BettasAndAnOscar
- #1
As some of you know, I have a 75 gallon tank with my rescue oscar, Mr. Wiggles.
The picture is dark, but you can see how much space my 10-inch (not including tail) Oscar takes up. Quite a bit.
Anyway, I was at my favorite mom-and-pop fish store, looking for some supplies for my betta fry. I bought a fusion 300 air pump, a sponge filter, and a good size bottle of Beta Brine.
The dude that's always there (whom I know well and trust very much) rang me up. He added up the price tags, and it totaled a little over thirty dollars. He only charged me twenty-five.
I've never had to pay full price at the store. When I walked up with a test kit priced at thirteen dollars, and handed him thirteen, he gave me a few dollars back.
This dude has also given me advice that cancelled a sale. I was about to buy a bristlenose pleco, when he informed me that they carry a different kind of bristlenose that gets up to 18 inches. He has also given me lots of advice about wild bettas.
I trust him very much to give good advice. You know it's a nice store if they don't keep their bettas in cups. All bettas are in 10-gal communities, or in suction-on things in the 10-gals.
Anyway, when I was in the store yesterday, they had two oscars in a 30 gallon. Of course, it's better than PetCo, so it didn't anger me. They cleaned it daily.
The oscars were both tiger, although one of them looked a little more wild-type. There was a large one about the size of Wiggles, and one that was probably four inches. After watching them and complimenting the little guy's gorgeous olive pattern, they began to fight.
They lip locked, nipped each other's sides, and we're very violent. The other owner, who I'm not familiar with, told the other guy, "Move 'em! Put the little guy into the 10-gal on the left before they break each other's jaws off!"
They then got nets and put the little guy in a bucket. It was then that they guy I know well noticed me watching.
"Gorgeous fish. Wish they didn't get so big and poop so much. Pretty little guy," I said.
The dude said, "You have an oscar, get him a tankmate! I'll give you the little guy at cost, $15 bucks."
I informed him that my tank was only 75 gallons, and I thought a pair of oscars needed at least 125 gallons.
He actually laughed out loud.
"Heck no! Two oscars in a 75 is drastically under stocked. I kept more'n twelve in that 70 over there with the pacu. I can't believe your 75 only has one!"
Mom liked the fish. Neither of us wanted to see him go in the 10 gal.
"I'll buy you the oscar. It'll be your 8th grade graduation present! I trust the fish store guy knows what he's talking about."
In front of the fish store guy, I couldn't explain to her that a store stocks tanks based on how many fish will physically fit into the tank, not based on bio load and quality of life. Still, I really wanted the Oscar. It was then that I began to question everything is heard on fishlore. But the moment didn't last long.
"Mom, oscars poop a LOT. I siphon Wiggie's tank and change 5 gallons every day. That equals almost a 50% change weekly."
"So, change 10 gallons a day. Problem solved."
But then I thought about fishlore. I remembered a dude with three oscars in a 75 was called abusive. Would two be any different?
I didn't get the fish, mainly because they decided they could use him to cycle their 125 gallon.
But really... If I changed 10 gallons a day, could I have two? I'm very consistent on water changes, mainly because I'm 13 and don't have a job or any major responsibilities, besides taking care of my seven aquariums.
Later that day, I asked my mom what we would've done when the little guy grew up. She said, "I would've bought him that 125 you said they needed."
Well, if I would've known that...
"Mom, there's a 125 on Craigslist, full setup with a pretty decent sump for $300. We could go half-and-half, if you want an Oscar. Wiggles and your Oscar could live in the 125 together, and I'd do all the maintenance.
"Eww, used tanks are gross. I'd just buy a new one like I did with the 75."
Well, I would've gotten the fish if she had said that earlier.
Anyway, with a 10 gal WC every day... Could I have two in the 75? I just feel so bad with Wiggs swimming back and forth, seemingly pacing.
Thanks, and sorry for the long read!
6 bettas, 1 Oscar, 1 marble peacock cichlid, various live bearers, shrimp and snails
The picture is dark, but you can see how much space my 10-inch (not including tail) Oscar takes up. Quite a bit.
Anyway, I was at my favorite mom-and-pop fish store, looking for some supplies for my betta fry. I bought a fusion 300 air pump, a sponge filter, and a good size bottle of Beta Brine.
The dude that's always there (whom I know well and trust very much) rang me up. He added up the price tags, and it totaled a little over thirty dollars. He only charged me twenty-five.
I've never had to pay full price at the store. When I walked up with a test kit priced at thirteen dollars, and handed him thirteen, he gave me a few dollars back.
This dude has also given me advice that cancelled a sale. I was about to buy a bristlenose pleco, when he informed me that they carry a different kind of bristlenose that gets up to 18 inches. He has also given me lots of advice about wild bettas.
I trust him very much to give good advice. You know it's a nice store if they don't keep their bettas in cups. All bettas are in 10-gal communities, or in suction-on things in the 10-gals.
Anyway, when I was in the store yesterday, they had two oscars in a 30 gallon. Of course, it's better than PetCo, so it didn't anger me. They cleaned it daily.
The oscars were both tiger, although one of them looked a little more wild-type. There was a large one about the size of Wiggles, and one that was probably four inches. After watching them and complimenting the little guy's gorgeous olive pattern, they began to fight.
They lip locked, nipped each other's sides, and we're very violent. The other owner, who I'm not familiar with, told the other guy, "Move 'em! Put the little guy into the 10-gal on the left before they break each other's jaws off!"
They then got nets and put the little guy in a bucket. It was then that they guy I know well noticed me watching.
"Gorgeous fish. Wish they didn't get so big and poop so much. Pretty little guy," I said.
The dude said, "You have an oscar, get him a tankmate! I'll give you the little guy at cost, $15 bucks."
I informed him that my tank was only 75 gallons, and I thought a pair of oscars needed at least 125 gallons.
He actually laughed out loud.
"Heck no! Two oscars in a 75 is drastically under stocked. I kept more'n twelve in that 70 over there with the pacu. I can't believe your 75 only has one!"
Mom liked the fish. Neither of us wanted to see him go in the 10 gal.
"I'll buy you the oscar. It'll be your 8th grade graduation present! I trust the fish store guy knows what he's talking about."
In front of the fish store guy, I couldn't explain to her that a store stocks tanks based on how many fish will physically fit into the tank, not based on bio load and quality of life. Still, I really wanted the Oscar. It was then that I began to question everything is heard on fishlore. But the moment didn't last long.
"Mom, oscars poop a LOT. I siphon Wiggie's tank and change 5 gallons every day. That equals almost a 50% change weekly."
"So, change 10 gallons a day. Problem solved."
But then I thought about fishlore. I remembered a dude with three oscars in a 75 was called abusive. Would two be any different?
I didn't get the fish, mainly because they decided they could use him to cycle their 125 gallon.
But really... If I changed 10 gallons a day, could I have two? I'm very consistent on water changes, mainly because I'm 13 and don't have a job or any major responsibilities, besides taking care of my seven aquariums.
Later that day, I asked my mom what we would've done when the little guy grew up. She said, "I would've bought him that 125 you said they needed."
Well, if I would've known that...
"Mom, there's a 125 on Craigslist, full setup with a pretty decent sump for $300. We could go half-and-half, if you want an Oscar. Wiggles and your Oscar could live in the 125 together, and I'd do all the maintenance.
"Eww, used tanks are gross. I'd just buy a new one like I did with the 75."
Well, I would've gotten the fish if she had said that earlier.
Anyway, with a 10 gal WC every day... Could I have two in the 75? I just feel so bad with Wiggs swimming back and forth, seemingly pacing.
Thanks, and sorry for the long read!
6 bettas, 1 Oscar, 1 marble peacock cichlid, various live bearers, shrimp and snails
