they might seem most of the time.
We have rules about stocking levels for a reason: the comfort and well-being of our pets. Would you keep 5 Rottweillers in a 6x6 enclosure? NO, because they would kill each other, or worse, bite someone who they felt were trying to invade their space (i.e., you while you're cleaning their enclosure, or your kids when they accidentally toss the football in with the dogs...). The same premise applies here. The guidelines about size vs. tank space are there to prevent illness and injury, and make sure the pets you keep are kept in the best possible environment.
If you don't have room for it at full size, don't buy a baby one. That's the best rule to follow. Just because that arrowana fits in your 10 today doesn't mean it will next month..... by purposefully overstocking you are just sentencing your fish to an early death. Would you do the same for a puppy or kitten?
Sorry for the rant, just felt all this needed to be said
>I do wholeheartedly agree that 4 oscars in a tank of that size is one too many. But then, I tend to recommend understocking for size, especially on cichlids. I've seen too many of my OWN fish die due to aggression, and DIRECTLY due to my own greediness in wanting to have "just one more"....
I have 2 pair of convicts in my 55, and feel it is very crowded (one pair is going back to the store next week, in fact), and apparently they do too, since they killed my bristlenose pleco a couple weeks ago over territory. Cichlids are wonderfully personable and feisty and smart, and know when their space is being invaded, and act accordingly. All cichlids are prone to territoriality in this manner, I've found, no matter how docile they might seem most of the time.
We have rules about stocking levels for a reason: the comfort and well-being of our pets. Would you keep 5 Rottweillers in a 6x6 enclosure? NO, because they would kill each other, or worse, bite someone who they felt were trying to invade their space (i.e., you while you're cleaning their enclosure, or your kids when they accidentally toss the football in with the dogs...). The same premise applies here. The guidelines about size vs. tank space are there to prevent illness and injury, and make sure the pets you keep are kept in the best possible environment.
If you don't have room for it at full size, don't buy a baby one. That's the best rule to follow. Just because that arrowana fits in your 10 today doesn't mean it will next month..... by purposefully overstocking you are just sentencing your fish to an early death. Would you do the same for a puppy or kitten?
Sorry for the rant, just felt all this needed to be said
