29 Gallon Tank 1 Baby Oscar?

I am considering getting one tiger Oscar, but my biggest tank is only 29 gallons. Now, I've done some research, and I know that fully grown, the Oscar would be unhappy in the 29.

The tank is dry right now. I need to reseal it, and get the equipment for it. So the purchase is a ways out.

I am going to buy a baby Albino Tiger Oscar, and keep him in the 29 gallon. Now be for you all shout "NOOOO!", keep in mind, I am leaving for school in a year. Exactly one year. After the Oscar gets too big, the shop keeper I'm buying it from says he will buy it back from me. I want something very cool for my 29, and I think this would be it.

I have a few questions about this endeavor:

1. Can I do this? (How big do you think it will get in a year? How long could I comfortably keep it in the 29G?)
2. If I CAN do this, what kind of decor, rocks and filter should I use? Undergravel Filter? I know Oscars are big on waste, so should I get a filter rated for a larger tank?
3. Lighting? Hours with the lights on, hours with the lights off?
4. Heater/Temperature?
5. Are they hardy? Can I just put in the fish after I condition the tank, or do I have to cycle the tank with something else? With what?

Other than the goldfish I had when I was a kid, I am pretty new to fish keeping. So forgive some of my ignorance.

Thank you all so much for your time and your answers.

 

Good morning and Welcome to Fish Lore!

A few links that you may find helpful:

I see that you are aware of the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle but I will post the link anyway as I see you do not test your water parameters. Knowing about and understanding the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle is crucial to fish keeping:
https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

I highly recommend having the API (liquid) Master Test Kit. (paper test strips can be inaccurate and difficult to read):


Oscars:
https://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Oscar.htm

I would recommend Oscars, even as juveniles be housed in at least 55 gallon or larger, for 1 Oscar (personally I would use 75 to 90 gallons). Within 1 year the fish may well be stunted in growth by being in the 29 gallon tank. Let's get more responses on this.



Hold on for more responses and I hope you enjoy the site.

Ken

 

This is deffinatley a big No! Oscars may start out small, but like all Cichlids grow at an exceptionally fast rate. It would deffinatley outgrow a 29 gallon, I think a 55 gallon is the bare minimum an Oscar can take, In less than year an oscar would be far too large to be housed in such a small tank.

I don't think an oscar is the best beginner tropical fish, but I think I can see that you are after a large centre piece fish rather than a small schooling species, so I propose to you this, try and look in to more suitable larger community fish to houseand then try and build around them, rather than the oscar.

Good larger community fish suitable for a 29 gallon could be: Gourami's (Dwarf and Gold), Dwarf Cichlids like Apistogrammas, If the tank is tall you could house an Angelfish, Rams ect.

And then build around this fish, introduce bottom dwelling fish, like corydoras, and maybe a dither schooling fish like a tetra or rasbora.

You need to cycle a tank before adding the fish unless you are doing a fish cycle then I suggest Zebra Danios as a good hardy fish to cycle a tank, even then you must leave the tank at least a week running by itself before adding any fish at all.

DiTrolioDude

 

If ypu are looking for personality fish for a 29 gallon tank try firemouth or convict cichlids tbey are really interesting to watch and won't outgrow the tank.

 

That's a big no! >< When I first started fishkeeping two years ago, my dad reconmend me an oscar, but I did research and I was like no. Maybe when I get a much larger tank I agree with everyone else here. Angelfish will be a good one though.

 

Still curious.

I understand that the Oscar would outgrow the tank within the year. But I am flexible.

Would I be able to keep it for 6 months? Yes they do start out small, and grow fast, but I never planned on keeping it for the full 10 years. Or even one year.


Main Question: How long could I keep the Oscar in the tank before I upgraded?
OR: Can I at least start him in the 29G and move him when he gets bigger to a more suitable home?


I am also very interested in other Cichlids. What other types of active, interesting looking Cichlids are there that could fit in the tank?

 

I understand that the Oscar would outgrow the tank within the year. But I am flexible.

Would I be able to keep it for 6 months? Yes they do start out small, and grow fast, but I never planned on keeping it for the full 10 years. Or even one year.


Main Question: How long could I keep the Oscar in the tank before I upgraded?
OR: Can I at least start him in the 29G and move him when he gets bigger to a more suitable home?


I am also very interested in other Cichlids. What other types of active, interesting looking Cichlids are there that could fit in the tank?

Welcome to FishLore!

Oscars can grow over an inch a month. It would be a very bad idea to put one in a tank smaller than 55g. Even if it's only an inch long.

If you have a 29 gallon now I suggest you look into cichlids that will be able to live in that size tank. Convict Ciclids, Firemouth Cichlids, Jeweled Cichlids, German Blue Rams, Bolivian Rams, and Cockatoo Cichlids are all fish that you could keep in you tank without issues. Course you won't be able to keep all these types or even two of these types together.

 

Okay, Thank you all so much for your advice. Ill upgrade before I get an Oscar.

I am very interested in the Rams. May I know more about those?

 

I say go for it. If you are going to give it up at a predetermined time than what does it matter? ANY fish you stock it with will be given up, and essentially you will just be growing out ANY fish that you get. Why not an oscar?

 

Here's the thing. Once you bring it back it will either end up sitting there forever, get sick, or become food.
Yes, food. My lfs has an oscar that came in and it sits taking up space. So, it sadly will become alligator dinner.

 

People buy large fish, so that should be included in the list of possible outcomes. I mean, it's not going to be HUGE at that point....

 

Okay, Thank you all so much for your advice. Ill upgrade before I get an Oscar.

I am very interested in the Rams. May I know more about those?

I'm glad you changed your mind about the Oscar. Perhaps starting a new thread about Rams would be best since this one is about Oscars.

 

If you want a Medium large fish that would work in that tank with a bit of attitude, go for the Firemouth cichlids and Convicts. Oscar cichlids are obviously going to be territorial and aggressive, so if this aspect is what you liked about them, then this aggression is mimicked in these smaller species.

If you don't like the aggression then go for the Smaller cichlids like the Rams you liked. They arn't as aggressive as the Firemouths and convicts ect.

Just an idea for size of the cichlids RogueAgent suggested:

German Blue Ram: 7cm
Bolivian Ram: 7cm (But mine are much larger)
Cockatoo Cichlid: 7-8cm (Again for some reason mine is larger)
Firemouth Cichlid: 15cm
Jeweled Cichlid: 15cm
Convict cichlid: 17cm

Oscar: up to 30cm

 

firemouths are awesome so are jewels and convicts but convicts are mean and will give you a big headache if they are not with the correct fish.

also a jack dempsey is pretty big and a good centerpiece fish

 

A Jack Dempsey wouldn't fit in your tank.

With all the fish mentioned above other than the rams and the Cockatoo's you would only be able to have one pair of fish without other fish in the tank.

 

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