Flowerhorn or oscar in 55 gallon?

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bm5424

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I'm getting a 55 gallon tank and I want to keep a single fish in it. I was wondering if either a flowerhorn or Oscar would be fine in one it's whole life with gravel and some driftwood. I was planning on buying it at a young age and small size and watch it grow up. Would this be ok? I'm guessing it's the bare minimum.
 
im not sure on the flower horn, but i know 1 oscar needs a 75g minimum.
 
I'm getting a 55 gallon tank and I want to keep a single fish in it. I was wondering if either a flowerhorn or Oscar would be fine in one it's whole life with gravel and some driftwood. I was planning on buying it at a young age and small size and watch it grow up. Would this be ok? I'm guessing it's the bare minimum.

Either one would be fine in that sized tank, but keep in mind your main focus should be water conditions which can deteriorate quickly with large fish, this may require 1-2 50% weekly water conditions to keep the nitrates at bay. Either one of these fish are prone to HLLE which is caused mainly by poor water conditions, thiis will be your biggest challenge rather than size. And your right this is the bare minimum.

Better for a flowerhorn. A 55 is too narrow for oscars at full grown size.

I've kept dozens of full grown oscars after being rescued in 55g with no issues, you do realize fish can bend when they turn.
 
HUKIT said:
I've kept dozens of full grown oscars after being rescued in 55g with no issues, you do realize fish can bend when they turn.

I know they can bend but it's still too narrow for one let alone dozens be comfortable.
 
I know they can bend but it's still too narrow for one let alone dozens be comfortable.

Based on your personal experience or just more perpetual regurgitated information spread around Internet forums? A 55g is well known for being the minimum tank size for a larger solitary fish.
 
I have mixed feelings about oscars in 55's , yes they can live their entire life in a 55, it happens all the time. Is it Ideal for them, probably not. Oscars are actually marketed towards 55 gal tanks, that is one of the most common tank sizes , almost every pet shop you go to has a bunch of oscars for sale probably headed for a 55 or even smaller. If you get a oscar and keep it in a 55 and really keep the water conditions right you might be doing the fish a favor because no telling where that fish would end up. Oscars are one of the most abused fish out there. But to answer your question a flower horn would be a better choice for a 55.
 
A single flowerhorn needs lil less than a single oscar.a 40g tank is enough for a single flowerhorn & a 55g is good for single oscar.ofcourse the bigger is the better.but this is minimum requirement for them.I read somewhere that a oscar lives happily in a 55g if water conditions are good adding the next oscar require 25-30g more space.
 
This is from experience. I first got into cichlids with 3 oscars in a 55g, then tried a 75, and finally my current 125. once I added driftwood and other decor it wasn't wide enough for them to be healthier and more active. Water conditions and feeding routines have always been the same for the past 15 years of fish keeping.
 
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