First Oscar tank set up today, the tank was cycled and now i have a few questions. Its a 30 gallon tank with 2 small oscars in it. I know its small but for now its fine. The oscars have a regular painted gravel i treated the water and the filter currently has no carbon or ammonorid. The oscars arent eating my cichlid staples or any flake food and are kinda swimming a little off on there sides. They seem to lay on the bottom by one another. Any Ideas is this normal What should i do?
Oscars
- Thread starter Soaup
- Start date
They are very small now maybe an inch, i plan on getting a 60 for them in september, as for the food and the off swimming i dont see how the tank size is the problem being as its bigger then the pet store and less fish.
At the pet store, they constantly sell fish so the tank size and stocking doesnt matter.
Oscars can live for a long long time, so if you want to keep them, threat them right.
As i said before, a 60 is too small, it might be able to hold only one but you need a 120gallon and over to keep two oscars sucsesfully.
DD
Oscars can live for a long long time, so if you want to keep them, threat them right.
As i said before, a 60 is too small, it might be able to hold only one but you need a 120gallon and over to keep two oscars sucsesfully.
DD
mwm
Push it to the limts
Have you tried feeding them frozen food or anything. Another good trick is soak the cichlid pellets in a cup of water for 5 minutes then poor it into the water
You are seeing typical Oscar adjusting behavior and don't need to worry too much about it. Give them a chance to get used to it. Keep feeding them small amounts and taking it out if they don't eat it and they'll start eating sooner or later. If you're worried they're malnurished then trying some fresh (frozen/freeze dried/live) foods to wet their appetite will often work - but eventually you'll need to get them onto a prepared food.
The 30 gallon is fine for another couple of months, but the replacement 60 gallon really is too small for 2 Oscars - too small a tank will create problems with the water conditions that will lead to health problems, and increase the likelyhood of aggression between them. As it is, choosing two Oscars randomly rather then getting a few and letting a pair form seriously decreases the chances of them being compatable later on.
The 30 gallon is fine for another couple of months, but the replacement 60 gallon really is too small for 2 Oscars - too small a tank will create problems with the water conditions that will lead to health problems, and increase the likelyhood of aggression between them. As it is, choosing two Oscars randomly rather then getting a few and letting a pair form seriously decreases the chances of them being compatable later on.
My baby oscar did the same thing by sitting on the bottom of the tank kinda leaning to one side.
After about a week or two, the baby oscar got a lot more active. And yes, I must agree with the others, even though the 30g tank is fine for now. Just make sure you get at least a 90g tank in the future.
After about a week or two, the baby oscar got a lot more active. And yes, I must agree with the others, even though the 30g tank is fine for now. Just make sure you get at least a 90g tank in the future.
max11180
Fish Fanatic
i don't give mine any feeders.. she went a bit renegade after eating one of my cories once 
anyways.. after that she chased EVERY fish in the tank, thinking it was all food!
Mine now eats pretty much anything i put in..cabbage, spinach, peas, carrots, algae waters
...live food wise, flies, gardenworms, bloodworms, woodlice, ants, ant eggs, grasshoppers, pretty much anything else you would expect to fall into a river really!
anyways.. after that she chased EVERY fish in the tank, thinking it was all food! Mine now eats pretty much anything i put in..cabbage, spinach, peas, carrots, algae waters
...live food wise, flies, gardenworms, bloodworms, woodlice, ants, ant eggs, grasshoppers, pretty much anything else you would expect to fall into a river really!At that size they'd do great off of frozen brine shrimp, mysis, bloodworms, and krill. I enjoy feeding mine feeders sometimes, but it's not necessary and you must be careful where you get them from. Crickets are great, but the malnurished specimens from the pet store offer little unless you fatten them up first with veggies, in which case you're looking at a cricket tank.
As babies Oscars should be given a secure place to hide, but they'll outgrow this and become open water dwellers.
Max, an Oscar is guaranteed to assume anything that can fit in it's mouth is food whether you use feeders or not, and sometimes things that don't quite fit into their mouths too!
As babies Oscars should be given a secure place to hide, but they'll outgrow this and become open water dwellers.
Max, an Oscar is guaranteed to assume anything that can fit in it's mouth is food whether you use feeders or not, and sometimes things that don't quite fit into their mouths too!You all have been such a great help, im kinda new to this and rushed into the oscar field. I had this new tank and had always been curious to try them myself. I plan on getting a larger tank now, but ive gotta work on saving some money for that.. Thanks Everyone
max11180
Fish Fanatic
i witnesses the "not quite fit in it's mouth" thing.. the poorly departed cory was quite a reasonable size, and the oscar did struggle to wedge it in its mouth, reminded me of a snake dislocating its jaw! 
Guess she was feeling a bit hungry! i keep forgeting she needs more food as she gets bigger
.. but of course, seeing them everyday you never really notice just how big the're getting!
Guess she was feeling a bit hungry! i keep forgeting she needs more food as she gets bigger
.. but of course, seeing them everyday you never really notice just how big the're getting!Similar threads
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