can my oscar live in a 60 gallon tank for life
- Thread starter oscaroo
- Start date
What is wrong with a smaller species of fish? There are some cool little fish that would fit nicely in a 65. Why not check out some African cichlids for that 65?
Stickies for several common species would be good. Someone just has to be dedicated enough to piece all the info together and get a mod on their side I guess. 
Well here's my $2.25, tank size is nobody's business but the fish owner. An Oscar will do great in just about any size tank until he outgrows it. A 60 is big enough, so is a 55, 40 and even a 30. There's an assumption with the Tank Nazi Police as I like to call them that the owner is abusing their fish, this is so not true. Most will in fact upgrade when the time comes. I see nothing wrong with an Oscar in a 60 gallon along with a suitable mate. I currently have two oscars (4in and 2 in) with a small leporinus in smaller than 60 and they are doing great. It's only temporary until my equipment comes in then I'll be putting them in a larger tank. It will still be smaller than the tank nazi standards. The problem with fish dogma and internet experts giving their opinion is they think it's the ten commandments and everyone must obey. Sorry but each fish is uniquely different and nobody can say someone else's fish is unhappy or unhealthy by the size of their tank.
Bigger is personal preference, not a requirement.
Best advice is to to be realistic about your fish keeping goals. It's perfectly fine to keep oscar in a smaller tank, once they out grow it, you can always upgrade and use the smaller tank for other fish or whatever.
I like my tanks overstocked and the fish are doing great but I have plans and as long as I know where I'm going with it then everything will be just fine.
As long as you stay on top of the pwc and good filtration, fish will be healthy and happy.
I agree with this almost completely. When I got into the hobby, I believed that as long as I kept up my part of the bargain, my fish would be ok. But a lot of people (like me) make impulse buys and don't always plan things out (me again). I just happened to be luckier than most because of the fact that my father had some larger tanks lying around from when he kept fish and I "borrowed" them. A note however, is that being less hostile towards others might actually help change their mind. Not that I''m saying anyone was hostile here...
plecostic ........
In case you missed it the first time around, the OP came here of his own free will asking for advice, and there was no mention of a later upgrade. He specifically asked if he could keep an oscar in a 60 gallon for life, to which some very experienced members on this forum responded to that question. How that makes anyone a "tank nazi police" is beyond me. If the OP didn't want this to become other members business, then he shouldn't have posted his question on a public forum.
I'll echo what has already been stated a number of times in this topic, no, one should not keep an oscar in a 60 gallon tank for life. This hobby shouldn't be about what can be done, it should be about what should be done. An adult oscar will live a miserable life in a 60 gallon tank, as will any fish that has the potential to reach 14-16" in captivity.
This isn't rocket science.
In case you missed it the first time around, the OP came here of his own free will asking for advice, and there was no mention of a later upgrade. He specifically asked if he could keep an oscar in a 60 gallon for life, to which some very experienced members on this forum responded to that question. How that makes anyone a "tank nazi police" is beyond me. If the OP didn't want this to become other members business, then he shouldn't have posted his question on a public forum.
I'll echo what has already been stated a number of times in this topic, no, one should not keep an oscar in a 60 gallon tank for life. This hobby shouldn't be about what can be done, it should be about what should be done. An adult oscar will live a miserable life in a 60 gallon tank, as will any fish that has the potential to reach 14-16" in captivity.
This isn't rocket science.
Everything you're saying is based on the fact the OP didn't title his thread "CAN MY OSCAR LIVE IN A 60 GALLON TANK FOR LIFE", so what about that makes you think he plans on upgrading? If you ask me that question my answer will be NO every time. Not to mention he asked for opinions on a public forum so if he didn't want peoples opinions he wouldn't have posted his question on MFK which does not stand for Mediocre Fish Keepers...... The consensus on this forum is a 30,40, 55, or 60 gallon tank is not a suitable home for the life of an Oscar. It is your right to disagree with it but don't expect us to agree with you. I tghink calling us "Tank Nazis" is a little over the top........funny but over the top. I'll say this we do tend to worry more about the long term well being of the fish and not so much about weather people who house their fish in inhumane conditions get their feelings hurt.
If the owner wanted it to be only his business, he wouldn't have posted it all over a public internet forum.
Wow! What insightful knowledge. Did you figure that out by yourself?
Did you read the thread title? Just for the record, it says, "can my oscar live in a 60 gallon tank for life?"
Yes, he said for life, not until it outgrows the tank and then he'll upgrade.
Derrrr....
Have you read his threads? We're not the ones saying his fish is unhappy or unhealthy. He said himself that the fish is unhealthy, has HITH, and will probably die soon.
=p don't know why this amuses me.
Anyway subjecting an oscar to a 60g for life is cruel in my opinion, I don't keep fish like they're just some kind of painting on my wall, My fish are like a dog or cat. they get the best I can give them and if I cannot keep them in more than comfortable environments I give them to someone who can. I personally wouldn't feel okay keeping an oscar in anything less than a 120g tank for life and even as a growout 60 is pushing it for me, they're big fish, they like to move.
I don't know how you keep fish, and thats not a question, but putting tankmates with an oscar in a 60g tank is ridiculous to even suggest.
And pleco dude I'm sorry but we're not nazi's a 60g tank is what 12 inches wide? i've seen captive oscars at 15-17 inches and wild caught around 22 inches, think he can turn around in that without injury? is that really a life? how would you like to live in a coffin for you life?
Anyway subjecting an oscar to a 60g for life is cruel in my opinion, I don't keep fish like they're just some kind of painting on my wall, My fish are like a dog or cat. they get the best I can give them and if I cannot keep them in more than comfortable environments I give them to someone who can. I personally wouldn't feel okay keeping an oscar in anything less than a 120g tank for life and even as a growout 60 is pushing it for me, they're big fish, they like to move.
I don't know how you keep fish, and thats not a question, but putting tankmates with an oscar in a 60g tank is ridiculous to even suggest.
And pleco dude I'm sorry but we're not nazi's a 60g tank is what 12 inches wide? i've seen captive oscars at 15-17 inches and wild caught around 22 inches, think he can turn around in that without injury? is that really a life? how would you like to live in a coffin for you life?
=p don't know why this amuses me. Anyway subjecting an oscar to a 60g for life is cruel in my opinion, I don't keep fish like they're just some kind of painting on my wall, My fish are like a dog or cat. they get the best I can give them and if I cannot keep them in more than comfortable environments I give them to someone who can. I personally wouldn't feel okay keeping an oscar in anything less than a 120g tank for life and even as a growout 60 is pushing it for me, they're big fish, they like to move. I don't know how you keep fish, and thats not a question, but putting tankmates with an oscar in a 60g tank is ridiculous to even suggest. And pleco dude I'm sorry but we're not nazi's a 60g tank is what 12 inches wide? i've seen captive oscars at 15-17 inches and wild caught around 22 inches, think he can turn around in that without injury? is that really a life? how would you like to live in a coffin for you life?
