Cherrry123

Does anyone know the average cost of a 50 gallon tank, or a 120 gallon tank? Saving up money to buy one so I can finally get an Oscar. I know that the 120 gallon would be best, but I don't know if any LFS sell any, would an Oscar be o.k in a 50 gallon? I feel so bad for the Oscars because they are about the size of a quarter, and there are about 10 of them in a 10 gallon tank, they also look so sad that I just want one, and my current tank isn't big enough so does anyone know the cheapest cost of one is? Thank you!

Chief_waterchanger

A 50g is not large enough by the time they are full grown. I would suggest a 75g-100g atleast.

Generally between equipment, substrate, tank, etc (lights, heater, stand, filter, blah blah blah) will run usually about 10 dollars a gallon. A 75g tank would run somewhere around 750-800 dollars, a 120g would about 1200 dollars. More in some places and less in others, but that is a general rule of thumb.

susitna-flower

Thats the game of the LFS, don't fall for it! You really would have your hands full with an Oscar. If you haven't had one, they are huge waste producers, and do need extra filtration. So a 55 gal with a bio-wheel would NOT be a healthy environment.

Please don't get your heart set on one unless you CAN save up for a big (120 g) tank.

Cherrry123

Ok, I wish they would have a full grown Oscar in a big tak at the LFS to show how big they really get, it's just way to sad to look at them and not feel sorry for them, tehy remind me of stone fish for some reason. So, if I do get a 50 gallon tank are there any cool fish I could get? I've never really liked neon tetras, and most of the other fish seem to small and normal, and if I were to get a 75 or 120 gallon tank with an Oscar, I would probly have like 3 or 2 filters, and one of those buble things. But are there any other cool fish? I like really weird and different and big fish.

Cherrry123

Also would a 80 gallon tank be enough for an Oscar? Just one. Or do they need other fish in the tank to feel comfortable?

COBettaCouple

Oscars get to about a foot or so, but they need a good run to swim or you risk them bashing into the glass. Have you looked at knife fish?
Oscars should be kept with at least 2, preferrably 3 to make them happier. A 120g would be good for a trio of them but you'd want filtration of probably 1500gph or more.

Cherrry123

Wow! That's alot and no I don't know what knife fish are. I'm going to google what they look like. And I never knew that Oscars needed that much filteration! That is alot! But I still want one...

susitna-flower

I have a Black Ghost Knife fish and they are cool. But not one of those fish you can depend on to give you warm fuzzies all day....Mine only comes out at night when all the lights are off.....

I think Isabella has the nicest tank I have seen here...Less is more. Her tank planted 75 with lovely angels and a small school of fish is just tops!

The fish you find in a LFS are not at their best. From the most lovely cardinal tetra, to the oscar you are talking about.

To see them at their best, you really have to research and find how they do best. Then make which ever one or two you choose, make them the spot light of your tank, and it will make a big difference in how you feel about them...If you had a 75 gallon tank with 20 cardinal tetras, and 7 corys....it would be a lovely tank...clean and full of personality.

I have been looking into yasuhikotakia sidthimunki loaches, they are small, expensive fish that need to be kept in shoals of 10 or more.....check out
http://www.loaches.com/species-index...ia-sidthimunki

They would be lovely again in a 75 gallon tank with another fish I love, Congo Tetras 5-7....

Tomorrow I am going to pick up my puntius denisonii, again they need a large tank because they have to be in large groups 6 or more and they grow 6"...and need room to run as they are barbs and fast swimmers....They are going in my 125gal tank

To find these fish you have to do more than just go to Walmart...Get to know your LFS fish expert...Attend Aquarium meetings in your area, and do LOTS of research on the Internet.....

You will find what is just right for you....for me it can't be aggressive...I can stand energetic, but not mean....

Let us know what you decide on.....

COBettaCouple

Yea, I'd love to have a few Oscars myself. I saw a tank today at a LFS with some nearly full-sized ones and they're beautiful!

Cherrry123

Yes Oscars are, and those loaches are great! I would love to have some, but my tanks are full, and my gravel is large.

Phishies Inn

I'm working on my 55 gallon as we speak.

I make spreadsheets in Excel to figure out how much I'll be spending - research online to see if the equipment you want can be found at better deals. From my experience, Petsmart is cheaper than Petco, Petco is cheaper than LFS'. But I would always go to my LFS for fish. My place also happens to have a lot of good lighting equipment and nice driftwood. Everything else is pretty expensive compared to other stores.

But all 3 of them fail to meet up when I look online. So just look around.

Let me pull up my spreadsheet...

Right now it has $214 total without counting the bulbs for the fixture I'm getting (haven't decided where I'm buying them from), or the driftwood I'll get. This is also NOT counting the tank and stand, which I got for $100 from the newspaper.

Some tips:

If you want live plants, I suggest thatpetplace.com - they have plant "packs" for either low light plants, hard water plants, "jungle" themed (usually high light plants), and riverbed plants (low/medium light). I'm getting the 30 gallon riverbed package for $29.99 - which is a wonderful price considering the amount of plants you get. I didn't get the 50 gallon package because this tank isn't going to be heavily planted.

Amazon.com and eBay are your friends. Amazon usually has things on sale by other people besides the named brands, and cheaper at that (still new most of the time, not used). If you can find what you want on eBay I'd take it.

Look through your newspaper's local ads. Every week there are 55 gallon tanks on sale for under $50 or so, usually with a stand too in my area. Craigslist might have some too.

Your price can also vary depending on the filter. If you want a good filter I'd recommend a canister, especially if you're getting an oscar, which from what I hear are pretty messy. The fish I'm getting aren't terrible poopers and I'm trying to save money so I'm getting 2 Aquaclear power filters (or 1 big one, haven't decided). However if I were to get a canister I'd have to add 40 or 50 bucks to my total, because canisters cheaper than that are probably not worth it

Decorations can rack up the price without you noticing. This tank I'm making all of my caves and rock formations myself - got some flat stone from a local garden center for 15 cents a pound. 25 pounds for $4 as oppose to something much smaller for $13. Some would argue the rocks wouldn't be as pretty but I personally go for a very natural look. The only "decoration" I'm buying from the store is some driftwood. I have some broken pots to make more caves, and cut up plastic cups which can have sand glued on them if you want.

Anyways, don't expect to spend less than $150 on a big tank like a 50 gallon unless you're really good at finding sales and clearances. But the good thing is, you can always wait. I'm slowly getting the equipment I need over the next few months - the last thing I'll get is the plants, and then it's another month to let the tank cycle. Patience is a virtue!

If you're getting an oscar I'd say go like the other said and get a bigger tank. If you can't afford or don't want the space there are plenty of other pretty fish available My 55 gallon is going to be a loach tank - kuhli, angelicus, and yoyo loaches, and some angelfish. No clowns, they get too big!

But if you CAN afford the bigger tank, please go for it! The woman I used to babysit for had 2 oscars in a huge tank - they were her favorite fish. They'd even play "fetch" with her...she'd drop a golf ball in the tank and they'd spit it back out at her. They were very sweet fish. Sadly I think they got sick and died (or were old, I don't know, they were HUGE), but still. So yeah, a pair of oscars would be awesome But I'd get a 100 gallon tank or more!

Edit: Wow I just realized how much I wrote. Sorry :P

Rbacchiega

Definately look in the papers, online (craiglist) etc to see if there are good tanks for sale. Also, if you have a good LFS store, sometimes they will order in a custom sized/build tank to fit your needs and if they are a REALLY nice LFS store (like the one I seem to find myself in daily for one thing or another) You'll only be paying cost plus 10% and shipping (if any). But I'd imagine thats a pretty hard deal to find... I just seem to luck out

steveangela1

Um.. our 55 right now..... WOW we have 300 just in tank and stand, around 60 something in substrate, the rocks were free (I live just about right on Norris Lake TN and its down right now so I collected the rocks myself w/ my 5 year old son), then I felt that the filter which was like a whisper filter wasn't enough so I bought an Ehiem canister filter so theres about 120 more plus tax, we took the hoods off and put a glass top on, that was 14, and our lighting system is going to be about 250 that we are buying. Plus all the chemicals I'd say about 20-30, so about over 700 right now... But that is all our choice and preferences... (for african cichlids)

If we were doing Oscars we would have at least a 120gallon tank, because a 55 is way too small for a full grown oscar (even just one)... You could go on www.craigslist.com there are a lot of great deals on there where people get tanks and in a couple months or so decide hey, this is too much work...and sell them dirt cheap... I have found a good tank for my mom for about 125 for a 55 for tank and stand, and I am going to help her find the stuff for her angels... she is going to come out spending way less than us and her stand is going to be a lot prettier! (of coarse though my fil builds cabinets as a past time, and we are going to see if he will build us an all wood hood... )

lilsoccakid

my 55 with everything (light, hood, heater, filter, thermometer) was $120, and the sane was about 18, so about 140 total

Cherrry123

Ok, well when I went to PetSmart, I saw some fairly large Oscars, and found they weren't as cute as the littler ones. But I fell in love with another kind of fish, Needlefish. They were huge!:O And cute with their long noses. When I get a larger tank, that is deffintly(sp) what I am going to get.