Advise: Keeping Oscars

Hey all. This weekend a friend called me and asked if would be willing to rescue a fish that was abandoned in an apartment. Turns out it's a Tiger Oscar, probably a couple years old-- roughly 5, maybe 6" long. I got there to check him out and he is in a 32 gallon 3ft tank (way too small, I know), heater not working water temp 70 degrees, barely enough substrate to cover the bottom of the tank, cheap walmart HOB filter with the biomedia missing, a broken light, and some horrible plastic abrasive decorations. Long story short, I brought him home, tank and "equipment" as I don't have a tank to transplant him into. I've added a couple inches of substrate to the tank, and a new light will be here tomorrow and new filter on Wed. (stopped and got a new heater before I took him home).
I'm new to Oscars, and looking for advise, insight, personal experience with them that will help provide him a better life than he had. I know he needs a much larger tank, which I have been planning to get into anyways because I already have some SA/CA Cichlids that will need a larger tank, I'm just not ready to take the dive yet (one thing that's holding me up is building a stand-- I'm on a budget, and can build one nicer and better than I can afford to buy). Should I plan on one great big tank to put Oscar and cichlids in, or two separate tanks? Are there any special behaviors specific to Oscars to keep an eye out for in terms of disease, over/under feeding, or general health issues, things I can do to prevent self injury, etc.?

 

No helpful info., but wishing you best of luck.

 

Tough spot for you. Give him all the water you can, and prepare yourself for WCs because they are very messy eaters no matter what you feed them. Constant gravel vacuums will help some. And unless something went horribly wrong, he is younger than you think. I've seen people raise them about that large in a 10G in well under a year.

Good luck.

 

how big is your tank? I had a tiger Oscar for about 8yrs in a 90 gallon tank. Once he was full grown I at times felt that was small for him. The minimum suggested tank size for a single Oscar is 75 gallons although bigger is definitely better. The more filtration the better as they are messy and produce a lot of waste. They don't really need much in terms of substrate or decorations more so things to play with to keep them occupied. They will dig up gravel and relocated it the same with plants. Its just what they do. So don't ever plan on having a nice decorated tank. He'll rearrange it 100 times over for enjoyment. They are definitely a fun fish to have, lots of personality a "wet pet" if you will like a dog.

 

Plenty of Oscar experience. They're a fun fish, especially fun when you buy them at a couple of inches and feed them a lot and watch them grow. The tank you got him from size wise is not too bad up to about 6" but they're definitely ready for an upgrade at 6". What size tank are you putting him in? Any pics? You want him to be well proportioned and chunky, that's a sign he's been well fed and healthy. If he's on the long and thin side he's underfed, and if it were me, I would feed him loads (although it may take him a while to accept large portions) and change 40% of the water twice / week to get him back up to speed.
Generally, you want to make sure you have plenty of filtration, about 150% recommended for the tank. 55G absolute minimum, maybe with 1 appropriate catfish. 75G better. You could put him with your other cichlids if appropriate, what are they and how many do you have? This will determine the ideal size to house them all. I keep an Oscar in a 130G with a female Texas, Spotted Severum, HellerI Male (like a Firemouth) and a large Angelfish, plus a few catfish and a couple of other fish. It works well, I have filtration for nearly 200G though.

 

Oscars usually grow 1-2" per month. Since yours was in bad conditions, it could be 6-8 months old. They can be prone to HITH (hole in the head) disease if water conditions are bad. Substrate isn't very important as they will move it around and it's a PITA to clean all the time.

They all have different personalities. I had 3 that were like dogs and rush over to me when I enter the room. They also let me pet them although it's not very good for their scales/slimy coat so I didn't do it very often. I would hand feed them guppies and goldfish. They can be mean too. I had a little one (about 5") that tried to bite me every time I put my hand in the tank.

 

What other fish do you have that you would want to add to the same tank as him?

 

I had an oscar that grew to about 15" long. He was the only inhabitant in a 75 gallon tank because he apparently didn't like tank mates and killed them. After 10-12 years he ended up destroying the tank. I had a wave maker positioned low in the tank to help push his left overs and waste towards the filter. I had an aquaclear 110 filter. I ended up getting a metal heater after he broke a couple of the glass ones even the ones with the plastic guard on them he broke. For some reson he tried to eat the floating thermometer.

 

Plenty of Oscar experience. They're a fun fish, especially fun when you buy them at a couple of inches and feed them a lot and watch them grow. The tank you got him from size wise is not too bad up to about 6" but they're definitely ready for an upgrade at 6". What size tank are you putting him in? Any pics? You want him to be well proportioned and chunky, that's a sign he's been well fed and healthy. If he's on the long and thin side he's underfed, and if it were me, I would feed him loads (although it may take him a while to accept large portions) and change 40% of the water twice / week to get him back up to speed.
Generally, you want to make sure you have plenty of filtration, about 150% recommended for the tank. 55G absolute minimum, maybe with 1 appropriate catfish. 75G better. You could put him with your other cichlids if appropriate, what are they and how many do you have? This will determine the ideal size to house them all. I keep an Oscar in a 130G with a female Texas, Spotted Severum, HellerI Male (like a Firemouth) and a large Angelfish, plus a few catfish and a couple of other fish. It works well, I have filtration for nearly 200G though.

I took the tank he was in, so it's a 32 for now. I had been planning on moving my cichlids (convict, FM, GT, and a turquoise jewel who showed up at random as well) to a 75 or 90. Now that this guy has come into the pic, I'm thinking about one tank for all of them, but I may not have the space for a large enough tank for that to work.
He seems well proportioned, but he was very shy and lethargic when I first saw him at his old apartment. He spent about 3 hours in a 5 gallon bucket while I got the tank reset for him to go in, and I was concerned about substrate because the nitrite was around 2ppm when I tested water an hour or two after I put him in the tank. Makes me think the substrate was so thin that it never properly cycled in the first place...
I treated the water with prime and stability, added matrix to the filter and after a couple hours he was coming up to the glass when I would come near, so he seems a little better off now. Given the nitrite level, I'm treating this like a fish-in cycle. 5-7 gallons per day WC, and riding it out till the new filter/pump shows up on wed., which will cycle 350gph.
Thanks for your insight.

What other fish do you have that you would want to add to the same tank as him?

I'm thinking about potentially separating my cichlids and putting a firemouth and/or convict in with him, and I get the feeling that some kind of bottom feeder will be a must, but all I have to relocate at the moment is a bristlenose, about 4" and a spotted raph, who is about as wide as he is long, but I don't see him often enough to know forsure how big he actually is, and of course, I'm not really interested in adding any fish to the 32 gallon he's in...

This was today, so a little more than 48 hours after I got him home. He seems to like the bridge thing, so I left it in there.

 

He will likely kill the smaller Cichlids and him and a GT may fight to the death. And if you did try to put them all together and the slI'm chance it did work out a 75-90 would be too small for all of them. The younger the Oscar and GT are the better the odds they will tolerate each other later on.

 

Oscars usually grow 1-2" per month. Since yours was in bad conditions, it could be 6-8 months old. They can be prone to HITH (hole in the head) disease if water conditions are bad. Substrate isn't very important as they will move it around and it's a PITA to clean all the time.

They all have different personalities. I had 3 that were like dogs and rush over to me when I enter the room. They also let me pet them although it's not very good for their scales/slimy coat so I didn't do it very often. I would hand feed them guppies and goldfish. They can be mean too. I had a little one (about 5") that tried to bite me every time I put my hand in the tank.

He may have had several outbreaks of HITH... there was a healing spot on top of his head, but I had assumed it was from one of those really abrasive decorations that was in the tank when I took him (threw that away as soon as I got him home). Water quality the best defense against that? Or is there something else to do to help control it?

 

Hi. I keep my Oscar Big Boy who is 15 inches in a 125 by himself. I have 2 Marineland filter's on the tank and 2 Aqueon Pro heater's on it. I do 70% water changes every weekend. The bottom is covered with gravel and I have some big river rock's in there with some plastic plant's on gravel base's. He LOVES to move house!!! LOL!!! I feed him HikarI Bio Gold, HikarI Cichlid Excel, DainichI Ultima Krill and NLS Floating Food. They are GREAT fish to have!!! They have some the BEST personalities!!!

 

He will likely kill the smaller Cichlids and him and a GT may fight to the death. And if you did try to put them all together and the slI'm chance it did work out a 75-90 would be too small for all of them. The younger the Oscar and GT are the better the odds they will tolerate each other later on.

Cool, thanks. I was a little concerned about the size difference... So far this guy has been pretty docile, but he's in a state of repair, and sadly, probably the best water conditions he's ever had, which will only be getting better over the next week or so. It'll be interesting to see how he behaves once he gets settled in.

 

He may have had several outbreaks of HITH... there was a healing spot on top of his head, but I had assumed it was from one of those really abrasive decorations that was in the tank when I took him (threw that away as soon as I got him home). Water quality the best defense against that? Or is there something else to do to help control it?

It's been a while since I've owned oscars but HITH was something to watch out for. Frequent water changes helps a lot. I also used Stress Coat with weekly water changes.

Hi. I keep my Oscar Big Boy who is 15 inches in a 125 by himself. I have 2 Marineland filter's on the tank and 2 Aqueon Pro heater's on it. I do 70% water changes every weekend. The bottom is covered with gravel and I have some big river rock's in there with some plastic plant's on gravel base's. He LOVES to move house!!! LOL!!! I feed him HikarI Bio Gold, HikarI Cichlid Excel, DainicI Ultima Krill and NLS Floating Food. They are GREAT fish to have!!! They have some the BEST personalities!!!

HikarI Bio Gold is awesome stuff. That along with guppies and goldfish really brought out the colors in my oscars.

I had pea gravel and a few slate rocks in my tank. I gave up on plants, real and fake, for decoration. Oscars and arowanas were my favorite aquarium fish. I don't have room for a big tank but missed having an aquarium so I started up a 20 gallon tall. I'm doing a fish in cycle currently and very disappointed in choices to stock it. I'm leaning heavily towards GBRs as cichlids have much better personalities. My local Petco has a sale on 75 gallon tanks for $90. I have no place for it but was so tempted to just get one.

 

When mine was about 10" long I bought a 12" common pleco with the thought they will not be in each others way. Poor thing didnt last a week. Hopefully yours is a little nicer to tank mates. As far as substrate its not really needed. Nice looking and gives him something to move around but not needed. I can't remember what pellets I fed him but I also fed night crawlers from my yard and crayfish from the crick. Neither would make it to the bottom. If I ever got another I would go bigger than a 75 gallon.

 

It's been a while since I've owned oscars but HITH was something to watch out for. Frequent water changes helps a lot. I also used Stress Coat with weekly water changes.
Excellent. I do tend to keep stress coat around... and "aquarium" salt.


HikarI Bio Gold is awesome stuff. That along with guppies and goldfish really brought out the colors in my oscars.

I had pea gravel and a few slate rocks in my tank. I gave up on plants, real and fake, for decoration. Oscars and arowanas were my favorite aquarium fish. I don't have room for a big tank but missed having an aquarium so I started up a 20 gallon tall. I'm doing a fish in cycle currently and very disappointed in choices to stock it. I'm leaning heavily towards GBRs as cichlids have much better personalities. My local Petco has a sale on 75 gallon tanks for $90. I have no place for it but was so tempted to just get one.

Ha! I saw the same deal. Almost bought one myself. If I tore down one of my existing tanks, and mixed and matched parts I could get one up and running pretty easily, but I'm lacking one important and expensive piece-- a suitable stand for it to go on. And it doesn't help me in terms of the fish that are already in my existing tanks while the 75 is getting set up.

 

My 125 & stand I have I got on Craigslist for $150!!! You can get some great deals on there!!!

It's been a while since I've owned oscars but HITH was something to watch out for. Frequent water changes helps a lot. I also used Stress Coat with weekly water changes.



HikarI Bio Gold is awesome stuff. That along with guppies and goldfish really brought out the colors in my oscars.

I had pea gravel and a few slate rocks in my tank. I gave up on plants, real and fake, for decoration. Oscars and arowanas were my favorite aquarium fish. I don't have room for a big tank but missed having an aquarium so I started up a 20 gallon tall. I'm doing a fish in cycle currently and very disappointed in choices to stock it. I'm leaning heavily towards GBRs as cichlids have much better personalities. My local Petco has a sale on 75 gallon tanks for $90. I have no place for it but was so tempted to just get one.

I agree about the HikarI Bio Gold. It is a GREAT food that does bring their colors out. Cichlid's do have great personalities!!! Awowana's are so cool looking!!! That's great you got a 20 gallon tank. Maybe one day you can have a big tank!!!

 

Haha.... y'all are really making me want an oscar!! (Sadly,) I saw the cutest little baby oscar at petsmart the other day... like 2-3" I hope they end up in good hands. Y'all, I seriously thought about it... he could've gone in my empty 40B until I got the good deal on the 75 gallon at Petco!!

Dang it fishlore!!

Seriously though, I LOVE hearing about oscar personalities... and I love the beautiful black/grey/red/orange coloring, like lava... ❤️ I would like to start with one the size of the one I saw the other day... he was just so freaking cute!! I know I'd love to watch him grow!!

Btw, Do they eat snails? Like, if maayybe you had too many reproducing? Lol

 

If anyone is interested I have a video of Big Boy in the video section under Freshwater fish.

 

My problem is no safe place for a big tank. I could build a stand with 2x4's for the 75g. I did look on CL and saw a few really great deals on 75-150g tank and stand combos. I still have a 55 gallon in storage.

Funny, I bought the 20 gallon tall kit thinking it was only $80 and another $100 would set it up with everything else I'd need. I'm about $500 in so far and only stocked it for fish in cycling. I think the Fluval 206 is overkill

 

My 125 & stand I have I got on Craigslist for $150!!! you can get some great deals on there!!!

That you can, and I had been watching CL for the right deal to pop up when my friend called me about this Oscar. I'm going to a friends workshop next week and gonna build a stand or three for my existing tanks, and maybe start on one for a larger tank while I'm at it.
I just couldn't leave him (I say "him" with no clue about sexing him/her). Kinda makes me sick. People can end up in court for abandoning dogs and cats like that...

My problem is no safe place for a big tank. I could build a stand with 2x4's for the 75g. I did look on CL and saw a few really great deals on 75-150g tank and stand combos. I still have a 55 gallon in storage.

Funny, I bought the 20 gallon tall kit thinking it was only $80 and another $100 would set it up with everything else I'd need. I'm about $500 in so far and only stocked it for fish in cycling. I think the Fluval 206 is overkill

I hear ya there! Gets expensive no matter how you tackle it. The stands I'm making are going to be using raw lumber. A couple 6-8" diameter tree trunks, plained, grooved, and finished. No processed lumber at all.

 

Haha.... y'all are really making me want an oscar!! (Sadly,) I saw the cutest little baby oscar at petsmart the other day... like 2-3" I hope they end up in good hands. Y'all, I seriously thought about it... he could've gone in my empty 40B until I got the good deal on the 75 gallon at Petco!!

Dang it fishlore!!

Seriously though, I LOVE hearing about oscar personalities... and I love the beautiful black/grey/red/orange coloring, like lava... ❤️ I would like to start with one the size of the one I saw the other day... he was just so freaking cute!! I know I'd love to watch him grow!!

Btw, Do they eat snails? Like, if maayybe you had too many reproducing? Lol

I got Big Boy when he was 4 inches. He is now 15 inches!!! It has been so much fun watching him grow!!! I don't know if they eat snail's.

 

Haha.... y'all are really making me want an oscar!! (Sadly,) I saw the cutest little baby oscar at petsmart the other day... like 2-3" I hope they end up in good hands. Y'all, I seriously thought about it... he could've gone in my empty 40B until I got the good deal on the 75 gallon at Petco!!

Dang it fishlore!!

Seriously though, I LOVE hearing about oscar personalities... and I love the beautiful black/grey/red/orange coloring, like lava... ❤️ I would like to start with one the size of the one I saw the other day... he was just so freaking cute!! I know I'd love to watch him grow!!

Btw, Do they eat snails? Like, if maayybe you had too many reproducing? Lol

Seriously. I haven't had oscars in almost 30 yrs and still miss them. I had 5 I raised from 1" and they're so awesome when they're that small. Still have the same personality. 3 survived to 8"+ and 2 were breeding though they only laid eggs a few times and never hatched .

Some will try to eat anything, others can be picky.

 

I hear ya there! Gets expensive no matter how you tackle it. The stands I'm making are going to be using raw lumber. A couple 6-8" diameter tree trunks, plained, grooved, and finished. No processed lumber at all.

Ooh... free tank stand that way!!

Lol... don't know where u are, but my boyfriend just cut down a big holly tree (they're supposed to be shrubs), and we've got trunks

 

My problem is no safe place for a big tank. I could build a stand with 2x4's for the 75g. I did look on CL and saw a few really great deals on 75-150g tank and stand combos. I still have a 55 gallon in storage.

Funny, I bought the 20 gallon tall kit thinking it was only $80 and another $100 would set it up with everything else I'd need. I'm about $500 in so far and only stocked it for fish in cycling. I think the Fluval 206 is overkill

It is so easy to say IM ONLY going to spend so much on the tank and before you know it your spending 3 times the amount you said!!! LOL!!!

 

Mine begged for attention worse than a dog. Lol. If anyone walked by the tank he would slam into the lid until they payed attention to him. I'm amazed he never broke the glass lid. Lol

 

Ooh... free tank stand that way!!

Lol... don't know where u are, but my boyfriend just cut down a big holly tree (they're supposed to be shrubs), and we've got trunks

I'll post pics when they're done. I live in Maine, and my buddy has 100 acres of trees to choose from...

 

Mine begged for attention worse than a dog. Lol. If anyone walked by the tank he would slam into the lid until they payed attention to him. I'm amazed he never broke the glass lid. Lol

! I've read a couple ppl's comments about their oscars actually breaking the glass lid, & one person (I swear this person is on Fishlore... can't remember who though), said their oscar actually caused a crack in the tanks glass, and caused a leak... leading of course, to having to buy a new tank. If I remember correctly, it was from similar behavior as you describe

layman101, can't wait to see pics!! Lol, too bad you have such a small selection! Haha

 

! I've read a couple ppl's comments about their oscars actually breaking the glass lid, & one person (I swear this person is on Fishlore... can't remember who though), said their oscar actually caused a crack in the tanks glass, and caused a leak... leading of course, to having to buy a new tank. If I remember correctly, it was from similar behavior as you describe

layman101, can't wait to see pics!! Lol, too bad you have such a small selection! Haha

Yea that was me. I had left this ceramic castle in there and he would always move it around. One day he decided to ram it threw the side of the tank. What a mess. Lol. He probably was my favorite fish I ever had.

 

Yea that was me. I had left this ceramic castle in there and he would always move it around. One day he decided to ram it threw the side of the tank. What a mess. Lol. He probably was my favorite fish I ever had.

On that subject, I usually try to keep my heaters near the intake tube for the filter. Should I maybe try keeping it in the corner of the tank, or maybe lay it on the bottom so it's harder to get at?

 

Yea that was me. I had left this ceramic castle in there and he would always move it around. One day he decided to ram it threw the side of the tank. What a mess. Lol. He probably was my favorite fish I ever had.

Goofy fish lol ❤️

 

! I've read a couple ppl's comments about their oscars actually breaking the glass lid, & one person (I swear this person is on Fishlore... can't remember who though), said their oscar actually caused a crack in the tanks glass, and caused a leak... leading of course, to having to buy a new tank. If I remember correctly, it was from similar behavior as you describe



layman101, can't wait to see pics!! Lol, too bad you have such a small selection! Haha

Yea that was me. I had left this ceramic castle in there and he would always move it around. One day he decided to ram it threw the side of the tank. What a mess. Lol. He probably was my favorite fish I ever had.

Yea that was me. I had left this ceramic castle in there and he would always move it around. One day he decided to ram it threw the side of the tank. What a mess. Lol. He probably was my favorite fish I ever had.

OMG!!! I bet that was a huge mess!!! IM waiting for Big Boy to slam one of the river rock's in the side of the tank. I have a feeling I might have to remove them. I swear he sulks if I do anything different in the tank!!! LOL!!!!

 

On that subject, I usually try to keep my heaters near the intake tube for the filter. Should I maybe try keeping it in the corner of the tank, or maybe lay it on the bottom so it's harder to get at?

That sounds like a good idea to me... makes sense to me... more protected.

 

On that subject, I usually try to keep my heaters near the intake tube for the filter. Should I maybe try keeping it in the corner of the tank, or maybe lay it on the bottom so it's harder to get at?

Do you have shatterproof heater's?

 

I ended up putting the heater horizontal up behind the spill way of my filter. Was the only place he would leave it alone. Lol. And yea it didnt matter how I moved things around he would always change it. I swear one time he took all the pea gravel and built a mountain at the one side of the tank. And for some reson he liked to tear the intake tube off the filter.

 

I ended up putting the heater horizontal up behind the spill way of my filter. Was the only place he would leave it alone. Lol. And yea it didnt matter how I moved things around he would always change it. I swear one time he took all the pea gravel and built a mountain at the one side of the tank. And for some reson he liked to tear the intake tube off the filter.

Big Boy likes to take the leaves of the plant's and he also likes to take the intake tube off the filter!!! LOL!!! I go to put it back on and he turns around and takes it off again!!! OMG!!! LOL!!!!

 

Do you have shatterproof heater's?

Aqueon, shatter "resistant"...

 

Aqueon, shatter "resistant"...

Yes they are. They also have lifetime warranties.

 

I ever tried the ones with the plastic cover. I ended up getting a metal ones. Lol

 

I ever tried the ones with the plastic cover. I ended up getting a metal ones. Lol

This is what I use.