Newbi Needing A Little Advice

[cocopopz]

Hey guys I am new to this whole fish game and just bought myself a 5ft tank with the hope of keeping some Oscars with associated friends. I'm currently running a aqua one marisys 240 filter with a course filter material on the top and finer one under that. Then some bio balls, ceramic beads and carbon bags. I was given a silver shark, few tetras and a feeder fish and put them is basically straight up in a effort to speed up the cycling process. I don't really care if these fish make it out alive. Due to my lack of knowledge I had no idea about this cycling process a week ago so I went out and bought a API freshwater test kit.
I run the tests today with these results

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite .25ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
PH 7.4-7.6

From these results am I heading in the right direction?
At what level of Nitrate should I do a water change?
What should my end results be at?
When can I start adding my fish?

I am also having a problem with heating the tank, its around 220ltrs with a 300w heater and a 200w heater as a back up. The problem im having is in the morning the tank is at around 24degC and at night 27degC. Will this be a problem at all?

 

[GAB99]

cycling can be done without fish, id recomend that since youve only had them for a week its highly likely youll be ableto return them,no sense in keeping them only to survive, creating a dilema

yes your heading in the right direction, id do a water change to lwer nitrite levels, its not safe for the fish
when the tank is cycled (0 on everything ecxept for nitrate) then do water changes weekly at 20-50% or whenever there are presence of ammonia or nitrite or nitrates above 20ppm (only nitrate though).

unfortunatley youll need a tank twice the size for 1 oscar as 220 comes out to be 58 US gallons and oscars need 70, at least so 266 liters.

if for some reason you keep the fish you have now youllhave to return the feeder fish and the shark as the shark gets too big and the feeder fish has different requirments.

idk about the heater prob but someone should be along to help with that.

btw your 1/2 way through cycling so good job so far


sorry for the rough start but trust me once you get a different plan youll be hooked lol

 

[stuuk1]

Yes, keep your daily water changes up. Any ammonia or nitrite will harm your fish. Dont worry too much about Nitrate, your readings for that are fine. Give your tap water a test also so you know what you are working with.

The API tester is a good choice!

If I were you i'd buy another thermometer, yours may be faulty? Also, im not sure but perhaps because you have two different rated heaters in the tank, that may be causing the problem... But not sure.

 

[cocopopz]

So I should be doing daily water changes?
Should I be mixing water with treatment in a bucket before I add it to the tank?
The 200w heater is set 2degC lower than the 300w incase one dies then I have a backup.
The Oscars are only 4cm long at the moment, I was just going to use this tank until I have built a 6x2x2ft tank.
The thermometer im using is a digital one cost me $60 so I hope it is correct. I might go get a cheep normal one.
Is there any chance the thermostat in the heater is stuffed?

 

[the biffster]

is this tank 5x2x2 buy any chance

 

[cocopopz]

is this tank 5x2x2 buy any chance

Yeh close to it.

 

[shelaghfishface]

Like Biffster asked.. if it is indeed a 5x2x2.. ( which it looks like from here) what a fab size for an oscar!
you dont want to be doing daily water changes just yet, as your going to need some ( oh and you need to double check the ammonia test- if you have a reading for nitrite then i would expect an above 0 reading for ammonia too) which i was going to say you`ll need to start the nitrogen cycle.. Ammonia> Nitrite>nitrate so no daily changes just yet ( unless the levels get very high of course)

[font="arial][size="2"]So I should be doing daily water changes? no, not just yet, but monitor levels very closely
Should I be mixing water with treatment in a bucket before I add it to the tank? wont really make a diff, as it works instantly anyway
The 200w heater is set 2degC lower than the 300w incase one dies then I have a backup.where are they in comparison to eachother in the tank? oscars dont like change so we need to sort that
The Oscars are only 4cm long at the moment, I was just going to use this tank until I have built a 6x2x2ft tank. ive just come off a night shift and cant see how many you have if any, but 2 would love this size ( still wont guarantee they wont fight tho)
The thermometer im using is a digital one cost me $60 so I hope it is correct. I might go get a cheep normal one.is it in the tank? or outside? oscars can be crazy and will break anything they dont like the look of .. id be tempted to go with a cheaper version
Is there any chance the thermostat in the heater is stuffed? i would have been inclined myself to add 2x300w, i think the 200 may just not be powerful enough, its a huge tank and your asking a lot of it, even tho its running alongside a 300w[/size][/font]
[font="arial] [/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]i have keep quite a few oscars, im not a pro by any means, but i do see that you have the will to give the fish a long and happy life ( you do know they can live 10yrs dont you )- if you require any advice in the future just ask [/size][/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]and i hope it all goes well.. oscars are fab [/size][/font]
[font="arial] [/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]shelagh xxx[/size][/font]

also i have no idea what type/capibility your filter has.. you should use the calculator on here and find the volume of your tank and then head for a filter that will give you min 4x overturn per hour.. ( the heavier the filtratiion the better, i know they are only small now, but they grow so fast and are so messy

)

cycling can be done without fish, id recomend that since youve only had them for a week its highly likely youll be ableto return them,no sense in keeping them only to survive, creating a dilema

yes your heading in the right direction, id do a water change to lwer nitrite levels, its not safe for the fish
when the tank is cycled (0 on everything ecxept for nitrate) then do water changes weekly at 20-50% or whenever there are presence of ammonia or nitrite or nitrates above 20ppm (only nitrate though).

unfortunatley youll need a tank twice the size for 1 oscar as 220 comes out to be 44 US gallonsand oscars need 75-80, 375liters.

if for some reason you keep the fish you have now youllhave to return the feeder fish and the shark as the shark gets too big and the feeder fish has different requirments.

idk about the heater prob but someone should be along to help with that.

btw your 1/2 way through cycling so good job so far


sorry for the rough start but trust me once you get a different plan youll be hooked lol

mind explaining what led you to that conclusion?

 

[cocopopz]

The tank is 5x1.2x1.6 odd size I know but it came at the right price. It came in at 275ltrs the new tank that I will be getting in the future is 680 ltrs that will have a sump instead of the filter I am using at the moment.
I have no oscars at the moment, I just want to get the tank right before I pick them up.
The filter is rated at 2800L/Hr


How long do they take to grow? I am thinking I at least have 12 months up my sleeve.

 

[meguro]

I am also having a problem with heating the tank, its around 220ltrs with a...

the OP's own words suggesting he has a 220L tank but i doubt he has estimated particularly accurately

 

[shelaghfishface]

well if 220l is indeed the volume, i would say you have about 3months tops.. when they start growing there is no stopping them! ( well there is, but you know what i mean) and a tank that is too small WILL stunt them.. i make the tank just over 270l... but i just woke up lol.. in which case i would say your still not going to get away with a year anway..certainly not for more than one. my tank is just under 300 and i intended for 2 to be kept in there, its massively overfiltered and not filled with junk that takes away swimming room, or volume for the one thats left ( i lost one ) but i am honestly happy ( and if i weasnt then i would be rushing to buy a bigger tank) to raise a baby to adulthood in this size

the thing you have to remember is that fully grown they could get to 12 inches( rarely 14 but it has been known) and they will obviously need to turn around in there so a tank that 12 inches wide wont last long at alll. mine is either 15 or 18 wide ( cant remember if the top of my head) but its the footprint rather than volume that ive gone for... a 4x1x2 wouldnt have been any good to me at all

Meguro.. youre quite right... and i even read it but it didnt sink in

 

[GAB99]

Like Biffster asked.. if it is indeed a 5x2x2.. ( which it looks like from here) what a fab size for an oscar!
you dont want to be doing daily water changes just yet, as your going to need some ( oh and you need to double check the ammonia test- if you have a reading for nitrite then i would expect an above 0 reading for ammonia too) which i was going to say you`ll need to start the nitrogen cycle.. Ammonia> Nitrite>nitrate so no daily changes just yet ( unless the levels get very high of course)

[font="arial][size="2"]So I should be doing daily water changes? no, not just yet, but monitor levels very closely
Should I be mixing water with treatment in a bucket before I add it to the tank? wont really make a diff, as it works instantly anyway
The 200w heater is set 2degC lower than the 300w incase one dies then I have a backup.where are they in comparison to eachother in the tank? oscars dont like change so we need to sort that
The Oscars are only 4cm long at the moment, I was just going to use this tank until I have built a 6x2x2ft tank. ive just come off a night shift and cant see how many you have if any, but 2 would love this size ( still wont guarantee they wont fight tho)
The thermometer im using is a digital one cost me $60 so I hope it is correct. I might go get a cheep normal one.is it in the tank? or outside? oscars can be crazy and will break anything they dont like the look of .. id be tempted to go with a cheaper version
Is there any chance the thermostat in the heater is stuffed? i would have been inclined myself to add 2x300w, i think the 200 may just not be powerful enough, its a huge tank and your asking a lot of it, even tho its running alongside a 300w[/size][/font]
[font="arial] [/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]i have keep quite a few oscars, im not a pro by any means, but i do see that you have the will to give the fish a long and happy life ( you do know they can live 10yrs dont you )- if you require any advice in the future just ask [/size][/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]and i hope it all goes well.. oscars are fab [/size][/font]
[font="arial] [/font]
[font="arial][size="2"]shelagh xxx[/size][/font]

also i have no idea what type/capibility your filter has.. you should use the calculator on here and find the volume of your tank and then head for a filter that will give you min 4x overturn per hour.. ( the heavier the filtratiion the better, i know they are only small now, but they grow so fast and are so messy

)

cycling can be done without fish, id recomend that since youve only had them for a week its highly likely youll be ableto return them,no sense in keeping them only to survive, creating a dilema

yes your heading in the right direction, id do a water change to lwer nitrite levels, its not safe for the fish
when the tank is cycled (0 on everything ecxept for nitrate) then do water changes weekly at 20-50% or whenever there are presence of ammonia or nitrite or nitrates above 20ppm (only nitrate though).

unfortunatley youll need a tank twice the size for 1 oscar as 220 comes out to be 44 US gallonsand oscars need 75-80, 375liters.

if for some reason you keep the fish you have now youllhave to return the feeder fish and the shark as the shark gets too big and the feeder fish has different requirments.

idk about the heater prob but someone should be along to help with that.

btw your 1/2 way through cycling so good job so far


sorry for the rough start but trust me once you get a different plan youll be hooked lol

mind explaining what led you to that conclusion?

well when i was looking up info on my fish i thought i might ditch the whole community and get an oscar, and on tons of sites i have found that they'd be best off in 70 gallons at least.

and if it is indeed 5x2x2 then thats my mistake and that would hold an oscar



ok found out its 3.8:1 so your tank comes out to 58gallons, imo still too small (this is based on the fact of your first post where you said it was 220 litres)

 

[shelaghfishface]

55 gal is the ideal ( minimumn)size for a single oscar.. but yes i agree 220 is too small,

 

[ChilliPepper]

My new tank is going to be 637 litres or 168USG, and that's housing my oscar and green terror, as well as some other fish eventually.
They are currently in my 190L while I wait for it to be built, and my oscar is about 5" now so is very ready to be moving! I only bought him with the intention to get a bigger tank but there's been some delays and changes in the order so that's why we're still waiting. However I keep on top of my water changes and they all seem happy, though noway a long term solution.

To be honest I'd like to see oscars in at least a 300L tank for a single one. They are large, clumsy fish and need the swimming room. They are also very messy... They do grow at an astonishing rate as well, so unlike some other fish you can't take too much time in upgrading their tank if the one they start off with is too small.

Unfortunately if your tank is 220L then it is too small for even one oscar I think It's a shame as they are fantastic fish, but there are loads of other fish you can get which would look stunning in your tank

Sorry for rambling, I have a soft spot for oscars

 

[GAB99]

55 gal is the ideal ( minimumn)size for a single oscar.. but yes i agree 220 is too small,

thats what i think is like the absoulte minumum imo, i honestly think that for the most part a little more than the minimum is the minimum (in this case i guess would be 65-70 gallons, i would only recomend the real minimum if theres a space or budget issue and they're dead set on the fish.

just my 2 cents

 

[cocopopz]

I think ill just keep them in this tank for the time being and get a move on building my new tank setup. I think I have sorted out my temp problems I set the 200w heater at 26degC and the 300w at 24degC as I think the thermostat is not working correctly. The tank stayed at 26.3degC all night with very minimal temp fluctuations.

What are good tank mates for Oscars? a friend has two Oscars and two silver sharks living quite happily together in a 6ft tank. I have heard convicts go nicely with them also. How are Cichlids with Oscars?
I am aware that if I add the tank mates first to the tank then the Oscars it is possible to bring the tank up together with out to much fighting.