Advise: Keeping Oscars

I see all sorts of nice sturdy looking heaters on Amazon for way less money than the aqueon ones at the local stores. I'll have to order one. And it wouldn't hurt my feelings to put the 150 watt in my cichlid tank...
Which, my GT is in heat and getting ready to lay eggs. I wanna get it on video, but she gets so assertive that I have to be absolutely still for awhile before she'll go. Then her convict boy friend will eat the eggs and she'll sulk for a few days before she comes out to play again.

 

I just wanted to mention , I don't think a 75 gallon is appropriate for a fully grown Oscar , they have huge personality and need the room , in an appropriate size tank they will reach 15-16" in size. IMO a 125g is the very minimum for an Oscar.

 

My Oscar I had would jump for food and many times landed outside the tank when I took off the lid. Still have the horrific memory of the sound of the hood breaking and coming in to find him flapping around on the floor with the dog trying to pick him up.

Ended up having to trade him when he got big and way too aggressive he would bite my arm when ever I did maintenance and a large Oscar bite is nothing to be sneezed at he would leave large bruising on my arms.

But he definitely had some personality

 

Thanks for the input. You see so many different opinions out there on the subject... Basically, no less than a six foot tank is the general consensus. I may look into getting glass custom cut and assemble my own tank. I found a place locally that will cut glass for a four and a half foot, twenty inch tall tank for 190 bucks, and I can build the framework for the price of a few tubes of aquarium silicon...

 

Most oscars probably belong in a warm lake but that's not what most of us have. I haven't had one for 20 years but have been contemplating it lately. Probably in a 75G. If I put only one fish in a tank larger than that it won't be a $5.99 fish.

 

personally I have a big huge breeding pair of Oscars. They eat any other fish I put with them.. Big or small. So they have a 150 gallon all to themselves.
If you want to have both the oscar and other cichlids, you'll need a nice big tank. 125+gallons would be a good start. Anything smaller and you can expect problems. Also don't put anything you want to look perfect in the tank either, they can and definitely will rearrange everything to their liking.
Filtration is another big point. Especially with these big monsters. They're very dirty. And very prone to disease without good filtration and maintenance. A couple nice sized canisters and maybe a hob would be a good start. That's what I did for mine. And even that has to be cleaned out regularly. Or a sump. Either way, filtration is important. As well as tank size.
for diet, a good variation is always good. I feed mine for example, omega one pellets, Hilary pellets, and new life spectrum. Anything else they make a huge mess.
don't put any small cichlids with these guys. They are like a small mouth bass. They'll eat anything. Including small cichlids. I had a red head tapojos eartheater... And they ate his head off. Literally. So plan accordingly.
overall they're beautiful fish. And have tons of personality

 

Most oscars probably belong in a warm lake but that's not what most of us have. I haven't had one for 20 years but have been contemplating it lately. Probably in a 75G. If I put only one fish in a tank larger than that it won't be a $5.99 fish.

Haha! That's a **** good point... I got this guy for "free" and it's already cost me almost 100 bucks just getting the tank he came in suitable for aquatic life... Gotta say, you're the first person I've heard offer that perspective.

 

Haha! That's a good point... I got this guy for "free" and it's already cost me almost 100 bucks just getting the tank he came in suitable for aquatic life... Gotta say, you're the first person I've heard offer that perspective.

I will be putting 2 Oscars in my new tank with other cichlids but my new tank is 300gal

 

Haha! That's a good point... I got this guy for "free" and it's already cost me almost 100 bucks just getting the tank he came in suitable for aquatic life... Gotta say, you're the first person I've heard offer that perspective.

Don't get me wrong I love my fish. I have 15 tanks and spend all my spare money on them. But yes, at some point I won't let it bother me that somebody else doesn't approve my $5.99 fish is being abused living in a $400 tank once accessories are factored in. Never mind all the maintenance most would never do properly over the long-term. They need a 300G tank but it's not going to happen at my house. Perhaps they shouldn't be in the trade but they are. It is what it is.

 

Haha! That's a good point... I got this guy for "free" and it's already cost me almost 100 bucks just getting the tank he came in suitable for aquatic life... Gotta say, you're the first person I've heard offer that perspective.

This is a rescue. A 75 gallon is a vast improvement. No one should expect you to get a pond. Bigger is always better though. It's true. lol.

 

This is a rescue. A 75 gallon is a vast improvement. No one should expect you to get a pond. Bigger is always better though. It's true. lol.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if he isn't told to get an indoor pond by more than one person before the thread fades.

 

I'll be pleasantly surprised if he isn't told to get an indoor pond by more than one person before the thread fades.

I’ve always dreamed that one day I will put a glass house over my inground pool and have I giant pond/tank that I could swim with my giant sa cichlids it would be amazing

 

I’ve always dreamed that one day I will put a glass house over my inground pool and have I giant pond/tank that I could swim with my giant sa cichlids it would be amazing

LOL, I fly fish a lot and want to bring some of them home for pets. What would the monthly payments be on a 400 acre pond?

 

Don't get me wrong I love my fish. I have 15 tanks and spend all my spare money on them. But yes, at some point I won't let it bother me that somebody else doesn't approve my $5.99 fish is being abused living in a $400 tank once accessories are factored in. Never mind all the maintenance most would never do properly over the long-term. They need a 300G tank but it's not going to happen at my house. Perhaps they shouldn't be in the trade but they are. It is what it is.

They do kinda seem like one of those trap fish that are over sold by the lfs... And it's only been two days since I rescued this guy, and he's very interesting and cool to watch. In all reality, you're point is extremely valid. I can fit a six foot tank, but only one, and that doesn't leave any room for my original plan... And, to spend that amount of money and time over a 6 dollar fish does seem kinda rediculous.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if he isn't told to get an indoor pond by more than one person before the thread fades.

Haha! That's why I asked the question... Because there are plenty of people who suggest exactly that! Just looking for realistic advise from people with more experience with this species. Been a lot of great input here though, which is ultimately why I joined the forum in the first place.

Truthfully, what's probably gonna happen is I'll get him in better shape than he was when I found him, then start looking for someone with the right setup to rehome him to And keep the tank for other purposes...

 

They do kinda seem like one of those trap fish that are over sold by the lfs... And it's only been two days since I rescued this guy, and he's very interesting and cool to watch. In all reality, you're point is extremely valid. I can fit a six foot tank, but only one, and that doesn't leave any room for my original plan... And, to spend that amount of money and time over a 6 dollar fish does seem kinda rediculous.

They became insanely popular in the 1980's. Most started out as 2" fish at the LFS. Seems like everybody had one and very few had a large tank. Most started them out in a 10G. I had one in a 20G, then a 55G, then I gave it to somebody because I wanted more than one fish.

 

I’ve always dreamed that one day I will put a glass house over my inground pool and have I giant pond/tank that I could swim with my giant sa cichlids it would be amazing

They became insanely popular in the 1980's. Most started out as 2" fish at the LFS. Seems like everybody had one and very few had a large tank. Most started them out in a 10G. I had one in a 20G, then a 55G, then I gave it to somebody because I wanted more than one fish.

Sure. And part of my goal right now is getting my other cichlids properly housed... Although, I live in Maine, so I suppose I could just commendere one of the ponds at the LL Bean store in Freeport. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

 

They became insanely popular in the 1980's. Most started out as 2" fish at the LFS. Seems like everybody had one and very few had a large tank. Most started them out in a 10G. I had one in a 20G, then a 55G, then I gave it to somebody because I wanted more than one fish.

I had 2 - 2" oscars in a 30 gallon community tank. I moved them over to a 55 gallon when they got to about 4". They got sick and died (forgot the specifics) and when I did more research, I decided to get 5 more. 2 got sick and died when they were about 5" and the 3 remaining grew to about 10". I struck a deal with my LFS for my arowana when it got to about 10" and was constantly jumping out of my tank. They gave me $100 store credit for him and I saw them price him at $300. He was gone in less than a week.

I think I lucked out as the 3 big oscars were very sweet and always greeted me when I came up to the tank and never aggressive towards me. Actually, they often rubbed on my arm when I was cleaning the tank. They moved gravel around but never broke anything.

Looking back, a 55 gallon for 3 oscars wasn't a good idea but they did great and I was constantly cleaning the tank and doing water changes.

 

He looks in good shape. To keep the 4 Cichlids you mention with him I'd go for 125g+ As long as the FM, Convict and Jewel are big enough they'll be fine with him. Oscars don't really bother with smaller fish that they can't eat. The GT may be more of an issue as they could fight over dominance but if bought up together from half grown and put in a big tank at the same time they may well be ok.
If you're going 75G you may be ok with the FM and Convict with him, but it would certainly be ok in a 90G. Id probably not include the GT and Jewel unless going 125G or more.
Give him a good water change regime and feed Cichlid gold and similar and try to upgrade the tank asap.

 

I had 2 - 2" oscars in a 30 gallon community tank. I moved them over to a 55 gallon when they got to about 4". They got sick and died (forgot the specifics) and when I did more research, I decided to get 5 more. 2 got sick and died when they were about 5" and the 3 remaining grew to about 10". I struck a deal with my LFS for my arowana when it got to about 10" and was constantly jumping out of my tank. They gave me $100 store credit for him and I saw them price him at $300. He was gone in less than a week.

I think I lucked out as the 3 big oscars were very sweet and always greeted me when I came up to the tank and never aggressive towards me. Actually, they often rubbed on my arm when I was cleaning the tank. They moved gravel around but never broke anything.

Looking back, a 55 gallon for 3 oscars wasn't a good idea but they did great and I was constantly cleaning the tank and doing water changes.

So far, this guy is pretty docile. But that could change once water condition improve and he gets settled... I'll give him a few weeks or a month and see how things are before I decide exactly what to do with him...
Thanks again for all the input.

He looks in good shape. To keep the 4 Cichlids you mention with him I'd go for 125g+ As long as the FM, Convict and Jewel are big enough they'll be fine with him. Oscars don't really bother with smaller fish that they can't eat. The GT may be more of an issue as they could fight over dominance but if bought up together from half grown and put in a big tank at the same time they may well be ok.
If you're going 75G you may be ok with the FM and Convict with him, but it would certainly be ok in a 90G. Id probably not include the GT and Jewel unless going 125G or more.
Give him a good water change regime and feed Cichlid gold and similar and try to upgrade the tank asap.

I've heard that they don't really mess with other fish that don't fit in their mouths... So far he's been getting omega one cichlid pellets and frozen blood worms. As I said, he seems pretty docile right now, but that could change once his conditions improve... I find it interesting that everybody keeps singling the GT out as a potential problem with him though. The only time my GT gets really assertive is when she is getting ready to lay eggs. Never goes picking fights. And basically just looks at the other guys in the tank sideways if they try to mess with her. Guaranteed if there is any kind of conflict going on in that tank, the convict is involved...

 

I had 2 - 2" oscars in a 30 gallon community tank. I moved them over to a 55 gallon when they got to about 4". They got sick and died (forgot the specifics) and when I did more research, I decided to get 5 more. 2 got sick and died when they were about 5" and the 3 remaining grew to about 10". I struck a deal with my LFS for my arowana when it got to about 10" and was constantly jumping out of my tank. They gave me $100 store credit for him and I saw them price him at $300. He was gone in less than a week.

I think I lucked out as the 3 big oscars were very sweet and always greeted me when I came up to the tank and never aggressive towards me. Actually, they often rubbed on my arm when I was cleaning the tank. They moved gravel around but never broke anything.

Looking back, a 55 gallon for 3 oscars wasn't a good idea but they did great and I was constantly cleaning the tank and doing water changes.

They are awesome fish with more personality than most other species we keep. Prior to getting oscars in the 80's I was not aware of the concept of WCs. I mostly had livebearers and a short but successful stint with salt. We just busted the tank down and sterilized it when it got nasty. Oscars are such messy eaters and they caused me to discover the gravel vac, which had the unintended benefit of causing small but frequent water changes. Looking back that was the only thing that kept mine healthy in a 55G. He was probably around 8 inches then, 10 inches at the most when I gave him to a friend. I didn't consider it an unhealthy situation with one fish, but fact is, in under two years a 55G was at it's limit for a single oscar. You were talking about a real commitment to go larger than a 55G then. A 55G was considered a very large aquarium 30 years ago. A 90G back then is probably todays 180G. Very few people had them due to cost. I pay the same money now for moderately sized tanks and accessories as I did back then. It wasn't a cheap hobby 30 years ago for larger fish.

 

They are awesome fish with more personality than most other species we keep. Prior to getting oscars in the 80's I was not aware of the concept of WCs. I mostly had livebearers and a short but successful stint with salt. We just busted the tank down and sterilized it when it got nasty. Oscars are such messy eaters and they caused me to discover the gravel vac, which had the unintended benefit of causing small but frequent water changes. Looking back that was the only thing that kept mine healthy in a 55G. He was probably around 8 inches then, 10 inches at the most when I gave him to a friend. I didn't consider it an unhealthy situation with one fish, but fact is, in under two years a 55G was at it's limit for a single oscar. You were talking about a real commitment to go larger than a 55G then. A 55G was considered a very large aquarium 30 years ago. A 90G back then is probably todays 180G. Very few people had them due to cost. I pay the same money now for moderately sized tanks and accessories as I did back then. It wasn't a cheap hobby 30 years ago for larger fish.

I hate to say it, but I am already growing kind of fond of this guy already. He already follows me around. When I first saw him I wasn't sure if he was gonna live through a move. Water was about 70 degrees, broken preset heater. Tank looked like it had evaporated 5 gallons off the top since it's last water change. If I can get him and a couple of my cichlids into a 75 gallon, I 'll hang on to him because he definitely has personality!

I hate to say it, but I am already growing kind of fond of this guy already. He already follows me around. When I first saw him I wasn't sure if he was gonna live through a move. Water was about 70 degrees, broken preset heater. Tank looked like it had evaporated 5 gallons off the top since it's last water change. If I can get him and a couple of my cichlids into a 75 gallon, I 'll hang on to him because he definitely has personality!

And I'm used to messy fish... I've kept tiger barbs in another tank for years... Granted they're a different kind of messy, but the end result is the same. WC, WC, WC!

 

And I'm used to messy fish... I've kept tiger barbs in another tank for years... Granted they're a different kind of messy, but the end result is the same. WC, WC, WC!

Getting the uneaten food debris out most every day can make it less necessary to do monster WCs just constantly. If you get it before it turns into a nitrate bomb spread throughout all the water it's just easier. Too easy to vacuum 5G out everyday. Don't even need to drag much gear out for that. If you watch nitrates you'll know if it's working or not soon enough, and when you just have to move a fish to be a responsible keeper. I wish I had these tools back then.

 

Getting the uneaten food debris out most every day can make it less necessary to do monster WCs just constantly. If you get it before it turns into a nitrate bomb spread throughout all the water it's just easier. Too easy to vacuum 5G out everyday. Don't even need to drag much gear out for that. If you watch nitrates you'll know if it's working or not soon enough, and when you just have to move a fish to be a responsible keeper. I wish I had these tools back then.

Agreed. The rescue tank is in a full blown cycle. Tested water a couple hours after I got it set up here and nitrite was 2ppm... I don't think it was ever properly cycled to begin with. I know everyone keeps saying don't worry about substrate with the Oscar because he'll just rearrange it, but there needs to be enough of it to build a stable biofilter... Literally there was not even a half inch layer when I found him, which means that every time the rocks got vacuumed, any benneficial bacteria got sucked out along with it. Once the nitrogen cycle is stabilised then I can start worrying about nitrates...

 

Good luck, you'll work through it. I don't know the best answer for oscar substrate because I never had testing gear when I kept them. I agree that an established substrate assists with bio-filtration, but that could take awhile so I would make sure the filter is stuffed with bio-media for now.

 

Good luck, you'll work through it. I don't know the best answer for oscar substrate because I never had testing gear when I kept them. I agree that an established substrate assists with bio-filtration, but that could take awhile so I would make sure the filter is stuffed with bio-media for now.

Definitely! And thanks again for all your insight. That goes for everyone who has contributed to this thread. I'll try to post some progress reports here and there for those who may be interested.

 

Yes, I think the emphasis on the 'she' with the GT. They can be naughty but they're not often as aggressive as the males. You should find a female GT will do well with an Oscar because she won't rival him for size. That said, you still need a big tank to put all those Cichlids in together. If you traded in the Jewel as it's not American anyway, the Oscar, female GT, Firemouth and Convict would more than likely be ok in a 100G but any smaller might not be enough.

 

Definitely! And thanks again for all your insight. That goes for everyone who has contributed to this thread. I'll try to post some progress reports here and there for those who may be interested.

Definitely wanna hear updates!!! Glad to hear he is growing on you.

 

It probably would get bored with out some thing to move around but its not needed. Keep in mind these are very powerful fish. Personally if I ever got another I would go bigger than a 75 gallon.

Definitely put some gravel in the tank and some thing's he can move around that aren't breakable. They LOVE to move house!!! LOL!!!!

 

I got all my oscars pretty young (1"-3") and they've never been really destructive. They move gravel and rearrange rocks and plants but never attacked my heaters or filters. I've had 3 10" in a 55 gallon but I was cleaning and doing water changes multiple times per week because they're messy eaters and I usually fed them goldfish.

 

Getting the uneaten food debris out most every day can make it less necessary to do monster WCs just constantly. If you get it before it turns into a nitrate bomb spread throughout all the water it's just easier. Too easy to vacuum 5G out everyday. Don't even need to drag much gear out for that. If you watch nitrates you'll know if it's working or not soon enough, and when you just have to move a fish to be a responsible keeper. I wish I had these tools back then.

Good advice ! I do the same everyday with my flowerhorn. Controlling the nitrates is the biggest challenge in keeping monster fish. Your fish will love the extra time you spend with them while feeding and water change cleanup.

 

 

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Seasoned Oscar owner right there. They won't be moving that decor too far.

 

So I have a tiger ( 11 inches)and a red Oscar (10 inches)in with a common pleco that is at least 11 inches. A vampire pleco. that is 7 inches. They have both bitten me. Both let me pet them. Red chases a laser light. They eat anything I throw in there ie. earthworms, excess Molly's and guppys from my other tanks. NEVER FEED GOLDFISH OR ROSIES. The only live fish you should feed are ones you have had for months. I lost my albino and 2 tigers when I first started. Feeder fish are disease infested bad ideas. Tall decor I like driftwood cause when they push it against the glass it doesn't scratch or break yet. They fight. I wake up and one will be missing scales the other ripped lips. They heal fast. 5 years they do what they do. I'm looking for my 3rd to add. Haven't found one that is quite good looking enough. People bring them back to the pet shop quite often cause they get too big. You can get additional ones pretty cheap.









And that's my common pleco. He eats an entire half a zucchinI in 24 hours. Hardly no skin left either!

 

Great looking Oscar tank!!! What size is it?

 

The tank is a 130 gallon. I got the tank and stand for $400 off the let go app. And $400 in lights alone came with the tank. I got one on my discus tank though.