Oscar Information

[The_Desacrator]

So how hard are oscars to keep? From the research I did it seems like they are a huge pain. They need to be fed 3 times a day with a very varied diet. I know they can't be with most other fish especially since I'm running just 60g. I am a Aware they need alot filtration and stuff. Does any of the food related stuff actually measure up? Are they that difficult to have? I have never had a big fish before.

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[54seaweed]

I've had 2 Oscars when I was a teen , they are fairly easy to raise but need constant water changes as they are very dirty fish , I always fed mine gold fish , shrimp pellets , and this may sound odd little balls of chop meat with a pea inside , once he gets used to you you will be able to hand feed him , they do get big kind of fast just so you are aware ,

 

[Tbox]

I think you'll hear a lot people tell you a 120 gal tank is needed. Likely a 200gal for a pair of adults to thrive. They will grow fast and quickly make the 60 into unsuitable conditions.
Also steer away from feeder gold fish, because they'll bring disease right into the tank(HLLE, HITH). A quality pellet should be their staple. I used to catch night crawlers, depoop and rinse for fresh meat treats.

 

[The_Desacrator]

Okay thanks. How often should I feed them? Are the frozen blood worm blocks acceptable and how often should I feed him/her?

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[The_Desacrator]

Any tank mates? I know there is alot of debate of the accuracy of aq advisor but it's says b I have like 222% of the filtration I need and I'm only like 74% stocked.

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[Tbox]

Feed once a day, 6 days a week. Blood worms will be fine as treats when they're young, but will just be a mess as the fish become adults.
Are you doubling your tank size? Oscars will get huge. A 60 is just too small for the entirety of the Oscars life span.

 

[Tbox]

They're sweet fish, but you could find smaller, more communal SA cichlids to build the 60 around.

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[The_Desacrator]

Okay thanks. Well I'm just getting one and everywhere I have read 60 is like just enough for one ><. Not really a a fan of most other cichlids. If I didn't get the oscar I would go a completely different route

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[Tbox]

Hmm, ok. Just be sure to research thoroughly the vast archives of cichlids. It takes most people a lifetime to scratch the surface of knowing a thing or 2

 

[The_Desacrator]

Thanks alot for the info. I have found alot of conflicting information online and having info from a person with real experience is great. From what I have gathered like 10-13 is what most sites say but I guess in the wild they get 18 in and are actually caught for eating.

I will do so on the searching. Just looked up red terrors and th ey are b e a u tiful. Says they need 180g tho.

Oh and they are described as jumpers. How accurate is this? Do they jump hard enough to knock off the lid and pop on the floor? Does the jumping go away with age?

Edit again:

Can I put a crayfish in there? I have one in my mother's tank and he's about 4.5 inches. no idea how big he will get but it's just an idea.

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