Lighting Question

[jcpaisley]

Hi! New to site, new to oscars...

We got our 2.5" baby in mid-August, and he is now 4". Knew he would grow fast, but WOW! We started him off in a 10 gal, upgraded to a 20 the first week in September, and are currently on the hunt for a bigger (and hopefully his last) new home. However, I have a few questions:

The first water change in the new tank scared him (never seemed to have that problem in the 10 gal), and he bumped his head on some decor in his frenzied state and got a small gash on his forehead -- at least that's what I think happened. Someone mentioned that I should put a small amount of sea salt in the water (1/2 tsp for 20 gal) to aid the healing and prevent infection. Is this okay to do and is it worth the effort?

The new tank we are pondering right now is a 72gal bowfront. I think this is big enough for one oscar, but if we wanted to have two how long might this tank last? What about a 90gal? Also, how would you introduce a new oscar? We are thinking about an albino (our guy now is a tiger), and the guy at the fish store said they were not as aggressive as a tiger so we should get an albino a little bigger than the one we have. Also, introduce the new fish when we change to the larger tank or at least rearrange the decor if it's done later. Another suggestion was to put up a tank divider to see how they react to each other...perhaps instead of an oscar, some other cichlid? Any suggestions?

Lastly, what is the best lighting for an oscar tank. I read somewhere that it is not really necessary if there is enough ambient light in the room and that oscars prefer it to be darker. I just replaced the natural daylight bulb (Eclipse 18" T-8) that came with our hood to a "Power-Glo" and he jumped when I turned it on for the first time. Is the light too strong (it says on the box 18000K (but maybe thats the brand name), 80 lux, ideal for marine and african cichlids (I know tigers are SA) -- I don't know what any of that means and there were sooooo many to choose from)? I do see that there is a difference between the two lights, and he seems to have settled down...

I appreciate any help. I just want to make sure I am doing the right things...

Carrie

 

[Orion]

One would be OK in a 72 bow front, and two might be, I'm not real sure. What's the dimensions of the bow front? And I don't really think that a standard 90 would be any better than a standard 75 from the standpoint of being better for the oscars, as the 90 is just taller and has the same foot print. So if you like the look of the taller tank then by all means go for the 90.

As for the scrape, I had great luck with my oscar in using Melafix when he had injuries. Mine always acted flaky for no good apparent reason at times and would often run into rocks, filters and tank walls that ended up with minor injuries.

I've never heard of treating a wound with sea salt before. Also never heard that albino's, or any other variant is any more or any less aggressive than the next. But yes, sometimes it's good to rearrange the tank when adding new fish to break up any territories that the old fish have.

Lighting isn't that important. But they do seem to prefer a more dimmly lit tank. You don't need to worry so much with the 18000k, lux levels and all that jazz. The 18000k number (color temp) describes the 'color' of the light, and closer to 6500k the closer the light is to giving off light that the sun gives at high noon. So really, this is up to your preference. The oscars' aren't going to care.

And welcome to the tank

 

[Big Vine]

Housing two oscars together often results in them killing one another.
Sure, if you decide to get two you may be lucky and end up with a spawning pair that gets along, or even with two females that get along. Two males together---forget it! This is further complicated by the fact that oscars cannot be sexed reliably until they hit about the 6-8" mark, and even then venting them isn't always 100% accurate. Oftentimes you will need to wait until eggs appear (or do not appear) and see whether or not they're fertilized to determine for certain whether or not your oscars are male, female, or a combination thereof. Even though two younger oscars may appear to be getting along just fine for months on end, the you know what can really hit the fan once they reach sexual maturity.

In sum...best stick with one oscar to a tank.
As long as the 72 gal. bowfront you're considering is at least 4 ft. long, then I'd get that---it would make for an excellent display tank. Otherwise I'd get the 75 gal. If you absolutely must try housing two together, I wouldn't do so in anything less than a 125 gal. tank. As Orion said about the lighting...just use whatever looks good to you. The oscar will adjust. When you're out shopping for fluorescent tubes, just be aware that the "Lux" which you mentioned refers to the lumens (in other words, brightness), so keep that in mind. As an example, my 6,700K 48" fluorescent tube provides 320 lumens, whereas an 18,000K or 2,500K-rated tube of the same length would provide only about 130 lumens, if that. The result being that the 6,700K tube (which is considered a 'mid-spectrum' bulb and simulates the 'high-noon' sun which Orion referred to) gives off much more brightness and therefore illuminates the tank much more significantly than a lower or higher K-rated bulb. Hope that makes sense.

Finally, my oscar gets self-inflicted scrapes on a regular basis, and they always heal up quickly on their own. Keep up with water-changes and keep nitrAtes below 20 PPM and your oscar should do just fine.

Be sure to show us some pics in the "Show off your oscars" thread!
BV

 

[jcpaisley]

Thanks for the replies!

The 72 gal is 48 1/2 x 18 x 23 and the 90 is the same but taller (28 1/2) like Orion said. We just don't have the space right now for a 125 gal, so I guess one oscar it is.

The lighting makes much more sense now than when I was standing in front of all those bulbs in the store. Why can't they just say that on the boxes? LOL Thanks for the info. Any thoughts as to how long a tank should be lit? Right now it is on a timer from 7am-10pm.

As soon as I get a focused picture, I will post it on the thread, but he's a little camera shy...He is very similar in coloration to Triton, BV, alot of green, not too much orange, and beautifully striped fins when they are spread.

Again, thanks for the help!
Carrie

P.S. The tank is great! People here are very informative and responsive. Keep up the good work!

 

[Big Vine]

The 72 gal. bowfront tank dimensions sound good. *thumbsups
As for the lighting, it's mostly a matter of personal preference. Just cut back a bit if algae starts becoming problematic, and be sure to allow a 'night-time' period of darkness for your fish. That's about it. I tend to stick between 10-12 hrs. max.

BV

 

[jcpaisley]

Awesome. Thanks for the advice!