Confused

[metfan581]

i heard that"a 11" oscar would be fine in a 29 gal" fom this website http/newjersey.craigslist.org/zip/101209288.html

would a 3" oscar be fine in a 20H

 

[Fella]

i heard that"a 11" oscar would be fine in a 29 gal" fom this website http/newjersey.craigslist.org/zip/101209288.html

would a 3" oscar be fine in a 20H

The general consensus is, you should only house an oscar in a tank of 75 gallons or above. There isn't much point housing it in anything much smaller because they grow so fast you wouldn't really have time to plan for another tank.

 

[Ethos]

The general consensus is, you should only house an oscar in a tank of 75 gallons or above. T

Thats not true.
Technically, you could fit 1 oscer in a 40G tank, and 2 in a 55G with decent space for both.
Most people prefer to only have one oscer in a 55G tank, but you still have a little bit of useable space, which most people fill with another oscer.

 

[Synirr]

An 11" oscar would be fine in a 29 gallon if you weren't bothered by the fact that it would always have to be facing the same direction as it wouldn't be able to turn around . I imagine you'd have to do massive water changes more than once a week to keep it from being waist deep in... well... waste.

The absolute minimum for an adult oscar is 55 gallons, but 75+ is much, much better. A 3" oscar will be 10" in a matter of months, so unless you can be ready to upgrade it in 3 months or less I wouldn't do it.

Edit: I'm gonna have to strongly disagree with you there, Ethos. Have you ever seen an adult oscar in a 55 gallon? There's no way I'd ever, ever recommend putting two oscars in there. Christ, even with just 1 it's cramped.

 

[yvez9]

oscars grow to 9 inches in their first year and eventually up to 16 inches
a 29 gallon is way too small for a happy oscar. as said, a 75 gallon is pretty much the minimumas they are very messy

 

[Ben]

Thats not true.
Most people prefer to only have one oscer in a 55G tank, but you still have a little bit of useable space, which most people fill with another oscer.

Get your facts straight before talking to someone new to oscars. It could decide the fate of a a fish.

"Technically, you could fit 1 oscer in a 40G tank, and 2 in a 55G with decent space for both."
What space?
Some people do put oscars in 55gs, but only one and then the maintanence is high and still abit risky.

As others have said before, one oscar should just be enough in a 75gal.
BUT. if you are luky enough to find a bonded breeding pair, they could do quite well in 75 gal with out aggresion or territorial issues.

DD

 

[Fella]

The general consensus is, you should only house an oscar in a tank of 75 gallons or above. T

Thats not true.
Technically, you could fit 1 oscer in a 40G tank, and 2 in a 55G with decent space for both.
Most people prefer to only have one oscer in a 55G tank, but you still have a little bit of useable space, which most people fill with another oscer.

You'll notice in my post I said what you should house an oscar in, and in yours you said what you could house an oscar in.

A 75 is definitely the way to go if you want a long and fruitful life for your oscar, without causing stunting, stress or shortening their lifespan. I certainly can't see it being possible to avoid these factors in a 55 (or with 2 in a 55!).

 

[freddyk]

If you try to raise an Oscar in a 20 gallon tank it will simply grow till it can't any more, then it will die prematurely at some point, likely from disease because of a filthy tank. Even if an Oscar were to miraculously live in it, what on earth is the point of a big fish floating around in virtual test tube? Isn't the point of having fish to give them a decent home?

When considering the size of the tank you'll want to consider the adult size. Any Oscar you get will reach about 12" within 2-3 years. A male, over time, will continue to 14, or even 16 inches. This is no slender cichlid either -this is a big, thick, meaty, and very messy 14 incher. There are three things we need to look at: wandering room, maneauverability, and pollution.

4 feet is a nice length for one or a compatible pair of Oscars, it gives them a bit of space to swim, and gives you a bit of space to decorate a bit so you don't have a big empty tank. In this aspect that 55 or 75 will work, or even a 40 gallon breeder, which is also 4' long.

The 12" depth of the 40 or 55 gallon will be fine for a good two years, but after this your Oscar will be living in a 2 dimensional world where it can only swim to one end, fold itself over, and swim to the other end. You will also be unable to have decor in the tank because the adult fish will need all the space. The 18" depth of the larger tank will let you put some driftwood or fake plants or whatever and make it look like an aquarium instead of a tank while giving the fish a bit of living space for the long term.

An often overlooked aspect is simple water volume. The more you have, the cleaner the tank will keep for the same amount of time. The extra 20 gallons of the 75 makes a difference, and the extra 15 in the 90 gallon makes even more of a difference. Since Oscars foul the water quickly, and foul water will lead to poor growth (not just slower, but ugly and possibly stunted) and diseases like the notorious hole-in-the-head, the answer is simple - as big as you can.