New 55 Gallon Coming in 2 days!

[BigDaddy420]

ok, im getting the 55 gallon on monday morning, im taking the easy way out and buying bio-spira this time, im still gonna let the tank run for awhile before i put anything in it, but thinking of what to put in it is driving me insane. I really want an oscar or two. but i know after i get that im limited on what kind of tank mates i can have with them. i really like the big silver cats my dad used to keep, he says they were channel cats, but ive never been able to find anything that looked quite like those ones. i really like tiretrack eels too, but ive never heard of anyone keeping an eel with oscars. so what kind of interesting tankmates can everyone suggest for my oscars that i wont have for awhile?

 

[BigDaddy420]

oh, and what about convicts? i always liked those, but never knew if they mixed well with oscars

 

[MidSSouth]

Don't let it run for too long with the bio-spira and no fish because all the bacteria you just paid for will starve to death.

 

[ReverendShmoove]

What's bio-spira?

 

[MidSSouth]

It's cultured and refridgerated nitrifying bacteria that basically allows you to instantly cycle your tank. Add bio-spira, add fish, enjoy. The only place I know to get it online is http://fishstoretn.com/

 

[Lotus]

You really need to add the Bio-Spira at the same time you add the fish. It's probaby a good idea to run the tank for a day or two to make sure everything is working, temp is stable, no leaks, etc. before you add the Bio-Spira/fish.

I believe a 55g isn't large enough for an oscar when it's full grown. Remember, a 55g tank is only 13" wide, so not the best for fish that get up to 12".

 

[BigDaddy420]

i thought i read in the other posts that 55 gallon was the smallest you could have for an oscar, i could have read wrong though. and i didnt know that about the biospira, thank you for informing me of that. i know the biospira is the chicken sh*t way out but i cant go thru the cycling again.

btw, i plan on getting my oscars as babies, hopefully just an inch long or so, that should give me at least a year till i need a 75 or 80 g for the oscars, your breakin my heart here, i really thought i read 55 gallon was big enough for an oscar, thats why when i found this one i snatched it up, im all for getting a bigger tank, but im blowin my fish fund on the 55 so itll be another year before i can get a 75 or a 125.

 

[ram man]

bi sprira is worth the buy. and congrats on the tank. wat fish and olants will you put in it?

 

[BigDaddy420]

im not real good with plants i want to put 2 small oscars in this tsank, but now i dont know. im still wondering what kind of tankmates i could have for them if i went ahead and got them.

 

[phOOey]

i know i've heard people on this board say 55g is big enough for an oscar, i personally think that a 55g could hold an adult oscar, but if you could a 75g would be soooooo much better for a full grown adult. as for tankmates, the only thing you can really get with an oscar is a pleco of some kind.

 

[BigDaddy420]

has anyone had any experiences with oscars and tiretrack eels?

 

[Seleya]

If you really want more than one oscar *and* attempt tankmates as well, you need to start with a much larger tank. Oscars are messy fish even as small ones. Plecos can be in with oscars as well as other larger fish which can look after themselves (so long as WW III doesn't break out) but you need a much bigger tank -- all the fish you suggest require quite a bit of room.