Aeration for A. Occelatus

M

Meleemaker

Medium Fish
#1
Nov 17, 2010
84
0
0
Pierre SD
#1
I have an A. Occellatus(Tiger Oscar) and he moved into my larger 55 gal which was set up with a betta community in mind....and with bettas having labrynths, I never put in an airpump with air stone and figured it was good. But all of the sudden I was looking through videos and I saw one Astronatus Ocellatus tank with one set up.

I researched it a little bit and found that it is neccesary if there isnt enough water being agitated with the filter(Im using a tetra 30-60 whisper) hang on. I do not have any live plants either. Would it be neccesary or will the agitation from my filter be good enough?

He usually boesnt figit too much or sit around gasping unless I change his water and he sits around and does it, but I always thought that was from stress from having the vacc in the tank.

Any input is awesome!
 

skjl47

skjl47

Large Fish
#2
Nov 13, 2010
712
0
0
Northeastern Tennessee.
#2
Hello; A possible quick fix might be to lower the water level a bit so that the return water breaks up the surface a little. This may churn in enough oxygen to help. A sponge filter and a small air pump should do the trick.
I like to keep air bubbling even in a heavily planted tank. Live plants produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis while the lights are on. Live plants cells respire (use some of the sugars made during photosynthesis and oxygen to grow and carry out life processes.) and in the dark take oxygen from the water
 

1

1077

Large Fish
#4
Jun 4, 2009
175
0
0
#4
Were it me, I would look for larger filter. Ideally you would want a filter that would move,filter close to 450 gallons per hour for your 55 gal? Aquaclear 110 would be my choice.Healthy Oscar should grow at a rate of about one inch per month so inside a year,,the fish will be close to ten inches and the filter you presently have will not keep up with the waste produced by the fish.
 

F

famerbeen

New Fish
#6
Feb 17, 2011
9
0
0
#6
First off dont worry you wont kill them. , an air pump rated for the size of your aquarium, some airline tubing and either an airstone or airwand, whatever you want. if you have a bit larger tank or want more than one stone add a gang valve box it will take the one hose coming from the pump and give you 2 or up to 5 tubes on some models. and last and yet very importnat is a check valve. any pet shop should carry all of the supplies you need, heck i think walmart has all that stuff.
 

M

Meleemaker

Medium Fish
#8
Nov 17, 2010
84
0
0
Pierre SD
#8
Well I caved and got one for him about a month ago that's got like two bubble rods covering the entire back side off his tank and he is much more active.... And as for the filter... Possibly within a few weeks a may upgrade. It seems to do a fine job as long as I keep the filters changed every month or so. And Wal mart is my LFS and shipping kills me on lots of items so my only other option is where my girlfriend is going to school.... And that's a good 4.5 hour srive
 

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