So my wife wants an oscar...

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
You could keep 2x in a 100g for life. 75g is a minimum for 1 oscar. 2x Rena XP4 would be more than enaugh filteration.
 
Are you or your wife going to clean the tank? That would help me make my choice. Just kidding, I started out raising Oscars and they can be a real delight to have, so with this I say good luck.
 
thanks for the info everyone

this is going to be my wife's first attempt at keeping a tank herself so wish her luck :D
 
gl oscars are cool fish
 
Geez you guys. It's bad enough one person posted a flippin' wall sized poster of an Oscar but then someone else had to go copy it and put it in their reply!
That's way way too big. Size your photos down to around 800-1000 so we can enjoy them without scrolling 3 miles to the right. Thanks :)
Anyway-bare minimum for 1 Oscar with no tankmates is 75 g IMO. Don't even attempt to get by with measly 25% weekly water changes. They're big fish and need lots of fresh water. 75% weekly at least.
They're my favorite fish of all time, your wife's got good taste.
 
knifegill;3298068; said:
Good morning, electropunk. As an Oscar owner, I'd recommend at least 75 gallons for one Oscar for life. Bigger is better, though. Some even go so far as to say 90 would be the minimum, but frequent water changes make a 75 possible, too. Since your O might reach 15", try to find a wide tank, often called 'breeder style'. He'll need heavy filtration, too, both biological and mechanical. They are such messy creatures. Try to avoid buying the inbred specimens from chain pet stores because inbred fish are more prone to illness. Wild caught fish are more sensitive to waste but more hardy overall. I'd strongly recommend finding either a wild specimen or buying from a reliable breeder with a good track record for fish health.

Diet is easy because they will eat almost everything. The best advice I've gotten is a diet of about 80% high quality pellet food, and 20% live and fresh foods like crickets and earthworms (watch out for contamination from pesticides if collecting in the outdoors). While some people are determined to cram their fish full of food to encourage growth, rest assured that with light feeding, you cannot stop an Oscar from growing. As less food means cleaner water, the lack of chemical stress may actually encourage growth better than a non-stop gluttony. Try to keep the pH stable and near 7.0, and the nitrates below ten. The optimum average temp for an O is 77ºF. If you want stricter guidelines, head over to oscarfish.com. The helpful folks there are never shy about correcting inappropriate O care. Good luck!

You'll probably want to either buy a small O and seed the tank with beneficial bacteria from another tank or do a fishless cycle with pure ammonia if buying a large O because they are great at quickly polluting their water. A stable cycle is a must for these guys. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Some excellent information there.
 
I have had an Oscar for 4 years. It has grown from 6" to 14". I've listened to and followed the advice that a 75 gallon tank is adequate. It is, but it definitely isn't ideal. Mine is in a 75 right now, and I'm looking to upgrade. It just isn't enough swimming space for the fish. I perform weekly water changes at 60% volume. That keeps the water clean, but the fish needs more room. He'll be moving to my 125. You can start with a 55 gallon, but have a 75 gallon ready and be prepared to upgrade from there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom