GgAcE
- #1
Fast forward to my second tank about 8 months ago... A sand based 35 gallon tank with a baby fire eel. I couldn't resist this amazing looking Oscar that matched my fire eels color to a perfect point. I know I know.... a 35 gallon? Shhhh.... Wait for the story to finish then judge me!
I read very little on the care level of the fish but cared less about how much work it would take & more about having this awesome guy growing in my tank! So with the stubbornness out of the way, no I had no idea these guys get this big! Luckily, the lady in my life took great pride in my tanks. She herself went out & purchased a 55 gallon aquarium for our bedroom. With a baby fire eel & a tiny 3 inch (at most) tiger oscar in the tank we decided he needed a "girlfriend" (who oddly enough is probably a male..... whoops).
Our local fish store has become so familiar with us, we basically get that "yea I'll take $x off for ya". I walked in & seen a very brightly colored albino Oscar. Asked my main LFS man the price & he replied "for you brotha? $5" Needless to say I have 2 oscars.
Almost immediately the 2 fish paired up. I see these guys often (since they are... where... shhh more to the story) bed side so I know there isn't a moment a side from when they are feeding that they are not literally side by side. In just about EVERY picture I have, they are together or within 2 inches of each other. Oscars often look lifeless when sleeping. I found out that ginger (the albino) will wake up & freak out (splash a lot) when she drifts apart from Richard Parker (the other Oscar).
As of yesterday =*( we moved the (now) giants into their new 125 gallon sanctuary in the living room. Much to their surprise was a near endless supply of ghost shrimp & about 30 or so home grown feeders. I expected a long transitional period for both of them since all they really knew was their 55 gallon. It took both of them a maximum of no more than 60 minutes to start chowing down.
Both Oscars are over 8 inches. They are far stronger than I thought. When netting & moving them I swear I was battling a dolphin. The room itself was drenched in water from the "war".
What makes Oscars so good?
Difficulty Level: They say "difficult". I strongly believe this is due to the amount of pollution these blimps of a fish produce. You can easily notice spikes in your ammonia levels shortly after a healthy feeding. Need I note the fact that the fecal matter these fish produce is normally the equivalent to a 3 year old? Think of tic tacs.... Make em a brownish gray color & put 2-3 of them together. Yup! Ewwwwww.
If you do not do routine water changes or have a filter system that utilizes ammonia reduction media than this may not be the pet for you. If you are ok with routine water changes then I highly recommend these bad boys!
Some Oscar pictures coming soon (will upload from my phone).
I read very little on the care level of the fish but cared less about how much work it would take & more about having this awesome guy growing in my tank! So with the stubbornness out of the way, no I had no idea these guys get this big! Luckily, the lady in my life took great pride in my tanks. She herself went out & purchased a 55 gallon aquarium for our bedroom. With a baby fire eel & a tiny 3 inch (at most) tiger oscar in the tank we decided he needed a "girlfriend" (who oddly enough is probably a male..... whoops).
Our local fish store has become so familiar with us, we basically get that "yea I'll take $x off for ya". I walked in & seen a very brightly colored albino Oscar. Asked my main LFS man the price & he replied "for you brotha? $5" Needless to say I have 2 oscars.
Almost immediately the 2 fish paired up. I see these guys often (since they are... where... shhh more to the story) bed side so I know there isn't a moment a side from when they are feeding that they are not literally side by side. In just about EVERY picture I have, they are together or within 2 inches of each other. Oscars often look lifeless when sleeping. I found out that ginger (the albino) will wake up & freak out (splash a lot) when she drifts apart from Richard Parker (the other Oscar).
As of yesterday =*( we moved the (now) giants into their new 125 gallon sanctuary in the living room. Much to their surprise was a near endless supply of ghost shrimp & about 30 or so home grown feeders. I expected a long transitional period for both of them since all they really knew was their 55 gallon. It took both of them a maximum of no more than 60 minutes to start chowing down.
Both Oscars are over 8 inches. They are far stronger than I thought. When netting & moving them I swear I was battling a dolphin. The room itself was drenched in water from the "war".
What makes Oscars so good?
- Personality - Like the dogs of the sea. They beg for food, the crave your attention, & they follow you as far as the tank can go
- They are as viscous as you make them. The Oscars bite is strong but not hard enough to break skin at this size. They really never attack any fish unless the size of an average gold fish. They never attacked any new comers to the tank (again "you must be this tall to ride the ride").
- The colors - Man they are the cutest ugly faced fish in the sea. I have numerous tanks & have posted an abundance of pictures. I would be devastated if I lost my Oscars before their time was up.
Difficulty Level: They say "difficult". I strongly believe this is due to the amount of pollution these blimps of a fish produce. You can easily notice spikes in your ammonia levels shortly after a healthy feeding. Need I note the fact that the fecal matter these fish produce is normally the equivalent to a 3 year old? Think of tic tacs.... Make em a brownish gray color & put 2-3 of them together. Yup! Ewwwwww.
If you do not do routine water changes or have a filter system that utilizes ammonia reduction media than this may not be the pet for you. If you are ok with routine water changes then I highly recommend these bad boys!
Some Oscar pictures coming soon (will upload from my phone).