View Full Version : oscars
pufferking
04-21-2005, 8:35 PM
Anyone else hate oscars? ithink they are so boring and too many people have them.
piranha45
04-21-2005, 9:12 PM
i agree that their common-ness makes them boring in a sense, but they are still decent fish. only cichlid i hate is blood parrots and some of the more deformed flowerhorns, everything else is cool in my book.
neoprodigy
04-22-2005, 9:30 AM
they are cool fish... but once is enuff.... :)
Vitaliy
04-22-2005, 11:26 AM
I thought I was the only one who hates this fish!
I used to work in a pet store and it used to drive me insane when people would only refer to aggressive fish as Oscars... (“is that an aggressive fish?” “yes” “oh so its like an Oscar”). The availability of the fish is just insane too! From working for about 6 months in that fish store there were only about 2 people who bought an Oscar actually knowing something about the fish and providing a proper home... and we must have sold a few hundred of these guys.
I just think its not all that aggressive and I dont find it looks to be anything special to keep as a show piece.
Jay R.
04-22-2005, 11:33 AM
its a readily availble fish, that is different that anything else they've seen. It's the first fish I heard of that gets as big as it does and has personality that i ever heard about. but i never kept one.
I equate it to paintball.... I used to play tournaments and we would always run into people with Brass eagle products and they were so excited about the brass eagle guns. (brass eagle was the equvialnt of a yugo or hyndai for paintball). but we were usually happy cause it got people into the sport. it was enough to make them learn about it and grow into the sport. and i know this is true beause my first paintgun was a brass eagle :rolleyes:
I still rather love them myself, though I haven't kept them for quite some time. I don't think that there is any other more 'tame' cichlid that you can keep as a pet. Oscars are extremely common, yes, but it is hard to find high quality colored ones. I have yet to find pure white albinos with lots of tiger striping; either they are all white, or they have tiger striping but with lots of black 'smudges'.
I look at rare fish a bit differently: I consider an impeccable show specimen of any large Central American cichlid as 'rare'. How may times do you walk into your LFS, and see a beautiful 16 inch fully colored hmm...Synspilum with a nice nuchal hump and without any defects or deformities? I can honestly say NEVER, even though synspillums are fairly common! Oscars are a bit easier to find, but usually they have the crooked jaws, excessive scarring and unfortunately, most have a bit of hole in the head.
guppy
04-22-2005, 12:39 PM
I have kept only one whitch, I loved, not for itself so much although it was my first large fish. I caught it in a drainage pond in Navato,Ca. back in 1971. got my little stoner butt in the paper and caused a big stink because the 12 acre pond had a resident breeding population of them, also convict cichlids. The city ended up draining the pond to get rid of them. I kept it until we moved in 72 then gave it to the junior high science teacher.
pufferking
04-22-2005, 3:28 PM
I work at a pet store and i hate them the little ones usualy come in and dont live long. Not nly that people stuff the poor things into small aquariums. people will argue with me ( i dont argue with costomers they create the scene) and try too tell me that they have kept oscars in 10,20, or300 gallon tanks there whole lives.
pufferking
04-22-2005, 3:29 PM
that is 30 gallons not 300.
Jay R.
04-22-2005, 3:34 PM
people love to argue
pufferking
04-22-2005, 4:31 PM
oh man they do i have tons of stories about crazy people. Another popular thing for people to do is to tell me they have a salt tank when the only salt they add is the aquarium salt not the sea mixes. Then i have too explain. people also think that any fish can be put in a bowl some people dont want to hear that they need a tank so they buy the fish anyway. then i have too tell them the fish will not be garunteed. this gets most of them mad. then when it days hours or days later they try to return it. That is why we write not garunteed on the back of these peoples reciptes.
Jay R.
04-22-2005, 6:12 PM
people are fun. i work on generaters in boats and i get so many question "why can't i have an aircooled generator from home depot in my bilge?
I work at a pet store and i hate them the little ones usualy come in and dont live long. Not nly that people stuff the poor things into small aquariums. people will argue with me ( i dont argue with costomers they create the scene) and try too tell me that they have kept oscars in 10,20, or300 gallon tanks there whole lives.
I knew a guy who raised a 2'"into a 12"in a 20g then it suddenly died and he wondered why. I felt like making him spend 2 years in a 4'x8' closet.
oh man they do i have tons of stories about crazy people. Another popular thing for people to do is to tell me they have a salt tank when the only salt they add is the aquarium salt not the sea mixes. Then i have too explain. people also think that any fish can be put in a bowl some people dont want to hear that they need a tank so they buy the fish anyway. then i have too tell them the fish will not be garunteed. this gets most of them mad. then when it days hours or days later they try to return it. That is why we write not garunteed on the back of these peoples reciptes.
They can, you just need a REALLY BIG bowl!
iheartfishies
04-22-2005, 9:07 PM
They're def airheads.
They'll swallow anything ... :)
They are fun to hand feed though. :D
yay!
iheartfishies
04-22-2005, 9:09 PM
and I mean Oscars...
not filthy morons who put fishies in bowls.
I want to give those people non-stop Cleavland Steamers all day long.
Jay R.
04-22-2005, 11:08 PM
"I love fishies, and I have a vagina. "
funny!!!!!!!!!
Triggeraa
04-23-2005, 12:40 AM
I like oscars, always have. First predator I ever kept. I currently have a 14" red oscar. He lives with 3 dorados, 3 emperors and a pike. He has more personality than all my other fish.
Click for Oscar pics (http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view.html/view/234/120428746/14_quot__Red_Oscar/?g2_GALLERYSID=15da02fd8adfc3697f68cb144a02ab2c)
Caveman
04-23-2005, 3:05 AM
Oscars are cool, one of the first fish I got to breed. They will eat anything that you put into there tanks.
iheartfishies
04-23-2005, 6:19 PM
"I love fishies, and I have a vagina. "
funny!!!!!!!!!
I speak only the truth. :)
Jay R.
04-23-2005, 6:53 PM
just not sure about the conection, maybe thats why i think its funny......interesting either way!
WckedMidas
04-23-2005, 7:06 PM
my oscars were cool. But i got tired of the space bein taken up in my tank and had to thin my tank out a bit. I traded two 12pluss inch oscars flawless nop desiease no hole in head nothing wrong perfect condition. Traded them to aquarium center got 50 in credit and took home a ornate and two polleni sp. They lasted in store maybe two week befor someone bought them
neoprodigy
04-23-2005, 10:30 PM
my oscars were cool. But i got tired of the space bein taken up in my tank and had to thin my tank out a bit. I traded two 12pluss inch oscars flawless nop desiease no hole in head nothing wrong perfect condition. Traded them to aquarium center got 50 in credit and took home a ornate and two polleni sp. They lasted in store maybe two week befor someone bought them
i bought that oscar........
just kidding...... :)
st.anger
04-23-2005, 11:10 PM
i like my oscar lots, iv enjoyed this more then any other fish i have owned
(other SA/CA,arowanas,gars,lungfishrays ect.) i dont know what it is about them but im hooked on mine, and thats why iv got a 150gallon on the way for him and a pleco. i do agree that some are ugly and deformed but i blame that on the owners, a good diet and lots of room and they look great.
http://www.fishboard.net/uploads/post-14-1110513092.jpg
http://www.fishboard.net/uploads/post-14-1110513119.jpg
piranha45
04-23-2005, 11:28 PM
tis a fine oscar indeed, sir!
WckedMidas
04-24-2005, 12:04 AM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/wckedmidas/realoctoberpicslol030.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/wckedmidas/P1010025_017.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/wckedmidas/P1010018_012.jpg
buddah101
04-24-2005, 10:35 AM
I would have to agree that O's are overly exploited in the trade, however I ended up rescuing one from an idiot freind who had it in a 30 gallon tank, luckily for the O, the guy did do an impressive amounts of waterchanges and such. Anyway, I have watched it grow and learn and I must confess that I fell in love with it! I would not go out and intensionally purchase one but I'll keep her.
I should add that just recently she started to flash and bully the other fish around, I know that all my parameters are hunkie~dorie and no sighn of disease or parasite so she must be wanting to mate. Ya' think?
Here's a few favorite pics...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/buddah101/besttankpic8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/buddah101/Oscarpic3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/buddah101/besttankpic9.jpg
piranha45
04-24-2005, 11:44 AM
not sure if those are actually mating signs or not, but glad you rescued her!
Loubard
05-19-2005, 11:52 AM
I think the albino oscars are ugly! When the normal oscars are younger they have a marmer colour, right. Then I think look the best, wish they would stay that way!
d20monsteroscar20
05-19-2005, 12:21 PM
wow I guess all I got to say is Dont hate, Appreciate!
I understand that they are very common, however I believe they are very smart. And I dont know about you guys, but I want my fishes to be smart.
d20monsteroscar20
05-19-2005, 12:25 PM
wow I'm sorry you guys feel that way about Oscars. I have 2 of them and they are my pride and joy wen it comes to cichlids.
After keeping many oscars even mature wild adults I have come to the conclusion that I just dont like them. The ONLY oscar I like is the 9" wild one I have right now. Although he is passive (like all oscars usually are) he does have a good personality. After his buddy was taken by my sailfin pim he seemed to perk up a lot for some reason.
Aiglos
05-19-2005, 4:16 PM
I love my Oscar, I have him in a 130Gallon aquarium and he just glides around all day, exploring, looking at people following them around the room. When I come to feed the oscar freaks out becuase he is going to be fed, if somone else comes by and opens the lid he hides in the corner. How can people think fish don't have memeries and thought.
pufferking
05-21-2005, 9:42 PM
i have an oscar right now i got with a tank and i plain hate him. he wont eat anything and he is very ugly.
buddah101
05-22-2005, 10:46 AM
I love Oscars but NOT in my tanks..! R.I.P. Sharon. :(
sharon
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v672/buddah101/Oscarpic3.jpg
rayman45
05-22-2005, 11:34 AM
they are cool fish... but once is enuff.... :)
yup
Cyclop3000
05-22-2005, 10:32 PM
I got 2 oscars, also thought i did not like them before i decided to try a pair. Now they are in a large tank with an 8" jack dempsey, geophagus, heckelli, polypterus, a clown loach, a green terror and a pleco. They are probably the most playful fish in the tank, always moving, look great. They eat like pigs, will eat live food until their bellies are twice the size of their body. Up to now never seen ANY sign of agressiveness...
Oscars are not agressive fish...they just constantly eat, and constantly want to eat more.
Want aggressive? Try a pair of Frontosas in a small tank...I did that (yeah i know, they are in a 130g now...) and what a mess. Both survived tho, took one of them 2 weeks before coming out of the stone works...
Isaac77
05-27-2005, 3:28 PM
Don't be haters oscars are one of the best fish for tanks!
mpgleisten
05-28-2005, 2:02 AM
what he said ^
d20monsteroscar20
05-30-2005, 7:53 PM
I love Oscars also despite the fact that they grow real big and they are messy eaters.
piranha45
05-30-2005, 7:57 PM
I'm inclined to say that this thread's specimens is has created an urge to get an oscar. I'm serious. A nice generic tiger oscar in my 200g....
but god, I already know my tank is perfect.... modest bioload, very spacious for the existing fish... adding an oscar would upset much of this in the long run.
that's not to say I definitely won't get an oscar in the near future...
uggh... must fight the urge!@@@
There was never an urge for me to get an oscar. The wild ones that I do have were given to me. One of my LFS basiclly threw them at me. They had ordered them awhile ago and the four speciemens I got would not sell and had grown to big. They know me as the guy with the big tanks so I got them. They were all about 9". One was eaten by sailfin pim within a week. I managed to find a good home for one of them as well so I was stuck with two. They are both venezulian variants. One of them lives in my 180 with my 5 5" F1 trimacs and 2 7" buttis. When he was first introduced to the tank he was quite bold and he picked a fight with the dominant butti. Suffice to say his ass was handed to him by the butti. He is now at the bottom of pecking order and even the little trimacs chase him around its very funny.
I_Luv_Cichlids
05-30-2005, 9:14 PM
i have a six inch oscar and i grew him since he was 1" he is my favorite fish because he is so nice some times when he thinks hes gonna be fed when i put my finger over the water he jumps out and bites my finger i just love him:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: i luve my managua too he and the oscar ive grown since they were an inch and under
pacus are cool fish but i think they need to be more agresive
rayman45
06-02-2005, 4:56 PM
get a wild one
i think oscars are prity cool i have 2 my self. but i agree they are a very comin fish and are fund in lots of aquariums
froggyman
06-02-2005, 6:49 PM
i love oscar but in my opiopion they are a little too messy
cenecker
06-02-2005, 8:55 PM
My two cents - yeah oscars are ridiculously common but could that be cause they are great fish to keep? I've got one.
BruteF750
06-14-2005, 1:52 PM
"fish i currently have in a 29g tank
:tiger oscar 6"
:managua cichlid 4"
:severum cichlid 3"
:Plecos Hypostumus 7"
Isn' that an awful lot of fish for a 29G?
DeLgAdO
06-14-2005, 2:19 PM
yea, what are you thinking ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! :cry: :cry:
"fish i currently have in a 29g tank
:tiger oscar 6"
:managua cichlid 4"
:severum cichlid 3"
:Plecos Hypostumus 7"
Isn' that an awful lot of fish for a 29G?
Yeah it is. The bioload must be pretty bad.
DanDanUK
06-14-2005, 3:02 PM
Are you off your trolly :screwy: Oscars are the best fish i've ever kept ! they have exellant personality's and the tricks they get up to OSCARS RULE !!!
Are you off your trolly :screwy: Oscars are the best fish i've ever kept ! they have exellant personality's and the tricks they get up to OSCARS RULE !!!
We dont mean "awful lot" as in oscars are bad fish. We mean awful lot as in there are to many fish in that persons tank.
DanDanUK
06-14-2005, 4:00 PM
Ok. But i was replying to the main topic of discusion
" Anyone else hate oscars ? I think ther so boaring and everyone has them "
The first message from the Pufferking!!!
He's off his nutt! :hitting: Oscar's are a quality little fish.
Mine. One and only albino oscar in the house.:D
DanDanUK
06-14-2005, 6:36 PM
This Oscar is the spitting image of mine check out my personal gallery love the pic.
This Oscar is the spitting image of mine check out my personal gallery love the pic.
They all look alike in certain ways.:p
An oscar was the fish that got me started in the hobby - I was at a house party the night Mike Tyson got beat by Buster Douglas and saw a 75gal tank with an couple oscars - I went out soon afterward and bought a 55gal tank and a 3" oscar.
He died 10 years ago (HITH) but I am tempted to get another one if I can make room for a tank in my family room. They are cool to have as a pet.