i'll buy an oscar, NEED HELP!! HAVE QUESTIONS

[m0on]

hEY
i'll write a thread..

im interested in buying an oscar fish.. i have few questions about it

what size should i buy? like about 1 inch or 3/4 iches?
is that a baby size?
whats the maximum size it reaches?
how many times should i feed him a day, if it was 1 inch size or 3/4 inches ?
how about if it became an adult? once a week? wats an adult size btw?

i know.. so many questions
and thank you

 

[sweetpickles7]

Welcome to the forum. First how big is your tank and has it been cycled yet? As for the oscar you can buy one as big or small as you want, its your choice. They get very large, usually 12 inches and more.I would always feed it at least once a day. They always beg for food when they see you in the room too.

 

[Kissyboots]

http://www.myfishtank.net/freshwater-fish/american-cichlids/tiger-oscar/

http://www.myfishtank.net/freshwater-fish/american-cichlids/red-oscar/

http://www.myfishtank.net/freshwater-fish/american-cichlids/albino-oscar/

Looks like they get up to 1 foot in length. Just make sure your tank is big enough, like a 75g.

 

[89must]

buy 2 no more no less they like each others company

 

[m0on]

heeeey thankss

my tank is pretty small..
i already bought him today he's tiger oscar 6cm, just one..

later on i;ll get a bigger one

 

[Orion]

How big is your tank?

Oscars grow probably quicker than any fish I've ever seen. If anyone tells you they don't grow fast, they are doing something wrong. They can reach close to 10 inches in almost a year if not larger than that. They love to eat, and as consequence, love to poo. So it's really important to stay on top of water quality. The water can get nasty quick and start to harm the oscar before you know it if your not doing water changes on a regular basis.

If your current tank is less than 55 gallons, you need to start looking around for larger one now. 55 gallon standard tank bare minimum, but 75 gallon standard is better.

 

[iexiak]

i kept an oscar in a 10 gallon tank with some dragon fish for a few months, then moved him up to a 30 gallon. hes doing great in there and has been for the past half a year or so. some day im going to move up to a bigger tank but right now im low on the money.

 

[SdJaCK&SaLLy]

If your current tank is less than 55 gallons, you need to start looking around for larger one now. 55 gallon standard tank bare minimum, but 75 gallon standard is better.

That's so true,^^^ but welcome to the forum!

 

[TMony]

How small is "a pretty small" tank?
Oscars really need to be in a bigger tank. Like Orion said a 55 is ok, but anything smaller is not good for your Oscar and definitely don't get another one until you have a larger tank. I don't think an Oscar is a very good choice for a first fish. You may want to reconsider and take the poor little guy back and get something more suitable for a small tank. Not trying to be critical, but I think everyone here strives to give the best care they can to their fish. Good luck!

 

[jo3olous]

i kept an oscar in a 10 gallon tank with some dragon fish for a few months, then moved him up to a 30 gallon. hes doing great in there and has been for the past half a year or so. some day im going to move up to a bigger tank but right now im low on the money.

this doesn't sound right, and I don't recommend to follow suit. sorry. and if by dragon fish you mean arowana, those get BIG. should most definitely not be in < 100G tank, and I don't even think that is fitting for 1 healtyh arowana.

 

[PerenGee]

and if by dragon fish you mean arowana, those get BIG. should most definitely not be in < 100G tank, and I don't even think that is fitting for 1 healtyh arowana.

Yeah, I agree. My uncle's got an arowana in a 240G and it's still too small for him.

As for the Oscar, I've never had one but I've done a good bit of research because I was looking into getting one. I think I read somewhere that not only do you need a big tank, but one with thick, stong glass. Apparently it's been recorded that Oscars can break aquarium walls if they ram hard enough. Probably not a common occurrence, but something to think about.

 

[jo3olous]

As for the Oscar, I've never had one but I've done a good bit of research because I was looking into getting one. I think I read somewhere that not only do you need a big tank, but one with thick, stong glass. Apparently it's been recorded that Oscars can break aquarium walls if they ram hard enough. Probably not a common occurrence, but something to think about.

I could envision this happening if you put the wrong mix of fish in the tank, or if the oscar gets cramped and is trying to abandon ship. a growing oscar might do this in an undersized tank when stressed, i mean it makes sense; I would try to break out if I was cramped~

 

[iexiak]

they were about 5 inches long when i bought them, grew to about 7 inches in the 10 gallon then when i moved them into the 30 gallon they grew more.

also my oscar in the 30 gallon seems to be very healthy. i know that fishes will eventually outgrow the aquariums they are in, but it seems to me that if you start with a baby it will only grow so big in one tank, then if you move it into a bigger one it will grow accordingly.

 

[brian1973]

I have nothing constructive to add, Jo3oulus this one is all yours .

Welcome to the tank.

 

[missdixie256]

ONE Oscar needs NO LESS than 55g. NO TANK-MATES! (Minimum Size = Maximum Maintenance)(On my 55g I do 3 75% water changes a week!) Bad water quality leads to shortened lifespans and HITH. (Hole In The Head)

Filter must filter water 4xs an hour for a canister and for a HOB (Hang On Back) 10xs an hour. (I run a Rena 4 and a standard generic HOB for a '60' gallon tank)

I lost my 13.5 inch Oscar a little over a month ago due to a malfunction of a Stealth heater.

A Healthy well taken care of Oscar can and will grow at-least an inch a month maybe more. I have seen this first hand. (Feeder fish should be avoided due to diseases and parasites.)

Small (baby) Oscars should be fed several times a day 5 or 6 'mini' pellets at a time. I feed Hikiri Gold and Hikiri Staple and raise my own meal worms to use as feeders.

As adults one time a day or every other day is acceptable for Oscars. I feed Hikiri Bio-Gold Medium Pellet and Hikiri Gold and Staple as well as wafer crisps and meal worms.

 

[TMony]

IoI

That's me throwing my hands up in the air . . .

 

[Orion]

Most large fish, including oscars, when put into small tanks seem to stop growing when they reach a certain size. This is not the case at all. The body does stop growing, however the internal organs do not, and they continue to grow. This leads to stunted fish in size, most never reaching the adult size they should reach, complications with the crowded space internally from lack of room which can lead to all sorts of other health problems that ultimately lead to a much shorter life span than a healthy well cared for oscar. The fact that yours started growing again when you put it in a larger tank only means it's still young, and might not be too late to give a proper life. Once it reaches past a certain age though it will stop doing any significant growth no matter how big of a tank you put it in.

 

[missdixie256]

Thanks Orion I couldn't figure out how to say it without being nasty about how mean and cruel it is

'Tis good to be back!

 

[89must]

missdixie 3 75% water changes a week? a little much dont you think? and 1 oscar only in a 55 gal? sounds like you think 2 oscars only in a 100 gal? hey i know they get good size and are messy but arnt you getting a little extreme? and by over doing water changes like you say you are thats just as bad as doing no water changes. in my opinion 2 oscars in a 55 will do just fine

 

[jo3olous]

also my oscar in the 30 gallon seems to be very healthy. i know that fishes will eventually outgrow the aquariums they are in, but it seems to me that if you start with a baby it will only grow so big in one tank, then if you move it into a bigger one it will grow accordingly.

This quote made me throw up in my mouth, lol! If you read what you just wrote out loud, the last 2 bars is extremely cruel. "you start with a baby it will only grow so big in one tank, then if you move it into a bigger one it will grow accordingly". YOU CANT FORCE A FISH TO GROW TO HOWEVER MUCH LIVING SPACE YOU WANT TO GIVE IT! ARE YOU NUTS! Imagine yourself, an infant, put in a room roughly 6.5 square feet. you are given toiletries, a toilet and a sink. The toilet does not flush, it is a bucket changed maybe once or twice bi-weekly. you are forced to stay in this enclosure for your entire life. Will this stop you from growing? Well I would say the lack of space for activity and cramped quarters may physically and mentally stress you out, I'm sure if it's enough pressure on a person like yourself you may grow ACCORDINGLY to the given living space, or the latter happens and you grow into this 6'6 monster who has to hunch over and bend your legs to keep from hitting the walls all the time.

In short, it is animal cruelty to stunt growth. It's stressful to the fish, hampers their life span;which means all kinds of un-natural health problems for them. So please, do not stuff a fish into a tank that it could not move in as an adult, let alone fill up with feces in a matter of days. There are options to re-home such as LFS's or craigslist it, or give it away to someone who can house it. Putting it to sleep would even be less cruel *twirlysmi

Just my 2 cents on your "I'll grow my fish according to my tank" line.