Reasonable Thoughts....

[gsta13]

Ok im putting my neck out there with a thought i have had for the last couple of weeks, i was in the LFS the other day and was talking to a guy there, he was telling me about a couple that had come in with there kids, and asked for angles parrots and two oscars for there tank, he had told them otherwise and advised on some other stocking options. Now this got me thinking, alot of oscars and other fish for that matter go into poor conditions to live in 10-20g when they are to big for that size. Now i have a 55(uk)G about 65us i think. Would an oscar be better off me taking him from my LFS and placing him in the tank? or would he be better off with the slight chance that he might get an experienced owner who knows his needs.
Whilst im on the subject, there is a shop near me that has oscars in very small tanks, id say a pair were in a 2ft tank, it said not for sale on it but still there always in there when i go past, is this like discus? they can be a pair in a smaller tank? jus some thoughts.
And yes i do really want to save one of them. but i know i shouldn't as the suggested min size for an oscar on here is 70g i think.

Greg

 

[edgun88]

They are easy to take care of. But have a huge bioload so you will have to clean your filter regularly. They eat everything from pellets to feeder fish. And you can easily put a couple in your 55 gallon. I see no problem at all with that.

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I have to disagree with edgun88 (no disrespect meant) a 55 gallon is only big enough for 1 Oscar. I believe the recommended size is 75 gallons for 1 Oscar, but I think you could get by with it as long as you keep on top of water changes and gravel vaccing.
They really are dirty, messy fish but you gotta love them!

 

[LisaLQ]

And they dont need feeder fish either.

Personally, I probably wouldn't get one. Mainly because I think they should have at least 75g min and although a 55g is possible it's not really saving him from anything. And partly because if "saving" them is your cause, then surely as soon as you pay them for one, they've got a reason to stock more - and those fish will be sold on to whoever, just as they are now. So really it's a vicious circle, and you buying one would only encourage it.

Of course if you want an oscar, and are really only looking for an excuse to get one lol then get one! But if you really want to "save" one and give it the best life possible, you need a bigger tank in the long run. While it's do-able in a 55g, that's the bare minimum they need, so it's obviously not going to be as nice for them as in a 75g. Or bigger

 

[cane76]

And they dont need feeder fish either.

youtube would disagree with you there lisa,i have seen a few vids on other forums too with oscars ripping up big feeders too

 

[Miss Wiggle]

just because they will eat feeders doesn't mean they need them though?!

personally i wouldn't, all business's work on supply and demand, you buy a fish from them to 'save' it and they see it as there is a demand for them and get another to replace it, as the last one sold. Speak to the lfs and ask them why they are in such a small tank, they could be hand in's and they're doing the best they can for them, you just don't know unless you ask. Or it could be that the owner sinply doesn't know they shouldn't be in a tank that size (yes really) and if you phrase it tactfully they may realise and take appropriate action.

 

[andywg]

And they dont need feeder fish either.

youtube would disagree with you there lisa,i have seen a few vids on other forums too with oscars ripping up big feeders too

Yes, but that doesn't mean they "need" feeders. In truth, almost no fish "needs" feeders as you can feed them a far more controlled and balanced far easier with frozen and flake food.

In a similar vein, there are many vids of RBP ripping up fish, including oscars, but it does not mean you have to source 6" oscars to feed your RBP.

 

[LisaLQ]

Oh lord, I didn't mean to start a whole bloomin' feeder fish do you or dont you thread again....

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Oh lord, I didn't mean to start a whole bloomin' feeder fish do you or dont you thread again....

ha ha it's always you isn't it

 

[LisaLQ]

Lisa learns to keep trap shut.

 

[kniesh]

Unless I'm mistaken he doesnt have a 55 gal but a 67gal which I cant see any problem with at all for an Oscar so long as theres little else in there, if anything. The 55gal was uk gallons wasn't it?

 

[Fate2006]

one Oscar should be fine, it's recommeded a 75gallon for a full grown pair and nothing else... Keeping them in small tanks such as 20-30gallons IMO is cruel, I will never keep one in anything under 55gallons...

Oscars are pretty easy to care for, they'll except a wide range of food... Pellets, freeze dried shrimp, frozen foods and live... if you get this guy remember that you do need to vary it's diet and yes, they do prefer live fish as that is what they primarily feed on in the wild. Some crickets and meal worms also make a nice treat.

Hope this helps ^^ Let us know if you get the little guy, then post some pics

 

[LisaLQ]

75g for a fully grown pair isn't big enough really, yes it's possible to fit them in, and yes it's the bare minimum - but is the bare minimum really what we should be recommending?

Oscar owners/sites recommend 110g min for two oscars. I'd go one further and say it should be even bigger than that if possible (I appreciate it isn't always), to give the fish a happy life, IME (having owned an oscar and big cichlids in the past).

 

[Fate2006]

well aware, it was recommended... I wouldn't use it though

 

[Captain Retardo]

sorry, im in a rush and havent read all the replies, but I believe you could easily get away with 1 maybe 2 oscars in that tank, I once read some fish book where they said you could keep 1 oscar in a 30 g tank, of course, if it was the only fish, you had a bare bottom tank, and you cleaned very well (I still think 30 g is too small though). I think the issue at hand with stocking is almost always how much effort you are willing to put into cleaning the tank. If you want an oscar, and clean the tank well I don't see any problems.