Oscar fight!

[Eggy Toast]

Thanks for your thoughts. Have to say even the advice (generally, not specifically your thoughts) is confusing. Some say only feed every other day, some leave one day a week without feeding, others twice a day... Then there's the tank sizing etc. Beautiful fish though and great characters.

 

[Ichthys]

I never do ‘starve days’ because most fish eat every day. Obviously the more you feed, the more water you need to change, but growth rate and appetite are directly related to water changes so if you want them to grow quick, lots of good food and lots of water changes.
It’s also very handy that Oscars don’t do obesity, so you can’t overfeed them.

 

[lottabubbles]

they certainly do have an appetite, the ones i had long ago had no problem eating whole 7inch chub minnows.

 

[Floridapierce78]

Why is it that you think the two will grow at different rates and not the dozen? I'd have thought it easier to control the food intake with two?
There is a guy on YouTube 'the Do It Yourself King' or something like that. he has a tank of 6 feet with 6 Oscars and a Pufferfish all seemingly doing well.
After researching quite a bit i reached the conclusion that a 5x2x2 would be a good sized tank for them when mature. Now i have them, i'm finding more info questioning that.
Mine Oscars are only small today, bought seperately, one about 6inches, the other around 5. They get along fine for the most part but did have their first scrap a couple of days ago. I read that a rearrangement of the aquarium can stop it. I did that. They have stopped. I do realise that these fish are not even sexually mature yet. Thanks for any thoughts/advice.

Wow.
Have fun. Last summer mine started fighting. I have a 6x18x20. There are with 5 silver dollars and a good 12" pleco. Everybody is happy. I am running super filtration amd doing 2 50% water changes a week. Thank God for "seachem Prime". Turns out mine are a mated pair..after the initial almost killing each other. Literally. They have been nesting fir about 4 months. They are less than a year old and the male is 11" and the female is 9". Still growing. I was new to the hobby when I got them so I overfeeding like crazy. I believe that is what has caused thier monstruous size. I just posted to show. That everyone has an opinion. Every fish is different learn your fish. But i would agree an Oscar should never been in a tank less than 75 gal. Period. More than likely the owner won't do 3 or 4 water changed a week so the fish will suffer . The last pic is the happy family all together in their 125 gal. I am going to upgrade to a 180-220. When I can find one I can afford.

 

[Floridapierce78]

I never do ‘starve days’ because most fish eat every day. Obviously the more you feed, the more water you need to change, but growth rate and appetite are directly related to water changes so if you want them to grow quick, lots of good food and lots of water changes.
It’s also very handy that Oscars don’t do obesity, so you can’t overfeed them.

They will eat theirselves to death though...so I've heard. But i agree I dontbdo starve day. But I stay on top of my water changes. Amd mine are monsters! One Ober 12" amd under a year! A beast a true beast

 

[Eggy Toast]

Wow.
Have fun. Last summer mine started fighting. I have a 6x18x20. There are with 5 silver dollars and a good 12" pleco. Everybody is happy. I am running super filtration amd doing 2 50% water changes a week. Thank God for "seachem Prime". Turns out mine are a mated pair..after the initial almost killing each other. Literally. They have been nesting fir about 4 months. They are less than a year old and the male is 11" and the female is 9". Still growing. I was new to the hobby when I got them so I overfeeding like crazy. I believe that is what has caused thier monstruous size. I just posted to show. That everyone has an opinion. Every fish is different learn your fish. But i would agree an Oscar should never been in a tank less than 75 gal. Period. More than likely the owner won't do 3 or 4 water changed a week so the fish will suffer . The last pic is the happy family all together in their 125 gal. I am going to upgrade to a 180-220. When I can find one I can afford.

Really like your tiger (i'm not fond of red Oscars). My two are OK for now, they have their moments but generally they seem to put up with each other. I'm in the process of getting a larger tank. I'm building my own stand as i don't like those available to purchase and i am a joiner by trade anyway. Nitrates seem to keep in check OK. I have plants already in tank and i've started growing some out of the top. I read that Monstera do excellent in aquariums, grow quick and use a hell of a lot of nutrients (also look cool, especially with the root systems under water), so i have a couple of those and some others to see if it works out. Check out 'DIY King' on YouTube. He has the 6 oscar tank (and it looks great!).

 

[Ichthys]

They will eat theirselves to death though...so I've heard.

Nope. I don’t even know how that is possible.