Oscar tank

[WackyInsertions]

I've had fish all my life and I've been keeping them on my own for a little while now, and I've always wanted an oscar; I love those fellas. To keep things brief, I might soon have the capacity to get and properly care for one of those monsters.

I've heard all kinds of ranges for the size of tank for an oscar, everything from 55 gallons up; well, I have the money to get just about whatever I want, and I want this guy to be happy, not just comfortable. I would likely keep 3-4 grown clown loaches with him (for mess and because they're beautiful), so what sized tank would make these guys -happy-, not just ok. So that's one oscar and a max of 4 clown loaches with no other fish (except maybe feeders if I decide to go that route).

Does anyone have any success storied with keeping an oscar with loaches? I've heard mixed things, but mostly "if they won't fit in his mouth, they'll be fine." I wouldn't want them to just not get eaten, though; if an oscar's going to bully the loaches, then I don't want to go that route.

Based on the size of the tank, what kind and how many filters should I have? Is sand or gravel better? Also, I've read about their destructive nature with heaters; any recommendations on a heater that an oscar wouldn't obliterate?

For the record, I posted a while ago about my piranha and I can safely say that the advice I got here saved him; thanks =P.

 

[justDIY]

try one of those titanium heaters; 'unbreakable' as the manufactorer states... one online vendor I was browsing had 50 to 300 watt titaniums for $20 ea (same price for different wattages?) ... I'll try to find them again and post the url

if you're going to get a BIG tank, you will probably want to use a sump for your filters (2x canisters [one for mechanical, one for biological] or canister + fluidized bed filter), glass heater(s) would be safe there

about the size of the tank, remember that fresh water weighs 8.5 lbs per gallon, so a 55 gallon would weigh about 500 pounds, not including gravel and a 120 gallon weighs over a half ton, not including gravel ...so you need to be sure where you are putting that tank can handle the weight safely

 

[Guest]

Not an oscar keeper or expert, but i'll address 2 questions.
You want a cannister filter, no question, the bigger the better, I like Eheim, but they are pricey.

Heater, 2 options, there are Titanium heaters on the market, allegedly indesructable. Another option ties in to your filter question. There are Cannister filters with built in heaters out there on the market also. If you get one of these, the oscar can't destroy what he can't get to!

Glad to hear your piranha is doing well now!

 

[WackyInsertions]

Thanks for the suggestions on heaters and filters.

The weight won't be a problem--trust me. I was thinking something in the area of 125 gallons or more; would that be fine for an oscar and 3-4 fully grown loaches? Bear in mind, I want these guys to have plenty of room; there's nothing sadder than a fish that can barely turn around.

Also, I'd like to go the sand route, but I've never done it before and I'm kind of worried that I'll mess things up. Is it particularly hard, or would gravel be better for those fish regardless?

Thanks; I don't know what my fish would do without this place

 

[justDIY]

well, I read somewhere an Oscar can get up to 12", so if you went with 180 gallon (which is 72x24x24), you could have several oscar in there comfortably (3 to 5 maybe?), and then another 3 to 5 loaches...

I think oscars are a schooling fish (they always seem to school at the LFS), so getting three to start might be a good idea?

I wonder which would grow faster, an oscar or a clown loach ... if the oscar got a lot bigger than your loach, it might decide it's feeding time

What do you mean by the "sand route"?

I use Lake Michigan sand in two of my tanks, and it hasn't done anything abnormal, although it is more difficult to vacuum ... I think the sand here is partly silica and partly ground up rock, having a dark brown color when wet

 

[loganj]

If you do use sand, make sure you use silica sand. Aragonite will drive up your pH.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

I've been told in many situations that most schooling fish need to be kept alone, or in a large group to feel comfertable. I personally have been less succesful, I have two bala sharks, they don't seem to do as well as when I just had one. Its is all according to the type of fish, too, but if aggresive fish are put in a small group such as 3 or 4 opposed to 6, (in my experience) the larger more dominant ones do a good job of keeping the weaker ones miserable.

 

[WackyInsertions]

Thanks everyone; your insight has already helped out my decisions tremendously.

I only want to keep one oscar because I've heard too many success stories about that to think that would be a bad decision. So really, I'm thinking 1 oscar and 4 clown loaches. What sized tank would be ideal for that?

Thanks again.

 

[kribbz]

i would say any tank 75 gallons or bigger. with 4 clown loaches in there with him i would probably go with a 125. also for filters i would use either a rena xp3 or a hot magnum for your mechanical filtration then another HOB magnum filter with the bio wheel for biological filtration. as for heaters i have always used glass and have kept my oscars for about 1.5 years and only one broken heater when they were really small. but i think the titanium heaters are more consistent with the temp of the tank. using sand as a substrate would also be ok just be ready to clean it often because oscars are very messy eaters and when you clean the tank you will suck up alot of sand with you siphon.
those are just a few of my suggestions but pick what you like and what fits your budget.

 

[HoopsGuru]

I've been keeping oscars for three years and I currently have a pair in 120g. I started with just one, but I feel that with a pair both fish act a lot more natural and at ease. It is in my judgement that they are at least moderately social and if given the right amount of space seek out the company of other oscars. This is not to say that one won't thrive in an aquarium, just that I think you will be more impressed with the interaction of a pair since you are able to get whatever setup you want. A 75g tank and up should work nicely, although bigger is always better for these big fish.

I also use sand in my tanks, I would recommend pool filter sand as it is a bit larger than other types and will be less likely to get stirred up, oscars like to dig a bit and can make all sorts of a mess . With the added surface area provided by the sand, I am also able to just use one canister (Fluval 404) for filtration and then a few Maxi-jet powerheads for water movement. I vacuum it by just running my python over the top of the sand, hasn't been a problem yet.

The loaches are a good cleanup fish, but while growing very slowly (much slower than an oscar which will grow at up to 1" per month) they do reach a large maximum size, almost as big as the oscar. Due to this, you will also need to factor this into the tank size.