help needed with my oscar

[dolly_daydream]

hi
i went to my lfs today for some stuff for my tank not meaning to get any fish,anyway i looked in the tanks as i usually do and i noticed something different in one of the tiny tanks at the top, it was a oscar but he looked really weird and his mouth was perminently open and he only had half of the fins he should have they had been nipped badly,and what also struck me was that he was a huge oscar in a community tank with guppys and neons and platys,so i asked the owner how come he has a oscar in a community tank and he says,"oh hes deformed he isnt capable of eating any fish they bully him thats why he as no fins"so i said how much and he said you can have him he,s ugly he,s 3 years old and he,s been to 4 fish shops and no one wants the ugly bugger,i got him given to me so you can have him,anyway i took him home and put him in my community tank half expecting him to eat or at least chase my fish,but hey he,s great he doesn,t,and also the only way he can eat is if you hold the food to his mouth and he kinda sucks it,i put him in my tank and i also have put some melifix in with him in case his nipped fins turn to fungus,ive never had a oscar before so can any one tell me what i can do to make him happy and healthy
thanks

 

[canarsie11]

So you put a stressed, oscar in your community set up?

I dont think that was a bright idea, its okay to want to help fish, but now you put the rest of your fish at risk.

 

[bunjiweb]

Why dont you help the fish by getting it a new tank? A cheapo Clearseal 30G tank would set you back next to nothing, and a nice tank can still be found fairly cheap (even second hand!)

I wouldnt advise keeping him in the community tank for very long at all.

If you took him on, you have to care for him and treat him as best you can.

Ben

 

[canarsie11]

How big is your community set up?

 

[dolly_daydream]

190 litres

 

[canarsie11]

190 litres

Can someone give me that in gallons?

 

[canarsie11]

I think thats about 50 gallons?

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Now that oscar is 3 years old, so I am assuming it is large (oscar keepers please respond) How big is the oscar?

 

[Teelie]

Even if he doesn't eat your fish, the amount of waste produced might do them in instead. Go with the other suggestion of trying to get a seperate tank for the Oscar if possible.

 

[Joviella]

I think thats about 50 gallons?

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Now that oscar is 3 years old, so I am assuming it is large (oscar keepers please respond) How big is the oscar?

190 litres is indeed 50 us gallons (approx)

 

[canarsie11]

That oscar can be in there himself!

What I dont understand is this:

With all the risk you put your tank in, when introducing seemingly healthy fish and dont quaruntine.

Why would you introduce any fish that you know is stressed before hand?

Then you are introducing an oscar?

What happens when this fish gets healthy, and one morning you awakened, and he is in the tank by itself?

 

[cation]

Okay guys, she hasn't even had a chance to come back and respond. We all made newbie mistakes. Maybe give her a chance to come back and tell us her plan before you jump on her? We still have a chance to catch this fly with honey.

 

[dolly_daydream]

hi
thanks every one for replying, i know i may sound stupid i know what i did was wrong but i just couldn,t bear to see him picked on,i plan on getting him a 4 foot tank for himself this week i usually get the tank before the fish but like i said i wasn,t planning on getting some more fish,i have 2 spare fluval 4s and a spare heater,to be honest i have just about everything spare,just no tank,but pet at home are doing a 4ft tank hood and cabinet for £170 so i think i will treat him to that ,tomorrow morning and ill put some gravel out of my other tank in my new tank and some rocks ect,and a bit of filter medium to mature it faster,ive put a partition between the community tank to keep the oscar on one side and the other fish on the other side so the oscar cant get the oppertunity to suddenly feel peckish,i rushed my other post so i didn,t get the chance to explain my self properly,anyway what i want to know is when he gets to his new tank what tank mates can i get??if any,see i have never had oscars before so i know nothing about them im reading up on them like crazy though,sorry for worrying you all
thanks

 

[canarsie11]

Okay guys, she hasn't even had a chance to come back and respond. We all made newbie mistakes. Maybe give her a chance to come back and tell us her plan before you jump on her? We still have a chance to catch this fly with honey.

No one is jumping on her, she said she needs help and she will.

Why does she have to be online for us to respond, when she returns she will see our opinions. Dont be so sensitive

 

[cation]

All right.

 

[canarsie11]

Its good that you are getting larger tank Should have stated that in the first place (congrats on new tank!)

However, since he is an oscar no one wanted, you should have left him at LFS, til after tank, cause even with partition your fish are still at risk.