2 Oscars in a 40 gallon tank?

[Toby_H]

It's also a very valid fact to point out... Many fishkeepers will put too many fish in too small of a tank, the fish will not grow at normal rates because of cramped space, inferrior water conditions and elevated stress levels. Then because this is all they know they assume (never a good move) the fish are "happy and healthy".

In reality an Oscar should live to be 12+ years old. If you had an Oscar in a XX tank and it did not live 12+ years, then your Oscar wasn't healthy, and it's hard for unhealthy fish to be all that happy...

 

[Firemouth1]

If you plan on putting an Oscar in a 40 gallon breeder just put one in. Anymore then that and they will fight ALOT!

 

[BadFishPa]

I understand there are the extremests... some say Oscars need 6' 180 gal tanks... others say they'll be fine in a 3' tank...

Neither extreme is correct and the truth lies inthe balance... which is commonly the right answer in life...

But everyone says the people they do not agree with are the extremests. It's an easy way to discredit someone without actually giving credit to yourself.

It's a very well accepted fact that in healthy conditions Oscars grow an inch per month. Not every Oscar will grow at this rate and a couple may even grow faster. This is because every individual fish is an individual, which is also a very well known fact.

So if you buy a 3" Oscar, in 4 months you should have a 7" Oscar. Although this is only a little over double in length, the 7" Oscar will be several times larger than a 3" Oscar by mass. Also as the fish matures it's aggression matures.

For those who lack the personal experience with Oscars/Cichlids to understand the big picture of whats going to happen, I highly suggest you make conservative decisions to allow yourself to error on the side of safety, as opposed to unnecessarily punishing a fish for your mistake.

I've raised Oscars in a 300 galand I can say from first hand experience it made a big difference in the fish's attitude/behavior. But I do not fanatically state they "need" such large environments. I currently have 2 Full adult Oscars, each is in a (different) 75 gal with a couple smaller tankmates. Huge tanks are great, but not "needed". But this is no excuse to cram them in too small of a space either, as they do "need" room.

Again... the truth lies in the balance...

BadfishPa: This is the most informative and non-judgemental post i think i have ever read. This is the kind of information i have heard the site contains.(with that said im off to AquariaCentral) Cuz you still dont have chat

 

[Overmind1632]

BadfishPa: This is the most informative and non-judgemental post i think i have ever read. This is the kind of information i have heard the site contains.(with that said im off to AquariaCentral) Cuz you still dont have chat

Yeah, thats the only one that has been informative

The other ones just just been calling me or other posters idiots


I had them in the 55 gallons for years cause they started off small, and then I have them away when I left for boarding school

 

[ewurm]

I have one Oscar in a 75 gallon. It's 14" and running out of swimming space, not to mention a huge bioload on my tank. I'm going to upgrade. As far as a 40, it's a growout situation for maybe a year.

 

[balton777]

The more I read nc_nutcases posts, the more I respect his knowledge and willingness to share. Keep up the good work nc, you're alright man.

 

[HerCrenVie]

It's quite nonsensical if you ask me. Who created these hard-and-fast rules for fishkeeping? Unless you can scientifically prove that keeping 2 Oscars in a 40-gallon tank - with proper husbandry - will stunt them, hurt them, or otherwise cause detriment to their health, I won't believe all this gospel. I've kept Oscars before, and two juveniles raised together invariably become buddies over time, so territory isn't an issue. Then it's down to husbandry. If the OP has adequate filtration and the responsibility to do regular water changes, why in hell not?

I cannot understand why people have to be so rigid and inflexible.

To the OP: Like I said in an earlier post - If it works for you, go for it.

 

[HerCrenVie]

If you had an Oscar in a XX tank and it did not live 12+ years, then your Oscar wasn't healthy

Rubbish. Many factors affect longevity, including genetics.

 

[Overmind1632]

It's quite nonsensical if you ask me. Who created these hard-and-fast rules for fishkeeping? Unless you can scientifically prove that keeping 2 Oscars in a 40-gallon tank - with proper husbandry - will stunt them, hurt them, or otherwise cause detriment to their health, I won't believe all this gospel. I've kept Oscars before, and two juveniles raised together invariably become buddies over time, so territory isn't an issue. Then it's down to husbandry. If the OP has adequate filtration and the responsibility to do regular water changes, why in hell not?

I cannot understand why people have to be so rigid and inflexible.

To the OP: Like I said in an earlier post - If it works for you, go for it.

Yeah Nc_Nutcase post was perfect, and

I agree, I've yet to be given any hard evidence of this, granted I understand Fish need their space but thats not true with all fish. In fact, as a bio major, I know of many species including plants that enjoy being cramped.

From all this, I may just get 1, but if I do get two, I will probably upgrade to a larger tank. I was also thinking about getting a silver aro instead but that seems illogical.

For your entertainment, you may read this thread I've created.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200663

Btw, wanna enlighten me on what it means to be a "TROLL" since after being on various forums, probably more then most ppl, I've never been called one until now since all these "experts" know what they are talking about.

 

[capefeartarheel]

Straight up BS by Ego Maniacs its why people stop coming to MFK

Really? Stop Coming? This from someone whos been here for 3 months? Sounds like you didnt come to MFK to research prior to your purchase or ask any questions. Also, if you made the mistake of buying a HUGE tank for your tiny oscars (which personally, I dont think is a mistake, as youll be ready for them when they do get bigger) then I dont know how much Id take from any of your advice.

Personally, Id say you could keep them in the 40 for a few months, I would just way over filter it (emperor 400 perhaps) and do weekly water changes. They are messy messy messy and produce almost double the waste of many other cichlids.