Single oscar in a 50 gallon?

noone even asked, what is your oscars current size? me myself i have strong beliefs on width vs length... before i get attacked (oscars should be kept in the right sized tank over 48in long and atleast 18in wide)... however a 36x18 is better short term than a 48x12... for onvious comfort reasons in my opinion... however you must must must stay on top of water parameters and healthy diet... im am no advocate for long term life in an undersized tank but if you have to do it SHORT TERM than fine....


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Any fish that has the potential to get as big as Oscars do & puts out the waste load that Oscars do should never be kept in an aquarium of less than 75GL capacity, 4FT length, 18" in width, & that is as a single specimen. Stocking for big fish is ALWAYS based on adult size of species to be kept.....that's Fishkeeping 101. You would be inviting heartache for yourself & disease for your fish. Also, anyone advising that it's OK to do so shouldn't be handing out advice, as their fishkeeping knowledge is dubious @ best. The goal of every aquarist should be to see his fish THRIVE, not cram them in inadequate housing. If you do not have the housing for a robust species like an Oscar, don't keep them. Keep a species that would do well in the tank space you have available, like Archocentrus, Thoricthys, etc.

Depending on the size of your fish right now, it would be OK as a grow out. I made a mistake once of keeping 2 o's in a 55 for a bit. Got them at 1 inch to teach my kids to keep their fingers out of the tank. By the time they hit 10 inches, the maintenence just to keep the water clean and suitable was so immense it was insane. Not to mention they didn't have much room. If you're keeping 1 o, in a 3ft by 2ft tank, it will be OK until you find a good home for it. Just make sure you test your water frequently, filter the hell out of it, and do frequent water changes while you're looking for a new home. If not, you're inviting problems.

And yes, they taught my kids to keep their hands out of the fish tank.

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50 way to small. My oscar grew to 12in in under a year. Not only is everyone right that they get to big, they are very messy fish, messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. You need adequate water volume to keep them healthy long term. Please stop and ask yourself, do I want to stick my fish in a tank where it will SURVIVE in or one where it will THRIVE in?

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I agree with others that it is probably too small long term, but on the other hand it seems like you know what you are doing, while many people who buy Os do not. So if I were you I'd hang on to him in the 50g, keeping the water very clean, until you either find someone who has a big enough tank and knows how to care for fish, or until you can fit a larger tank, somewhere. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see an O in a 50g tank, with frequent water changes, proper diet, etc., than in a 75 or 100g tank without those. And if you can't find someone serious about fishkeeping, I can guarantee they won't do either. Most casual fishkeepers think water changes are something that happen a couple times a year, and they toss in the cheapest food they can get.

Quo Vadis said:

I agree with others that it is probably too small long term, but on the other hand it seems like you know what you are doing, while many people who buy Os do not. So if I were you I'd hang on to him in the 50g, keeping the water very clean, until you either find someone who has a big enough tank and knows how to care for fish, or until you can fit a larger tank, somewhere. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see an O in a 50g tank, with frequent water changes, proper diet, etc., than in a 75 or 100g tank without those. And if you can't find someone serious about fishkeeping, I can guarantee they won't do either. Most casual fishkeepers think water changes are something that happen a couple times a year, and they toss in the cheapest food they can get.

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A green terror or Jack Dempsey would work in that tank fine, with no tank mates, and You could still have decor and substrate