im starting a new tank and im getting two ocars but im not sure what other tank mates to get i was thinking maybe a pleco and some pictus catfish would these fish be good together if not what other fish are good with oscars???
Oscar Tank Mates
- Thread starter green0893
- Start date
Miss Wiggle
Practically perfect in every way
how big is the tank going to be?
are you aware you can't just put 2 oscars in together, you either need a proven breeding pair or to get a large group of juvi's, wait for 2 to pair up (no guarantee this will happen) and then re-home the rest.
even with a proper breeding pair they can still turn on each other and when they do it gets nasty!
you need a really big tank to keep more thna 1 Oscar.
are you aware you can't just put 2 oscars in together, you either need a proven breeding pair or to get a large group of juvi's, wait for 2 to pair up (no guarantee this will happen) and then re-home the rest.
even with a proper breeding pair they can still turn on each other and when they do it gets nasty!
you need a really big tank to keep more thna 1 Oscar.
Sorry i did not mean two oscars im thinking bout one oscar and 2 pictus catfish and one pleco are these fine tankmates and what other fish could i add the tank was free some im not sure how many gallons but it is close to 65
Miss Wiggle
Practically perfect in every way
you need at least 75 us gallons for an oscar, more if you want tankmates.
LisaLQ
Fish Gatherer
55g is the bare minimum for one oscar with no company whatsoever. 75g is the minimum with company (dithers - not other big cichlids). Two oscars, or one oscar and another large cichlid, would need 110g. I suppose it depends on whether you want to take your uncle's advice, or that of many other oscar owners - the sizes mentionned are the standard recommendations. It is possible to fit an oscar and companion in a smaller tank, but that doesn't mean it's the best thing for either fish.
Another thing to think of is the dimensions. What is the tank size? It should be at least 4ft x 18" x 18" for a fully grown oscar. Anything smaller than 18" depth and height means they wouldn't be able to turn round (they can and do get to 16").
I had my oscar in a 135g with companions (another cichlid that would end up at 10-12", two convicts, a group clown loaches and a plec), and personally couldn't see much smaller being very fair on the fish - I'd say 75g as an absolute min for an oscar and dithers, 100g for an oscar and another large cichlid, 110g for two oscars.
Another thing to think of is the dimensions. What is the tank size? It should be at least 4ft x 18" x 18" for a fully grown oscar. Anything smaller than 18" depth and height means they wouldn't be able to turn round (they can and do get to 16").
I had my oscar in a 135g with companions (another cichlid that would end up at 10-12", two convicts, a group clown loaches and a plec), and personally couldn't see much smaller being very fair on the fish - I'd say 75g as an absolute min for an oscar and dithers, 100g for an oscar and another large cichlid, 110g for two oscars.
LisaLQ
Fish Gatherer
3ft tanks arent big enough for oscars, no matter their other dimensions. As oscars can get to 16" that's only just over double their length, not enough room to swim properly. 4ft min for oscars. And that's the absolute min.
LisaLQ
Fish Gatherer
Quote from OscarFish site:
Therefore for a 12" oscar, you'd need a 4ft tank. For a 16" oscar, you'd need bigger - but I personally think you could get away with a 4ft. But the dimensions would have to be greater than their eventual size, and as a. oscars get to 16" and b. tanks usually come in 12", 15", 18" widths (and greater but I'm not listing them all lol), your best bet for one oscar would be at least 4ft x 18" x 18". Capacity wise, I dont know how many gallons that is, but if it's over 75g you should be able to get away with a companion, as long as it wasn't another oscar - as two oscars (or oscar sized fish) need 110g.
Edited to add - worked out the capacity, a 4ft x 18" x 18" is 55 UK gallons. Therefore that is the minimum size for one oscar with no company. Although you could possibly get away with a plec (as long as it wasn't a common or a gibby as they get too big).
Therefore for a 12" oscar, you'd need a 4ft tank. For a 16" oscar, you'd need bigger - but I personally think you could get away with a 4ft. But the dimensions would have to be greater than their eventual size, and as a. oscars get to 16" and b. tanks usually come in 12", 15", 18" widths (and greater but I'm not listing them all lol), your best bet for one oscar would be at least 4ft x 18" x 18". Capacity wise, I dont know how many gallons that is, but if it's over 75g you should be able to get away with a companion, as long as it wasn't another oscar - as two oscars (or oscar sized fish) need 110g.
Edited to add - worked out the capacity, a 4ft x 18" x 18" is 55 UK gallons. Therefore that is the minimum size for one oscar with no company. Although you could possibly get away with a plec (as long as it wasn't a common or a gibby as they get too big).
SamUK
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got a feeling your fighting a losing battle lisa.
Silvani
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I totally understand that your Uncle breeds Oscars. And that’s really wonderful to have someone in the family that is so involved with fish.
I have been searching all over the web lately about Oscars myself. And the one fact that I’ve found is that you need 55 gallons for an Oscar by himself. These are extremely messy fish. They create a huge amount of waste, and need that much water just to dilute the amount of poop/ammonia they make. The bigger they get, the more they make.
So now let’s add another fish in a 65 gallon tank. That only gives you 10 gallons to really work with. Now could you do it? Sure. However you’d need to commit yourself to doing water changes almost every other day.
Why people suggest larger tanks is so that you have more wiggle room between water changes. Other wise the nitrates will build up too quickly.
Oscar fish are extremely sensitive to nitrates. Now these are really tough hardy fish, but the nitrates will cause them to develop HITH (Hole in the head disease).
Anyways, long story short, 75 gallons really should be the smallest tank you get if you want to get 1 other tank mate. That at least gives the fish 20 gallons of bio load water.
Remember the smaller the tank, the more work it will be on *you*. If you want the water to be healthy for the fish, the more water you have, the more you have to dilute the poisons (nitrates). So if you get a bigger tank like this fine people are suggesting you will only need to do weekly water changes, and if you’re a day or two late your fish wont be hurt by it.
Hope that makes sense and for your own ease, and the comfort of the fish you’ll chose a larger size tank if you still want to keep a lot of other fish with the Oscar.
I have been searching all over the web lately about Oscars myself. And the one fact that I’ve found is that you need 55 gallons for an Oscar by himself. These are extremely messy fish. They create a huge amount of waste, and need that much water just to dilute the amount of poop/ammonia they make. The bigger they get, the more they make.
So now let’s add another fish in a 65 gallon tank. That only gives you 10 gallons to really work with. Now could you do it? Sure. However you’d need to commit yourself to doing water changes almost every other day.
Why people suggest larger tanks is so that you have more wiggle room between water changes. Other wise the nitrates will build up too quickly.
Oscar fish are extremely sensitive to nitrates. Now these are really tough hardy fish, but the nitrates will cause them to develop HITH (Hole in the head disease).
Anyways, long story short, 75 gallons really should be the smallest tank you get if you want to get 1 other tank mate. That at least gives the fish 20 gallons of bio load water.
Remember the smaller the tank, the more work it will be on *you*. If you want the water to be healthy for the fish, the more water you have, the more you have to dilute the poisons (nitrates). So if you get a bigger tank like this fine people are suggesting you will only need to do weekly water changes, and if you’re a day or two late your fish wont be hurt by it.
Hope that makes sense and for your own ease, and the comfort of the fish you’ll chose a larger size tank if you still want to keep a lot of other fish with the Oscar.
i think now days people really do go a little OTT when it comes to tank sizes i mean my local lfs swears to me he has 2 oscars in a 4ft tank for years. i see it this way who said a certain tank was the right size the fish, the fish its self? nope. lol.
no tank is ever big enough if you look from whrere they are meant to be so id suggest a 100000000000000000gallon tank per 1 oscar hope this helps
no tank is ever big enough if you look from whrere they are meant to be so id suggest a 100000000000000000gallon tank per 1 oscar hope this helps
-*-MicHAeL-*-
Fish Addict
i think now days people really do go a little OTT when it comes to tank sizes i mean my local lfs swears to me he has 2 oscars in a 4ft tank for years. i see it this way who said a certain tank was the right size the fish, the fish its self? nope. lol.
no tank is ever big enough if you look from whrere they are meant to be so id suggest a 100000000000000000gallon tank per 1 oscar hope this helps
Anyone can put any size fish in any sized tank they want, but this doesnt mean the fish would be healthy and live a happy life. Just because you local lfs keeps fish in tanks of a certain size doesnt mean its a good thing.
LisaLQ
Fish Gatherer
And some LFS claim that common plecs get to 6", or that pangasius will only get to 8", or that you can keep aggressive cichlids in with tetras. Many LFS will sell you fish at the same time as buying a tank, with no mention of cycling it. Some LFS will tell you you need nitrate remover, ph adjuster, ammonia lock and god knows what else without even asking your stats, or telling you about water changes. It's called sales pitch. And the fact that some (but in fairness not all) LFS wouldn't know how to look after a fish correctly if it came with a manual and helpline.
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