Getting Oscar (or two) soon, need advice with Tank

[raynist]

Will be getting one or two baby oscars very soon. I would like to buy a tank this Friday and prepare it for the oscar(s).

I have 3 tanks in mind.

First is a 55 Gallon tank (48Lx13Dx21H)
Second is a 40 gallon breeder tankd (36Lx18Dx16H)
Third is a 75 Gallon (48Lx18Dx21H)

The 55 will cost me about $260 total, the 40 about $340 total and the 75 about $400 total (Tank/Hood/Stand/Filter/Gravel/Heater).

Space is sort of an issue and will have to do some rearranging of the room and other tanks to get the 75 to fit. Cost is an issue also.

These factors are making me lean to the 55g is this large enough??

Thanks
Ray Nist

 

[Arashi]

I've never kept Oscars (but I want to ) so I may be wrong in saying this, BUT I believe that you should be able to safely keep one Oscar in the 55...but only one. I think that 55 gallons is the absolute minimum for one. But like I said, I've never kept them, so hopefully an Oscar expert will stop by soon and tell you if I'm full of it or not.

 

[mwm]

Yah you could have one in a 55g but for 2 your goin to need a big tank around like 90g+ becuz of how territorial they are (This is wat i hear, i dont even hav an oscar ) But i do have Jackdempseys are they a similar and they are really territorial

 

[JustinSane]

I'd say that about ~80gal is a minimum for one oscar and something like 140 gallon for two. They do grow up to near 16", which is more than the average depth of a 55 gal tank And the fact that they are cichlids, means that they need a lot of area on the bottom. They are amazing fish, only the best for them IMO.

 

[freddyk]

The 75 gallon is just fine fory an Oscar. As mentioned the depth of a 55 is going to be narrower then the length of the fish, and this is something you don't want. Having the depth 1.5x the length of the fish is a good guide as a minimum.

125 gallons or more is really best for two, considering how big and messy they are. Even a compatible mating pair won't get along all the time, so 5 or 6 foot tank length will give the picked-on more room to get away.

 

[Vip]

At least 100g+ for 2 Oscars, if you where to put 2 in a 75g the filters would end up costing you more than the tank + stand togeather! plus they would end up fighting after a while due to territory like another member has said.

 

[fufanu360]

I'd say that about ~80gal is a minimum for one oscar and something like 140 gallon for two. They do grow up to near 16", which is more than the average depth of a 55 gal tank And the fact that they are cichlids, means that they need a lot of area on the bottom. They are amazing fish, only the best for them IMO.

dude, oscars do grow anywhere near 16 inches in an aquarium...

 

[raynist]

So I guess the concensus is that I should get the 75 gallon tank and only one oscar. I also am thinking of getting an plec.

What else could I put in there, how about 1 Geophagus Jurapari? I don't want just one fish in this big tank.

I think I am going with 2 penguin bio wheel 330's for the tank as they are currently on sale at my local pet shop, should I use sand or gravel base?

Thanks
Ray

 

[Daveo]

as big as you can get

 

[freddyk]

What else could I put in there, how about 1 Geophagus Jurapari? I don't want just one fish in this big tank.

Then the Oscar is the wrong fish for you. If you want more then one fish you need a species that doens't get nearly as big. There's lots of species to choose from.

 

[raynist]

I definately want an Oscar, if that is the only fish I can have in there then that is the way it will have to be. I juvenile oscar is just going to look so lost in that big tank....

 

[mwm]

Possibley a convict?

 

[oscarmanpimpin]

Dude oscars dont grow 16" in a tank... In the wild yes. But no in a tank. I would say possible a 75 for a breeding pair maybe. BUT if u didnt get a breeding pair, then u gonna have some fighting issues maybe. but anywayz i have two oscars right not about 3" they are doing ok in my 50gal once they reach about 5-8 inch imma give one to a local LFS. But for now they are ok in my 50 gal. I think a 50 gallon is better because its taller and not so narrow for the poor lil (big i mean) oscars. Well if ur gonna get an oscar, dont just get sick of it and flush it. that is what my friend did, so now i have two oscars which i didnt really want!

 

[.Occy.]

If you are buying the oscar as a juvi you could probably grow it up with a med cichlid (6-8" that is). A convict, blue acara, or a severum possibly? This, however, is only if you're getting the 75g. Even then you are going to want to have really good filtration. A pl*co may not be a wise choice, as I have noticed with my guy, he produces more waste than he can clean up. He even goes to the top to eat the pellets. Maybe someone else could suggest a better clean up crew?

 

[Jason_S]

as for the stock how about a firemouth, oscar and bristlenose pleco. the trick here is you'll need to find the biggest bristlenose you can and put it in the tank first. be sure to feed plenty of sinking foods since there will be no algae growth yet. next I'd get the firemouth and let it get comfy for a few days and then get a slightly smaller oscar.

as for just a couple fish looking lost in such a big tank, just think about in 6 months when your oscar is pushing 7-8".

as for the setup, if I were you I'd get the tank, stand, hood and lights at the lfs and then get the heaters and filters at www.bigalsonline.com. even if penguin 330's are on sale at your lfs I'd be willing to bet they're still cheaper on bigals. what is the sale price of the Penguin's by the way? just so ya know you can get an Aquaclear 500 for $33 at bigals. Personally I'd try to run 2 Aquaclear 500's or an Aquaclear 500 and Emperor 400 since these fish will put out quite a bit of waste. I run an AC500 and Emp400 on my 75 gallon.

oh, and largely the reason oscars don't reach 16" in tanks is because so many people recommend 55 gallons as the minimum size. Put an oscar in a bigger tank, give him/her a well balanced consistent diet and keep the water in pristine condition and I have no doubt you'll eventually have a 14-16" beauty.