Oscars

[tetraqueen]

I thought wow these are growing to grow into what I want.

At the moment they are worse than my hubby! Now thats saying something.

You change the water they sulk. You look at them too long they sulk.

Any change in noise i.e they hate x factor they sulk.

They eat very little when I was told they liked food.

Any ideas to make them happy.

They are like me and my shadow never apart and always looks like don't look at him look at me.

Yes mad I know but was told they would soon play around and be happy

 

[blue acara]

Seems like they sulking a lot?

How big is their tank?

Try feeding them some earthworms, dug from your garden. My Oscars always loved eating these. Might cheer them up

 

[benniebru]

ok call me dumb but what is sulking?

 

[cuticom]

I'd have to agree, I'm not a real fan of my O either, amazing colours but he just doesn't do much, I can't even decorate the tank to make it look good, he rips up and rearranges everything.

They do take a while to settle in, my O didn't eat for the first 3 weeks, now he eats a large bag of Hikari pellets a month, and he isn't even fully grown.

He has two more months to make me like him, or he's being rehomed.

 

[shroob]

Sulking is when they shy away from you, just sit in a corner of the tank and dont do much.

However my oscars wern't like that, but I understand they can be for a few days.

 

[tetraqueen]

Thanks I was beginning to worry especially when I do water changes they look like I have made them ill sit under the bog wood colour looks dull but then they spring back. I have only had them a week and they have like brine shrimp not a lot but have eaten it. They also spit pellets out and I have read they do do that so they have time. Yes the colours when they are happy (what I am saying is happy) but my teenage daughter doesn't seem so moody. I may get some nice rocks etc. I am told that may cheer them up more. Unsure I could put an earthworm in and watch it being eaten. still each to there own !!!

 

[Tolak]

Oscars seem to be happiest when they arrange the decorations to suit their needs. When you change their environment, and that means water changes, they aren't very happy about it. It's no different than if someone kept coming into your living room & rearranging your furniture.

I've had an oscar for a couple of years now, he still lays on the bottom during tank maintenance like it's killing him. Once they settle in they spit gravel at the glass & other fish, rip off filter intakes, shove spray bars out of the tank, and break heaters. Moving silk plants is the least of my worries.

 

[tetraqueen]

Thanks Tolak. I have no silk plants and the decor is the least of my worry too. I am glad you explained and it has been noted by yourself that they can look like your killing them when one does water changes. I just wonder if I can do it in the least disturbing way. I do like to gravel vac and I don't think I could stand not doing weekly water changes. Is there anyway of making their tank smell better?

 

[Tolak]

I just use a thin layer of marble sized gravel, this makes vaccing easier and I had hoped the larger gravel would keep him from spitting it so much. No chance on that one, once he got bigger. I did get a bigger vac, hoping to make it go more quickly, it still annoys him, drama drama, oh the agony.

The tank should smell like freshly turned dirt, any healthy tank smells that way. Sometimes overfeeding, and the resulting food decay will give the tank an off smell. If he is slow to eat at first, which is not uncommon with any new fish this may be the problem.

I got mine as a 2" fish at an auction, quared him in a 10 gallon. Moving him to a 20, 30, then a 72 gallon was traumatic drama every time. Goofy fish would only go in a 2 foot area of a 3 foot tank, or a 3 foot area of a 4 foot tank for about a month after each move.

 

[tetraqueen]

Yes hubby says its absolutely normal just my sense of smell. I still even though its had at least 50 water changes filter cleaned etc etc and had time to tick over having other fish in there first I still can't get rid of the time the other fish died and can still smell abit of that near the tank. In my mind Im told lol.

It seems they are moody mine is in the Rio 400 so should be okay as they are tiny at the moment. about 2 inches if that.

 

[gordi]

i have a 6-7" oscar in my tank with a fire chichlid and and a large silver shark! the tank has a tank base with lots of large rocks from the river! also filtering it wit a large pump and a smaller one across the other side of the pump! give a good current ive had him for about a month now and seems very happy in the setup i have! at first he hid in the rocks n wouldnt eat anything but now he swims about all the time and comes to the front of the tank when ever i go near! also jumps out the water to get food out my hand! very greedyl

do your tank so that there is lots of room to swim about n keep it simple! also just dont fed him for a few days then start feeding him on the food you want!! i did this with pellets i had! he wouldny take them at first but now he has a hand full of them a day you can tell he's growing hah! im considering getting anoter one or a JD

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Another thing that might tempt a picky O is some pre-cooked cocktail shrimp. Just cut the tail off
and cut into a couple of chunks. (small pieces since he's a little O) Mine go absolutely nuts for this!

 

[tetraqueen]

Thanks