What I have to say for the forum and future plans.

[Animallover😍]

I did. A lot. Anyway I have added my shrimp to the 55g, and they are swimming everywhere. The tetras are also babies and juveniles, and are taking no notice at all. Since they are growing up together, I think they can be ok. The shrimp are only about 2cm at the moment.

So I've used a grading chart, about 1 or 2 high grade cherry, about 8 high sakura, and 3 low grade fire red. So far I'm happy. They really like the huge driftwood in the corner. A curious cardinal tetra was looking at the shrimp on the driftwood and he got a shock and skimmed away. They like to scavenge in the java moss.

 

[Animallover😍]

A lot of good news and only 1 piece of bad news. The good news is that my mum is renovating our house and turning the front of the house into a fishroom! Another good piece of news is that my mum is allowing me to get a 4x1.5x1.5ft tank! It's about 70 gallons. Just need to make the money for it lol.
Aquarium: RM195
Stand: RM210
How much money I have: RM115.
I thought it's time to say that I am actually under the age limit for this forum.
So what I can do to make money..
Sell my frogbit at RM 10 per 12-15 pcs.
Sell my old bird cage at RM60 empty or RM85 full set.
Do jobs around the house to make money.
Sell cookies or cupcakes(I've done before)
Sell cardinal tetra fry.
So what I plan to do...
Use the 70g as an upgrade for my 55g(and add some more fish) and use the 55g as an oscar tank(I plan to have 1 oscar only). I've always wanted an oscar and my lfs has two sad oscars that have been there for about 1 year and been moving in and out of tanks(to make space for new fishes) such as 3g, 5g, 10g, and I've seen them in nothing bigger than that.
Good plan or oscars not for beginners?
The bad news is: I have caught the dreaded(though not so dreaded for fishkeepers) MTS (multiple tank syndrome).
Oh and btw, the oscars have been kept in separate tanks though they can see each other all the time and have not been showing bad behaviour. Could I keep them together, or could I add other cichlids to the tank?

 

[Animallover😍]

Could someone please reply to my questions in the previous post? I have some in there.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've never actually kept oscars, so take this with a grain of salt, and I will gladly defer to someone with more experience. But since you asked, here's what I think: Oscars are probably no worse for beginners than any other fish. I suspect they would outgrow a 55 gallon tank eventually, especially two of them together. So you'll probably want to have a plan for that down the road. I'm a little confused, because you said you'd only keep one oscar, but then said you wanted to keep two together. Could you clarify please?

If you do decide to get two, keep a very close eye on them and watch for aggression. Beyond that, I'll let someone with more experience comment.

 

[itiwhetu]

If you want Oscars, use the four-foot tank for them and leave your 55g as it is. You need two Oscars they like to have a friend. It is cruel to keep Oscars alone.

 

[Animallover😍]

If you want Oscars, use the four-foot tank for them and leave your 55g as it is. You need two Oscars they like to have a friend. It is cruel to keep Oscars alone.

Um with the 2 oscars in there, could I add any other fish? Like angelfish or cichlids?
I'm super happy I'm giving the 2 oscars a home. They look so sad in their tiny 5g tanks(I went to the pet store today). I got 6 more black neon tetras, but the guy who caught the fish was careless when I got home I found I had 7 tetras! Will have to return it.
Also, would I have to have a canister filter to keep their water very clean? Are they sensitive?

 

[itiwhetu]

Um with the 2 oscars in there, could I add any other fish? Like angelfish or cichlids?
I'm super happy I'm giving the 2 oscars a home. They look so sad in their tiny 5g tanks(I went to the pet store today). I got 6 more black neon tetras, but the guy who caught the fish was careless when I got home I found I had 7 tetras! Will have to return it.
Also, would I have to have a canister filter to keep their water very clean? Are they sensitive?

Firstly, don't return the extra fish they will never miss it. Then the Oscars, just the Oscars nobody else, just let them hang out together and have fun with them, teach them to jump for their food etc.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't get Oscar cichlids. You might feel sorry for them but they will use up a tank and you can't really keep much with them.

Being young and needing to earn money for the hobby means you want to maximise the use and potential of each tank you have. Having 1 or 2 Oscars in a tank means that tank is wasted on them. If you had smaller peaceful cichlids in the tank, you could breed them, sell the offspring and use the money from that to buy more tanks. You could also use the bigger tanks to rear up baby fish. The fry grow faster in bigger tanks and that means you should be able to sell them sooner.

When I had my fish room (it had 40 tanks in it), only two of my tanks were display tanks. One tank was a 4x2x2ft plant tank, the other was a 4ft marine tank full of marine algae like Caulerpa. These two tanks had fish breeding in them and I used to sell plants and fish from them. But most of my tanks were used for holding breeding stock, breeding fish, and rearing the fry. My fish room paid for itself and actually made me a couple of hundred dollars each week.

Now obviously you don't have to have 40 tanks and you don't need to breed fish for money. But if you are on a limited income and only have a few tanks, then breed small fish that sell readily and reinvest the profits back into more equipment like tanks, filters, pumps, fish food, etc.

If you have space, then get an above ground pond made of UV stabilised plastic or fibreglass and use that to rear up fish when the weather is warm, which is pretty much all year round for Malaysia

You can also breed fish in ponds and a friend of mine had about 10 large above ground ponds that were 10 feet in diameter x 3 feet high. The ponds were filled with freshwater and plants were added. Then we threw in a couple of handfuls of garden fertiliser. The pond water went green and after a couple of weeks, we added the adult fish. We bred rainbowfish in them. We added 2 or 3 pairs of adult fish and left them in the pond for 6 months. At the end of that time there would be hundreds of fish that had grown up in the pond with the adults.

Ideally if you want maximum numbers of fry, you breed the adults in smaller tanks and put the eggs into the ponds to hatch and grow up. You can also put the adults in the pond for a few weeks and then remove them (if you can find them) and leave any eggs and fry to grow up in the pond.

 

[Animallover😍]

Firstly, don't return the extra fish they will never miss it. Then the Oscars, just the Oscars nobody else, just let them hang out together and have fun with them, teach them to jump for their food etc.

I'd rather be honest.

 

[Animallover😍]

Don't get Oscar cichlids. You might feel sorry for them but they will use up a tank and you can't really keep much with them.

Being young and needing to earn money for the hobby means you want to maximise the use and potential of each tank you have. Having 1 or 2 Oscars in a tank means that tank is wasted on them. If you had smaller peaceful cichlids in the tank, you could breed them, sell the offspring and use the money from that to buy more tanks. You could also use the bigger tanks to rear up baby fish. The fry grow faster in bigger tanks and that means you should be able to sell them sooner.

I completely understand. This is why I was a bit doubtful about oscar fish. Thank you so much @Colin_T !! The only problem is I might not be able to find a buyer. My pet shop does not take fish.

When I had my fish room (it had 40 tanks in it), only two of my tanks were display tanks. One tank was a 4x2x2ft plant tank, the other was a 4ft marine tank full of marine algae like Caulerpa. These two tanks had fish breeding in them and I used to sell plants and fish from them. But most of my tanks were used for holding breeding stock, breeding fish, and rearing the fry. My fish room paid for itself and actually made me a couple of hundred dollars each week.

Now obviously you don't have to have 40 tanks and you don't need to breed fish for money. But if you are on a limited income and only have a few tanks, then breed small fish that sell readily and reinvest the profits back into more equipment like tanks, filters, pumps, fish food, etc.

That's a lot of tanks. I like how you can use the hobby to make money for the hobby. The only reason my mom wouldn't allow me to get a tank is because of space. We don't have a lot of space. But I've been trying to make some. My mum is renovating my house and she's allowing me to put my fish tanks in the house if there is space after it's renovated.

If you have space, then get an above ground pond made of UV stabilised plastic or fibreglass and use that to rear up fish when the weather is warm, which is pretty much all year round for Malaysia

You can also breed fish in ponds and a friend of mine had about 10 large above ground ponds that were 10 feet in diameter x 3 feet high. The ponds were filled with freshwater and plants were added. Then we threw in a couple of handfuls of garden fertiliser. The pond water went green and after a couple of weeks, we added the adult fish. We bred rainbowfish in them. We added 2 or 3 pairs of adult fish and left them in the pond for 6 months. At the end of that time there would be hundreds of fish that had grown up in the pond with the adults.

Ideally if you want maximum numbers of fry, you breed the adults in smaller tanks and put the eggs into the ponds to hatch and grow up. You can also put the adults in the pond for a few weeks and then remove them (if you can find them) and leave any eggs and fry to grow up in the pond.

They sell canvas tanks in malaysia, good price(I just found out). 6ftx3ftx1.5ft for RM180. So these can be outside? What about filter?
I have no idea if my mum will allow me.. have to find out.

https://www.lazada.com.my/products/6x3x15-kaki-kolam-kanvas-ternak-udang-ikancanvas-pond-for-shrimp-fish-free-tank-connector-dan-pvc-frame-i2390480296

200gallons.
I am currently in the midst of selling my bird cage, my nitrifying bacteria, my root tabs, my fluval gro+(which I am switching with Seachem Flourish), anything not completely necessary.

 

[Colin_T]

Get 2 or 3 tier stands. You have 2 or 3 tanks on 1 stand and they only take up as much space as 1 tank because they go up.

No idea about the link, it doesn't work on my pc. You can get pond liners, rubber or plastic sheets and use them as a pond. Put a heap of plants in the pond and they will keep the water clean. Grow the plants in pots.

 

[Animallover😍]

Get 2 or 3 tier stands. You have 2 or 3 tanks on 1 stand and they only take up as much space as 1 tank because they go up.

No idea about the link, it doesn't work on my pc. You can get pond liners, rubber or plastic sheets and use them as a pond. Put a heap of plants in the pond and they will keep the water clean. Grow the plants in pots.

I am getting a 2 tier stand with my 4 feet tank. Sorry the link wasn't complete.

6'x3'x1.5' kaki Kolam Kanvas Ternak Udang Ikan / Canvas Pond For Shrimp & Fish Free Tank Connector dan PVC Frame / kembes Kolam / kolam kanvas tebal 0.55mm Super Heavy duty Tahan 6 tahun min | Lazada

inflatable swimming pool 130cm. kolam mandi orang dewasa. kolam mandi fiberglass. kolam ikan pasang siap. boat for swimming pool

www.lazada.com.my

What types of plants?

 

[Colin_T]

That pond would be great for breeding fish or growing up fry. If it was higher, say 2 or 3 feet high, it would be ideal but even at 18 inches high, it would make a good breeding/ rearing pond for most fish.

Most ponds are only 18 inches high for safety reasons, if a child falls in there is less chance of them drowning. However, you can drown in 2 inches of water if you are face down.

If you get a pond like that, put a plastic screen over it to stop birds and other animals getting the fish. Attach the screen firmly and it should stop people getting in too.

--------------------
You can use any aquarium plants in ponds. Water lilies do well and so do Amazon sword plants. Vallis, Hygrophila species, Ambulia, Ludwigia, and most other aquarium plants will thrive outdoors in a pond.

GROWING PLANTS IN POTS
We use to grow plants in 1 or 2 litre plastic icecream containers. You put an inch of gravel in the bottom of the container, then spread a thin layer of granulated garden fertiliser over the gravel. Put a 1/4inch (6mm) thick layer of red/ orange clay over the fertiliser. Dry the clay first and crush it into a powder. Then cover that with more gravel.

You put the plants in the gravel and as they grow, their roots hit the clay and fertiliser and they take off and go nuts. The clay stops the fertiliser leaching into the water.

--------------------
TRUE AQUATIC VS MARSH/ TERRESTRIAL PLANTS
Lots of plants are sold as aquarium plants and most are marsh plants that do really well when their roots are in water and the rest of the plant is above water. Some marsh plants will do well underwater too.

Hair grass is not a true aquatic plant, neither is Anubias.

Some common marsh plants include Amazon sword plants, Cryptocorynes, Hygrophila sp, Rotala sp, Ludwigia sp, Bacopa sp. These plant do reasonably well underwater.

True aquatic plants include Ambulia, Cabomba, Hornwort, Elodia, Hydrilla and Vallis.

The main difference between marsh plants and true aquatic plants is the stem. True aquatics have a soft flexible stem with air bubbles in it. These bubbles help the plant float and remain buoyant in the water column.
Marsh plants have a rigid stem and these plants can remain standing upright when removed from water. Whereas true aquatic plants will fall over/ collapse when removed from water.

Marsh plants do best when put on stands in ponds so the roots are wet but the leaves are above the water. You can use milk crates or bricks to put the pots on so the leaves can come out of the water. Or you can cut a hole in some polystyrene foam and put the plant in the hole. then let the plant float around the pond. The foam keeps the leaves above water and the roots stay in the water.

 

[Animallover😍]

That pond would be great for breeding fish or growing up fry. If it was higher, say 2 or 3 feet high, it would be ideal but even at 18 inches high, it would make a good breeding/ rearing pond for most fish.

Most ponds are only 18 inches high for safety reasons, if a child falls in there is less chance of them drowning. However, you can drown in 2 inches of water if you are face down.

If you get a pond like that, put a plastic screen over it to stop birds and other animals getting the fish. Attach the screen firmly and it should stop people getting in too.

--------------------
You can use any aquarium plants in ponds. Water lilies do well and so do Amazon sword plants. Vallis, Hygrophila species, Ambulia, Ludwigia, and most other aquarium plants will thrive outdoors in a pond.

GROWING PLANTS IN POTS
We use to grow plants in 1 or 2 litre plastic icecream containers. You put an inch of gravel in the bottom of the container, then spread a thin layer of granulated garden fertiliser over the gravel. Put a 1/4inch (6mm) thick layer of red/ orange clay over the fertiliser. Dry the clay first and crush it into a powder. Then cover that with more gravel.

You put the plants in the gravel and as they grow, their roots hit the clay and fertiliser and they take off and go nuts. The clay stops the fertiliser leaching into the water.

--------------------
TRUE AQUATIC VS MARSH/ TERRESTRIAL PLANTS
Lots of plants are sold as aquarium plants and most are marsh plants that do really well when their roots are in water and the rest of the plant is above water. Some marsh plants will do well underwater too.

Hair grass is not a true aquatic plant, neither is Anubias.

Some common marsh plants include Amazon sword plants, Cryptocorynes, Hygrophila sp, Rotala sp, Ludwigia sp, Bacopa sp. These plant do reasonably well underwater.

True aquatic plants include Ambulia, Cabomba, Hornwort, Elodia, Hydrilla and Vallis.

The main difference between marsh plants and true aquatic plants is the stem. True aquatics have a soft flexible stem with air bubbles in it. These bubbles help the plant float and remain buoyant in the water column.
Marsh plants have a rigid stem and these plants can remain standing upright when removed from water. Whereas true aquatic plants will fall over/ collapse when removed from water.

Marsh plants do best when put on stands in ponds so the roots are wet but the leaves are above the water. You can use milk crates or bricks to put the pots on so the leaves can come out of the water. Or you can cut a hole in some polystyrene foam and put the plant in the hole. then let the plant float around the pond. The foam keeps the leaves above water and the roots stay in the water.

Valuable information here! Thanks!