oscar question

[lowered84]

if the rule is a gallon of water per inch of fish why couldn't you keep a single oscar in a well filtrated 20 gallon.As oscar's grow to only 12-14", if this question is ignorent please excuse me i'm only a newbie here.

 

[lucky62]

Are you asking if it's ok to keep a 12 14 " oscar in a 20 gallon tank ?


sorry ,even a 55 gallon is tight for full grown oscar.

Forget that inch per gal rule esp with cichlids .

 

[lowered84]

thank's lucky can you explain why this rule doesn't apply to cichlids?

 

[lucky62]

thank's lucky can you explain why this rule doesn't apply to cichlids?

Mainly because they tend to claim an area of the tank as their own ...............most of it , also with medium to large cichlids ........well they tend to be voracious eaters and messy as well , so inch per gallon won't work do to the amount of waits in the water , fish waists and uneaten food that is .

That rule won't realistically work with dwarf cichlids either.

And a single large specimen would be very unhappy in to small a tank .

 

[jflowers]

The 'Rule' has many problems. With a 20g tank and small fish it works to a point. With large fish, forget it, they need swimming room and sometimes, as with oscars territory, or with schooling fish such as bala sharks swimming room for several fish. As many begginers start with around a 20g and look at fish like danios, neons or guppys, the rule works. It all falls on its face when the begginer gets six 3" gold fish or 4 5" common plecs

Jon

 

[ecto1]

Think of it like this:

An oscar living in a 20 gallon is like YOU living in a very, very, very small closet.

 

[Fishy411]

Well with excelent filtration you could fit more fish that fit in yur tank but With a fish that weill be almost as long as yur tank it is a no.

 

[lowered84]

thank's for the info guy's how about dwarf oscars how big do they get?and do most dwarf chichlids stay small?

 

[Dwarfs]

thank's for the info guy's how about dwarf oscars how big do they get?and do most dwarf chichlids stay small?

There is no such thing as a dwarf oscar...Dwarf cichlids (there are dozens of different species) are usually cichlids that stay under 4"

 

[Vip]

You can keep one in there for a little while as a grow out tank but thats about it, i have one in a 20g at the moment and it didnt take to long for him to out grow it as well but the tank has massive fitration on it and he has only been in there for about 2-3 months bow he is to big for it and will be moved this weekend to a 75g.