Meaty getting agressive

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#1
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#1
I've never really read at about what age/size oscars reach that certain age where they start getting more agressive. But lately, in the morning I wake up and turn on Meatys tank lights, and hes in the back of the tank attacking the heater. He looses alot of colour, and puffs out his gills so they are HUGE and he rams into the heater like there is no tomorow.

Think he could break the heater? And if so how would I prevent that...Putting a large rock in front of it? I dont want him to get shocked from a broken heater....:eek:
 

Avalon

Avalon

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 22, 2002
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Ft. Worth, TX
www.davidressel.com
#2
Do you really need a heater? I know you're up there in Canada, but if your house maintains a 73-80 degree F temp, then your Oscar can easily live in moderately lower temps than the 78F norm. Central American fish are tough as nails compared to your average tetra.

If your heater is a cheapy, then you would be well advised to buy one with a thicker mil glass and secure it well. They will beat it until it breaks (the glass is not tempered)--it's only a matter of time. My jags would stare mine down, but when they decided it didn't move, they left it alone. I ultimately pulled them with no ill effects. I've kept many CA cichlids with no heaters, down to 72F with no issues whatsoever.
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#3
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
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Florida
#3
Well the issue with that is my house is air conditioned, and the tank is in the basement so its even colder down there...So I do need a heater... I just dont want to wake up one morning to a cooked oscar
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#4
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
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Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#4
I would say it's an issue of boredom more so than aggression.

If you have a canister filter, you can get an external heater. They are more pricey than the regular ones, but I think I would almost have paid double for the one I have. They are great, and well worth every penny. Or, you can get a Stealth heater. These are made of plastic, not glass so they shouldn't break. I've used several of these as well and love them.

I do think she would need a heater. I agree that CA's are very tough and can handle environmental changes better than many other fish, but still there is a limit at what they can safely endure. I would be more worried about the nightly/daily fluctuation's than a steady low temp, IMHO.
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#5
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#5
Oscars are SA though ;) lol

Anyway, yeah I got a cansiter...and to be honest...I'm scared to open the thing. I got it when I first got my tank (used tank, filter...everything from my friend almost a year ago now) And I dont even have the manual for the filter. So knowing my luck, I'd open it up and screw it royally that I'd need to spend big bucks on a new fluval.

I've never seen a stealth heater around here, what does the packaging generally look like? And any other plastic heaters you could suggest?

And I dont even know the wattage of my current heater...How many watts for a 58gal should there be?
 

Avalon

Avalon

Superstar Fish
#6
Oct 22, 2002
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Ft. Worth, TX
www.davidressel.com
#6
Oscars are Central American. :) Of course, nowadays they can be wherever you want to rear them. ;)

Why are your afraid to open your cannister? That would have been the first thing I would have done. That and get new filter pads, then media upon initial examination of the current bio media. Number one, replace the pads. Number two, replace the coarse media. Number 3, replace the primary bio-media. Rinse, repeat.

The Eheim/Jager's are good. That's what I've used for the past 6 years, and they've held their own quite well. Be sure to get 2 suction cup things, not one. Big Al's has these heaters on sale right now at excellent prices!
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#7
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#7
Well, according to cichlid-forum they are SA, but regardless it doesnt matter haha

I dont know how to stop suction, and how to stop all the guck going into the tank. When I first got the tank there was all new filter media in it and it was good to go. You know...it might be a good time to invest in a better canister anyway, the fluval I have now is pretty old I think...And if I got one, I could learn how to use it properly haha

Are the Eheim/Jager's heaters common? And not so spendy? Thing is, I'm going to Vancouver this weekend for a concert and my birthday ( :D ) and I should be comming home with some coral too, maybe I'll check out Big Als in Van, cause we dont have one here...
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#10
Feb 10, 2003
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#10
I've used the stainless steel heaters before (in my oscar tank no less) and I liked it. I liked the external controls most, no water up to the pits if you needed to adjust the temp.

I don't know of any other heaters that use plastic than the stealths. Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm Stealth Heater-50 Watt at Big Al's Online
I've also seen them in a plastic bubble package before.

But one thing I do really like about the external heaters is that it totally removes the possibility of the oscar doing anything to the heater or hurting itself.
Hydor ETH In-Line Heaters

BigAls didn't have this listed on their website, so I don't know if they have it in the store or not.
 

TLH

TLH

Large Fish
#11
Jun 27, 2005
703
1
0
Northants;England
#11
Katie217 said:
Oscars are SA though ;) lol

Anyway, yeah I got a cansiter...and to be honest...I'm scared to open the thing. I got it when I first got my tank (used tank, filter...everything from my friend almost a year ago now) And I dont even have the manual for the filter. So knowing my luck, I'd open it up and screw it royally that I'd need to spend big bucks on a new fluval.
Click to expand...
I have the manual for mine. If yours is a 104-404 then I could copy certain pages for you if we can't explain what you need to do. I've had my 104 now for almost 3 years and open it every week or two. They are really simple aslong as you remember to close the right side first.

Ah, found it on PDF if that helps. http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/Fluval_MSF_Manual.pdf
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#12
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#12
I think I'm going to hold off on opening it for a while...and I think I'll actually purchase a new canister (a bigger one)
Thanks Orion, I'll check out those links!
 

JJDoyle2004

JJDoyle2004

Medium Fish
#15
Jul 13, 2007
56
0
0
California
#15
I don't know much about any of this really, but I dn't even use my heater at all and the tank stays between 76 and 80 depending on the time of day, but of course I live where our summer days get up around 125 f out so.... But, De La Hoya is 7-8 in and getting agressive as well.... yesterday when I went to feed him he jumped out of te water at my hand. when someone walks by the tank he swims full force into the side at them, and has started charging at my pleco too, he attack the gravel vac and pretty much everything he sees, it's getting kinda scary. Anyhow, maybe you could put your heater horizantal near the top edge of the tank and see if that helps???
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#16
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
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Kentucky
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#16
All joking aside Kate, It's a X04 model, right? I've got a 404 on my 75 gallon. They are actually very simple to provide maintance on. I've had mine for close to three years now I guess and the biggest problem I've had with mine is when I was using it on a planted tank debris tend to get stuck in the intake water 'quick disconnect' shut off, and when I would disconnect the hoses the intake wouldn't always shut all the way leaving a little drip of water while I had it unhooked. But I still think it's a good filter. One of the best things IMHO about these are the large pre filter's that catch the big gunk before it gets to the rest of the media. It's really nothing to be scared of, I promise :)
 

TLH

TLH

Large Fish
#17
Jun 27, 2005
703
1
0
Northants;England
#17
If it's not a x04 series you can find the manual on the Hagen website just like I did for the one I posted previously.

I would say you have to clean it. After a year of use it has to be dirty in there and it'll work so much better after a clean. What have you got to loose? Read the manual and have a go.:cool:
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#18
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#18
I just got back home today from Vancouver, and Meaty seems to have mad himself a little home in the back corner. Dug a small pit, and guards it. Think this is a sign of a male oscar, or a female wanting to lay eggs?! :eek:
 

Orion

Orion

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#20
Feb 10, 2003
5,803
3
38
Kentucky
www.thefishcave.net
#20
I still think it's a possibility your oscar is just bored. Everything you've mentioned is something that I've saw mine do at one point or another.

I think I do recall reading that some females have laid eggs without a male being present, but if she does she will most likely eat them once they start to fungus. Either way, doesn't sound like anything odd or to worry about :)
 

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