550L+ What To Do?

[hamfist]

To the OP ......

.... I suggest you do your own research about which filter(s) to buy.

I am a very happy owner of an FX5 and, like any product, there are certainly some reports of failures but considering the high numbers of FX5s out there you would expect that of any electrical item. If you search for reports of faults on the big expensive Eheims then you will find them. Doesn't mean that they are cr@p filters though. Every electrical product has its failures and if you read a broad spectrum of advice and reviews I think you will find that the FX5 has no more than any other.
THere is almost nothing out there which can even approach the output of the FX5, anywhere near the price point. THe nearest Eheims (and I am a big Eheim fan !) still do not have as decent a flow rate , and are more than twice the price.

The Allpondsolutions EF2000 on paper has a high flow rate, and they are very cheap. However, they have a relatively small filter media volume, and are really quite noisy.

 

[always4lora]

I've had my fx5 getting on two years and it was brought from someone on here 2nd hand , still no problems i do have an eheim 2078e as well. p[refer the fx5 plus it was over £100 cheaper

 

[DazzaClio]

Hi,

I dont want to get involed in a big debate over this.

I know bigger the better but your Oscars will be fine in your new tank its alot better than what some keep them in, ie ive recently just rescued 9 Oscars which are all around 5 and a half inchs and where being kept in a 4ft roughly 120 litre tank.

I have an FX5 and so far (touch wood) its fine and doing a great job.

As for plants dont bother with real ones just get some fake ones.

Good Luck.

Thanks Darren.

 

[GShorty1981]

I still think they will be fine in a 4x2x2, they dont just swim at one level, if yours does its got a swim bladder problem lol.

A 4x2x2 would be the minimum tho, and i personally wouldn't do it because i don't like Oscars and think it would be a waist of a tank that you could have a nice community with Geos and a Sev etc.

no mine is quite healthy and uses all of the tank and the extra height of the op's tank will be appreciated but im not on about the height. putting 2 foot long fish in a 4ft tank is just asking for it and not fair on the fish. they need room to swim about you know.....

if you have ever kept large cichlids then you will know how they need room to keep out of the way from time to time and just get away from it all. the tank will be fine for 5-6 months max then either the fish or the tank needs an upgrade. if your lucky you will get 2 fish that get along which is more likely if they are grown up from juvis 1-2 inches but even at 3-4 inches they can be very aggressive to any fish but especially their own kind. this is why people keep big fish in big tanks.
the 2ft depth and 30 inches high is great but the 4ft width isnt a good size for fish of this nature and size. i added a large green terror recently in with my oscar in a 6.5x2x2 tank and the green terror lasted less than a week before it was battered and eventually died, this tank has 2.5ft on the op's and now i wont keep anything else with my oscar except the catfish and BGK that currently live with him. i am down grading to a 5x2x2 soon and a fish thats a foot long and 8 inches tall soon makes a big tank look small believe me.

Lets get something straight, Oscars do not get anywhere NEAR 2ft, there was a competition thread on MFK over who had the biggest Oscar, the thread was about 30 pages long and the biggest was 14" TL (including tail), imo you are being far to anal about this and the fish will be fine.

 

[hamfist]

Lets get something straight, Oscars do not get anywhere NEAR 2ft,

He ws meaning 2 x one foot long fish, not a two feet long fish. I knew someone was going to misread it !

 

[GShorty1981]

Ah fair enough,i stick with..

120+ gallon that he is stating may not have the best footprint, but for 2 wet pets it is fine, even if not ideal.

 

[mattlee]

I could say a lot of things but ill hold back so not to get in trouble. If you want to put big fish in a tank too small then go ahead but don't seek peoples help when it goes wrong. A 4ft tank is no place for a foot long or even bigger fish. It doesn't matter if its 2ft wide and 30 inches tall, as I stated earlier the height is a bonus not an essential. Telling people to put these fish in a small tank is very irresponsible. Forums are for gathering info and seeking advice which sometimes will be wrong like yours.

 

[GShorty1981]

You need to lay off the negative pills and stop forcing your opinions, me stating opinion should not make you want to 'say something that will get you in trouble' if it upsets you that much you really should not be here.

Forums are for opinions and advice, mine differs from yours so deal with it.

 

[DazzaClio]

mattlee: I can understand fully what you are saying but i dont agree with all of it though, bigger the better defo but id rather see two Oscars in a 4ft around 500 litres rather than a 4ft around 120 litres.

Also everyone is entitled to their own view even if you dont like it.

Thanks Again Darren.

 

[mattyvx]

well I can see i've registered with a very active forum!

Listen, most people are saying the right things I just wanted advice, people experience and opinion. The Oscars are 3-4" now so they will most definately not be too big at the moment. The tank looks absolutely huge!

Yes they might grow too big in the distant future but until then i'll enjoy watching them grow and certainly look to rehome one when they approach 8-10".

Thanks for all your comments i'll get some pics up this week.

P.s. I used toys r us playsand, I'm waiting for it to settle now

 

[mattlee]

You need to lay off the negative pills and stop forcing your opinions, me stating opinion should not make you want to 'say something that will get you in trouble' if it upsets you that much you really should not be here.

Forums are for opinions and advice, mine differs from yours so deal with it.

maybe you should just think about who should be on here or not and look a bit closer to home mate

its not a matter of dealing with it as you suggest its a matter of common sense and people giving out stupid advice. a responsible fish keeper would not cram a big fish into a small tank let alone two of them.....

the op's fish are small and will be fine for a while but then the 4ft tank will become too small for large oscars. im not sure why you cant get it into your head that a fish that can hit 14 inches maybe bigger isnt suitable in a 4ft tank. it doesnt matter how high the tank is as extra height is a bonus not an essential need for the fish. the tank is 2ft wide which is acceptable as the fish when big will have room to turn around but if you have ever kept a fish of this size you surely will know that 4ft of length is not suitable.

the tanks overall water volume sounds big but this is due to the extra height of the tank. when people say for example 55g is minimum for a certain fish then tank footprint has to be taken on board too as tanks can come in all shapes and sizes. a 2ft tank thats 4ft tall has a good volume but its not suitable for any fish over a few inches due to its length.

forcing my opinions..... not really its just some people have no common sense and its such a shame

 

[GShorty1981]

I think you need a chat with a moderator.

Theres no reason why i shouldn't be here other than you telling me.

Maybe i shouldn't be here, you make this place seem very unfriendly and you have a really bad attitude.

 

[mattlee]

I think you need a chat with a moderator.

Theres no reason why i shouldn't be here other than you telling me.

Maybe i shouldn't be here, you make this place seem very unfriendly and you have a really bad attitude.

i agree there is no reason why you shouldnt be on here and its not for me to say who does and who doesnt post comments on here. please read back to yourself a post in this topic where you state " if it upsets you that much you really should not be here". ring any bells.....?

its not about me getting upset trust me. all we can do is advise to people on the forum, if they take the advice then fair enough but im sure there are people that think they know best even after advice. i have learnt much from this forum like many others and it is a great place to get info and advice from experienced fish keepers. forums are open for debates too and it clearly shows you dont like this part as it comes across that you know best which is fair enough maybe you do but the advice you chose to give in this topic in my eyes is wrong.

have you ever kept a fully grown oscar before? im getting the feeling that youve not otherwise you would know how much room they need width ways to swim about......


not sure about your comment about chatting to a mod though could you please explain that.....

 

[walkers101]

after keeping oscars in these sort of sized tanks i would not do it again 5ft minimum seeing as they do struggle to turn around and also with no where to run a nasty spat can turn into a quick eath in a tank that size

the above comments about two Oscars in a 4ft around 500 litres rather than a 4ft around 120 litres is fair enough but that basically saying its ok whih it is not

its not ideal in the slightest whilst have a little more room it is not enough for them

HGS if you have kept oscars before i would respect your opinion but from what i gather you have not

hows about i buy you a 9 foot cage and see if you like it as thats the equivilent of what your saying about the oscars

 

[always4lora]

having seen multiple large oscars i dont see the problem with them in a 4x2x2