60 w/ Oscar, Filtration

[zacjeff]

Tank is a 60 gallon. (48*15*19)
Plan to house an Oscar hopefully for life.
O would be the sole inhabitant.

I have a 25 gallon sump, and plan on using two Eheim 2217s to pump water back into the display tank. Or do you think this is overkill?
I plan on planting... probably amazon swords in the sump.
Also, would a protein skimmer serve any useful purpose on a freshwater tank? I have an Aqua C EV-120, bought it before my dad decided I didn't have time to maintain a reef tank, after I joined the Kayak team. Or would it just serve as an air pump/oxygenator? If so, would it still be worth setting it up?

 

[Mattyou]

Leave the skimmer in a box, it is just a waste of electricity on a fresh water oscar tank. Your Oscar will do fine for life in a 60, and it sounds like your system will work assuming your sump is also a wet/dry? How many gph do the 2217's pump? Try to turn the 60 over at around 600 gph.

 

[zacjeff]

The sump is an Innovative Aquarium Products RS 100, I believe. (The smallest size.) No, it isn't a wet dry, just a four chamber reef-type sump. (I can't believe we paid $200 for an acrylic box with some sheets in it!)
The 2217s are just over 260gph each, I've been told enough for a 60 alone, but nothing wrong with beefy filtration.
Thank you!

 

[Bderick67]

Even with all the filtration planned an full grown oscar in a 60g is gonna produce alot of nitrates. Large frequent water changes will be a must.

 

[zacjeff]

That's what they made 35 gallon rubbermaid storage bins for.

 

[terd ferguson]

Oscars are messy eaters and make big poops. You may want to get some current going down low to get the waste up and into your filter. Like with a powerhead.