Oscars

[afireinside]

I'd like to get an Oscar. what is the minum tank size for a oscar?

 

[Fiori]

55 galls is the absolute minimum but bigger is preferred - at least 75 really to give him a decent amount of space.

 

[freddyk]

When considering the size of the tank you'll want to consider the adult size. Any Oscar you get will reach about 12" within 2-3 years. A male, over time, will continue to 14, or even 16 inches. This is no slender cichlid either -this is a big, thick, meaty, and very messy 14 incher. There are three things we need to look at: wandering room, maneauverability, and pollution.

4 feet is a nice length for one or a compatible pair of Oscars, it gives them a bit of space to swim, and gives you a bit of space to decorate a bit so you don't have a big empty tank. In this aspect that 55 or 75 will work, or even a 40 gallon breeder, which is also 4' long.

The 12" depth of the 40 or 55 gallon will be fine for a good two years, but after this your Oscar will be living in a 2 dimensional world where it can only swim to one end, fold itself over, and swim to the other end. You will also be unable to have decor in the tank because the adult fish will need all the space. The 18" depth of the larger tank will let you put some driftwood or fake plants or whatever and make it look like an aquarium instead of a tank while giving the fish a bit of living space for the long term.

An often overlooked aspect is simple water volume. The more you have, the cleaner the tank will keep for the same amount of time. The extra 20 gallons of the 75 makes a difference, and the extra 15 in the 90 gallon makes even more of a difference. Since Oscars foul the water quickly, and foul water will lead to poor growth (not just slower, but ugly and possibly stunted) and diseases like the notorious hole-in-the-head, the answer is simple - as big as you can.

 

[GirlinWayside]

I had an Oscar in a 55 gallon tank and you really need something bigger than that! Mine grew to be 12 inches long and he lived for 10 years. I truly believe he would have lived longer if he would have had more room to swim. He done okay in this size but after the 4th year he really had a hard time turning around

 

[Fella]

When considering the size of the tank you'll want to consider the adult size. Any Oscar you get will reach about 12" within 2-3 years. A male, over time, will continue to 14, or even 16 inches. This is no slender cichlid either -this is a big, thick, meaty, and very messy 14 incher. There are three things we need to look at: wandering room, maneauverability, and pollution.

4 feet is a nice length for one or a compatible pair of Oscars, it gives them a bit of space to swim, and gives you a bit of space to decorate a bit so you don't have a big empty tank. In this aspect that 55 or 75 will work, or even a 40 gallon breeder, which is also 4' long.

The 12" depth of the 40 or 55 gallon will be fine for a good two years, but after this your Oscar will be living in a 2 dimensional world where it can only swim to one end, fold itself over, and swim to the other end. You will also be unable to have decor in the tank because the adult fish will need all the space. The 18" depth of the larger tank will let you put some driftwood or fake plants or whatever and make it look like an aquarium instead of a tank while giving the fish a bit of living space for the long term.

An often overlooked aspect is simple water volume. The more you have, the cleaner the tank will keep for the same amount of time. The extra 20 gallons of the 75 makes a difference, and the extra 15 in the 90 gallon makes even more of a difference. Since Oscars foul the water quickly, and foul water will lead to poor growth (not just slower, but ugly and possibly stunted) and diseases like the notorious hole-in-the-head, the answer is simple - as big as you can.

[snapback]886855[/snapback]​

I've read a lot of info on oscars in my time, and I think this is the best advice I've read. The bigger your tank is, the happier your fish are.

 

[Nidge]

When considering the size of the tank you'll want to consider the adult size. Any Oscar you get will reach about 12" within 2-3 years. A male, over time, will continue to 14, or even 16 inches. This is no slender cichlid either -this is a big, thick, meaty, and very messy 14 incher. There are three things we need to look at: wandering room, maneauverability, and pollution.

4 feet is a nice length for one or a compatible pair of Oscars, it gives them a bit of space to swim, and gives you a bit of space to decorate a bit so you don't have a big empty tank. In this aspect that 55 or 75 will work, or even a 40 gallon breeder, which is also 4' long.

The 12" depth of the 40 or 55 gallon will be fine for a good two years, but after this your Oscar will be living in a 2 dimensional world where it can only swim to one end, fold itself over, and swim to the other end. You will also be unable to have decor in the tank because the adult fish will need all the space. The 18" depth of the larger tank will let you put some driftwood or fake plants or whatever and make it look like an aquarium instead of a tank while giving the fish a bit of living space for the long term.

An often overlooked aspect is simple water volume. The more you have, the cleaner the tank will keep for the same amount of time. The extra 20 gallons of the 75 makes a difference, and the extra 15 in the 90 gallon makes even more of a difference. Since Oscars foul the water quickly, and foul water will lead to poor growth (not just slower, but ugly and possibly stunted) and diseases like the notorious hole-in-the-head, the answer is simple - as big as you can.

[snapback]886855[/snapback]​

Great advice, couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[fayebee]

i was considering getting a pair of oscars for my 100gallon tank but decided against it because of the other fish that i wanted to put in the tank. I got two Severums instead of oscars. They don't get any were near as big and look kind of similar. They are really nice fish and I would suggest them as an alternative if you cannot get oscars.

fayebee

 

[Warrior]

i was considering getting a pair of oscars for my 100gallon tank but decided against it because of the other fish that i wanted to put in the tank. I got two Severums instead of oscars. They don't get any were near as big and look kind of similar. They are really nice fish and I would suggest them as an alternative if you cannot get oscars.

fayebee

[snapback]888399[/snapback]​

You know, I would agree, and I didnt belive they get large at all, but my LFS has one adult male at 12" and another gold one at 11" in the same tank, its such a sight to see as well. They are so tall and fat its unbelivable. I have only ever seen one larger one whitch is owned by a member on another forum. Its helf in a 1000g custom made tank with pacu's and so on and is at least 13" maybe bigger. In the video he posted you see a 11" Oscar swim past and the severum is larger than the Oscar. I have this video somewhere on file and I will upload it soon, it has to be seen to be belived.