Up and coming 125 gallon oscar tank.

[Coach Kev]

Awesome thanks...

So I am thinking about going the route to get a few little Oscar's to find a pair...so how long before they pair off you think?

Also with a pair, I was hoping to get a sun/eclipse catfish. Is that to much you think...or would a pair of smaller catfish work out better? Maybe 2-4 line pim's?
Will be PF sand on bottom, some drift wood and a large terracotta pot for catfish hiding

 

[Jexnell]

Awesome thanks...

So I am thinking about going the route to get a few little Oscar's to find a pair...so how long before they pair off you think?

Also with a pair, I was hoping to get a sun/eclipse catfish. Is that to much you think...or would a pair of smaller catfish work out better? Maybe 2-4 line pim's?
Will be PF sand on bottom, some drift wood and a large terracotta pot for catfish hiding

Oscar's are late bloomers. Most cichlids can start breeding at three inches in size or around six months old. Not Oscar's tho, they don't sexually mature till one and a half years old. I have not breed them myself so I dont know when the pair will form before that 1.5 year mark or after.

Now I have not owned sun/eclipse cats. Mine was with a P. Ornatus, a cousin of the Four line pims.

Whatever catfish you get will either have to keep up with the Oscar's growth rate or be bought at a bigger size so they don't turn into Oscar treats.

 

[Coach Kev]

I do like the sun catfish, there is a 5" one at the LFS...but they also have 4 line pims....lol.
So if I bought a group 4 Oscar's, they would be a year and a half before pairing off? I am afraid I would become way to attached at that point..

 

[Jexnell]

I do like the sun catfish, there is a 5" one at the LFS...but they also have 4 line pims....lol.
So if I bought a group 4 Oscar's, they would be a year and a half before pairing off? I am afraid I would become way to attached at that point..

Not having done it myself I am not sure when they will actually bond. Maybe someone who has can chime in.

Could think of it this way. It's time to get them there own tank. Then in the long run you could keep all of them big, food begging, puppydog eyes!

 

[Jexnell]

Ways to get cheap tanks. Check Craigslist, Offer Up, Letgo all good places to find cheap 2nd hand tanks. I got my first 125 for $200 tank stand lights. My second one was a never used glass tank wirh tank stand, lids, lights for $400. Petco and Petsmart do 1buck per gallon sales or Black Friday sales. Petsmart has a Aqueon 6ft 125gal that dips to around $450 brand new tank stand lids basic LED lights and lifetime warranty if you use the stand it comes with. One of our members has this set up for ten years plus now and it started to leak. They sent him a whole brand new tank stand all that.

 

[Jexnell]

This is the tank I am talking about.

https://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks...-led-aquarium-ensemble-48563.html?cgid=300207

I have it bookmarked so can see the sales. Heck atm it's $150 off normal cost

 

[Coach Kev]

That is actually the tank I bought...I couldn't pass it up. I had been searching craigslist and then seen this sale.

I am just worried about having 4 Oscar's and catfish in there, buy the time 2 pair off they would probably be to big in the 125

 

[Jexnell]

That is actually the tank I bought...I couldn't pass it up. I had been searching craigslist and then seen this sale.

I am just worried about having 4 Oscar's and catfish in there, buy the time 2 pair off they would probably be to big in the 125

I am pretty sure you will know before too long who gets along with who. By time Toni my Oscar was 10in she has evicted or outright killed 5 other Oscar's I tried to shack her up with.

 

[Chicxulub]

Welcome!

Moved to Central and South American Cichlids

As to your filtration issue for your peninsula tank, I have seen people run either the intake or outflow from a cannister to the far end of the tank under their substrate, where they place and elbow turned up to allow the normal intake or outflow hardware for the filter to be attached. Put some plants or a log or some other decoration around it, and it is a quite inconspicuous way to get around the peninsula tank shortcomings

 

[Coach Kev]

The ornatus is beautiful....would 2 of thos be a possibility since they only reach about 10"

Thanks for the tip...that actually is a great idea. Only concern I would have is I am hoping to use sand as a substrate, wonder if being closer will affect it