oscars!

[mickey]

hi! i recently purchased a 29 gallon set-up that was on sale at petco, that has been filtering and should be ready for some fish soon. i wanted to get a little tiger oscar, and i didn't know what other fish would be good for an oscar. my roomate suggested just leaving the tank all to the oscar, but i feel like he might get lonely. i would get another oscar, but i know they get big and i wouldn't want them to crowd each other while they are growing.
is there perhaps a largish eel or something that would be comfortable in a 29 gallon tank? would a little pleco be good for an oscar? i heard sharks were good company, but i also heard they like to be with a lot of other sharks, and i don't want to overcrowd the tank. maybe just one or two other guys for the oscar? any suggestions?

 

[baseballfan111]

a 29 gallon tank isnt that big but im not sure how big your oscar will get, but i think most oscors get around 13" so i think you are really pushing it hold on im gona check my book see equvilent of 13" i think you are fine with just the oscar says 30 gallons so u are accurly pushin it, yes they are cute youngsters but they get BIG also oscars have a very good personaltiy they will eat out of your hand and such. Hope you have fun sorry for the bad news

 

[mickey]

well, i was planning on getting a bigger tank for the oscar for when he started to get big, which i figured would take at least a year, or so. and my understanding is that keeping fish in smaller tanks while they are small is ok, but as soon as they start to grow you need to give them more space. am i wrong? should i start a little oscar out in a really big tank?

 

[baseballfan111]

the bigger the faster they grow, which also means less amont of ammonia and bad chemicals more growing, bigger is more stable. a fish you might want if you get a bigger tank is some conficts with the oscars, they are real cool and they dont get 2 big like oscars and they will try to fight some one twice their size. also if you have agressive fish like this you better have hidding spots w/ live plants, also only agressive with agessive.

 

[smb]

well, i was planning on getting a bigger tank for the oscar for when he started to get big, which i figured would take at least a year, or so.

No, the Oscar will most likely outgrow the 29g in just a couple months. They grow an inch to inch and a half a month until around 7-8".

and my understanding is that keeping fish in smaller tanks while they are small is ok, but as soon as they start to grow you need to give them more space. am i wrong?

No, you are correct. It's just a lot of the CA's/Sa's that are sold in lfs get big fast, except for the festae and maybe a couple others.

should i start a little oscar out in a really big tank?

I wouldn't recommend starting an Oscar out in anything less than a 55g, and I personally wouldn't in anything smaller than a 75g.

Baseballfan111 answered all your hard questions and I completely agree with him.

 

[dolphin]

Hi Mickey

As Smb has said, an Oscar should be in at least 55gall tank.

IMO i would not put a Convict with an oscar. The convict would soon end up as a meal. Even though the convicts can take care of themselfs, the speed that oscars grow, they would soon be large enough to make a meal of even the hardest fighting convict. A large angel fish would be ok, but it will need to be 4-5" when you put it in. I have seen a few angels in with large oscars with no problems.
Clown loaches are also ok with oscars. A common pleco will help to keep the bottom of the tank clean.

 

[smb]

IMO i would not put a Convict with an oscar. The convict would soon end up as a meal. Even though the convicts can take care of themselfs, the speed that oscars grow, they would soon be large enough to make a meal of even the hardest fighting convict.

I missed the adding the convict part.

mickey, either that will happen or you'll have a dead or stressed out Oscar. Either scenario isn't good in the end.

 

[baseballfan111]

i really dont know that much about agressive fish sorry for the mis info