Hello im new to this site and to taking care of fish. I just want a cool fish for my 55 gallon tank. I was thinking of getting one Tiger Oscar but everyone seems to say that it wont be happy. I cant afford a bigger tank any time soon but i am really interested in the fish. I also noticed people saying 25% water change i dont really understand what that means. My family has had a small 10 gallon tank for a long time and i never seen them change the water ever, we usually let the filter do all the work. But i want to make sure my oscar would grow to its full potential and be happy. I am willing to try tips u guys are willing to give me. I also read up that Oscars eat insects and you should feed them worms and brine shrimp and bloodworms, if this isnt true please tell me what is best for them to eat. I also picked out the Oscar because i hear its an aggresive fish, i was really excited to throw in feeder goldfish but some sites that i have read say that is bad. I just want to make sure i know the facts before i get the fish and thats why im asking you guys, because it seems to me you guys are legit and know your stuff.
1 oscar for a 55 gallon tips!
- Thread starter Jubbies
- Start date
Oscars are a great fish to have as they are the dog of the fish world because they get to know they're owner and after a while will greet u when u walk by.. A varied diet is best.. i gave mine live brine shrimp and "oscar show" when he was a few inches..then beefheart and Life Spectrum Pellets,Shrimp..Just depends on ur oscars personality..mine didnt like any other fish till now.. hope this helps..any other q's just ask.
okay thank you im starting to get a general idea on what they want to eat. and that would be soo cool i think once the oscar gets to know me, better than a goldfish haha. but do you think my oscar would be happy and active in the 55 gallon? because i would feel horrible knowing he is sad
Do you like the Oscar's general body shape? Because Sajica cichlids have the same general body shape, but only reach 6", which will be happy in a 55.
Oscars are somewhat aggressive, but they're also wimps. They'll try to bully most fish, but whenever something fights back, Oscars will usually cower in the corner.
Feeders are bad because they have almost no nutritional value and they can have diseases and parasites which will transfer to your fish. Goldfish especially are bad because, like all carp, they contain high levels of thiaminase, which will cause a vitamin B (thiamin) deficiency in fish. It's best to feed a cichlid pellet staple, with raw fish meat from the supermarket every now and then (preferably from saltwater fish to prevent the transfer of parasites).
A filter will clean the physical waste, but bacterial colonies in the filter, and all over your tank, clean the ammonia waste. Bacteria called Nitrosomas will eat ammonia and poop nitrite, and bacteria called Nitrobacters will eat nitrite and poop nitrate. This nitrate isn't eaten by anything else and will build up and build up. High levels of nitrate can stunt fish growth, but will also weaken their immune system so that they may seem fine, but the first disease they get kills them. Just remember, clear water doesn't automatically mean clean water. You should invest in a liquid pH test. Maximum level of nitrates should be 40ppm, although if you can get it down to 20ppm or below would be much better.
Oscars are somewhat aggressive, but they're also wimps. They'll try to bully most fish, but whenever something fights back, Oscars will usually cower in the corner.
Feeders are bad because they have almost no nutritional value and they can have diseases and parasites which will transfer to your fish. Goldfish especially are bad because, like all carp, they contain high levels of thiaminase, which will cause a vitamin B (thiamin) deficiency in fish. It's best to feed a cichlid pellet staple, with raw fish meat from the supermarket every now and then (preferably from saltwater fish to prevent the transfer of parasites).
A filter will clean the physical waste, but bacterial colonies in the filter, and all over your tank, clean the ammonia waste. Bacteria called Nitrosomas will eat ammonia and poop nitrite, and bacteria called Nitrobacters will eat nitrite and poop nitrate. This nitrate isn't eaten by anything else and will build up and build up. High levels of nitrate can stunt fish growth, but will also weaken their immune system so that they may seem fine, but the first disease they get kills them. Just remember, clear water doesn't automatically mean clean water. You should invest in a liquid pH test. Maximum level of nitrates should be 40ppm, although if you can get it down to 20ppm or below would be much better.
I would stick with pellets and shrimp also. Please do not feed your oscar feeder fish. The reason is because your oscar could catch a disease and get really sick. I do not even feed my piranha feeder fish. Good luck and your oscar will give you a lot of joy.
However, it seems you have taken a big liking to the Oscar, so perhaps you should save up some money and purchase a 75 gallon, which is enough for one to live in its whole life (though alone).
I agree that feeder fish are badnews. I had needlenoses and got very lucky for 2 years that they never got sick. You can get lucky but even buying a new fish can be a huge risk, now adding new fish every day or two is not ideal. Unless you can farm your own, I would stay away from them for anything other than an ocational treat, and IMO (although uneducated on this opinion) ghost shrimp are a safer bet than guppies or goldfish, but I could be wrong 
okay all these tips work. but yea im planning on buying this Oscar when its tiny at my local pet smart they have some that look to be maybe 2 inches so i dont know just thinking of using my 55 that i got cheap and wait a couple months and upgrade it? but idk when i could but i know i will upgrade but maybe a year? also what do you guys think of other fish being with him? would that just cause stress or if i get like a sucker fish (think they called pelcas?) to help on cleaning would that be an issue?
