Oscar behaving weird :/

[ultimatedc]

So, I setup a 40 gallon high tank about 3 1/2 days ago. I seeded it with media from my 30g tank as well as my friends healthy, 55g oscar tank. I also added handfuls of gravel from my 30g tank. I added an oscar and a plecostomus. The oscar absolutely refuses to eat. I work at the LFS and I observed him for weeks. He ALWAYS ate, we feed cichlid pellets by aqueaon I believe? Some ****. He also either hides in the top corner, under driftwood, or in a bottom corner.

I have a variety of food and he has refused ALL of it. Tetra flakes, tetra granules, brine shrimp, krill shrimp, hikari growth pellets, I even feed him so of my clown's marine food!

I'm going to buy the cichlid pellets and some bloodworm cubes and hope this works. If anything, the tank could be experiencing a cycle.. my only concern as I've never kept oscars before, will the cycle effect his growth and health later on? I know it can impact fish negatively, but how so for an oscar?

If not a cycling issue, is it possible he is just very stressed from going from our 10g tank at the LFS to my 40g tank, especially considering he was separated from a school of 6 other baby oscars? Perhaps this is it... I just can't pinpoint his problem! You'd think I'd know, but I haven't had much experience with oscars.

Thanks for any advice

 

[mommytron]

how is your water testing? ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

a cycling tank will harm ANY fish. high levels of ammonia burn their gills, high levels of nitrite poison their blood. it's very dangerous and nearly always fatal.

you're going to need a larger tank as the pleco and the oscar grow. the oscar is going to need at the bare minimum a 55g tank, and the pleco 125g or more. they will both get enormous and have huge bioloads.

 

[HUKIT]

Oscars are huge babies when it comes to stress and they will sulk for days. Let him be and give him some time to settle, leave the light out and stop feeding for a day or two. He will eat when he's hungry enough and they can go for weeks at a time without eating.

Second since it's a new tank have you checked your water parameters? Even though it's seeded from another tank there still may be a mini-cycle.

Third you do realize these fish grow around 1" per month and with that growth rate he will quickly out grow that tank. A 75g would be the minimum I would recommend since it carries almost the same footprint of a 55g. I would give it no longer than six months before a tank upgrade is needed. The same goes for that swimming bioload of a plec, which you didn't state whether its a common or other speices, working in a LFS I'm sure your aware of how large they can get.

Good luck and your in for great time raising a Oscar since they can be quite a entertaing fish especially when alone since they'll pay more attention to you. My male and female are both a little over 14"' and can be a handful.

 

[ultimatedc]

I understand the size requires and what not. The pleco is not mine, but a friends. He had no room for him, he is about 6" and was in a 10g tank. I may keep him for a while but I'm not a fan of them so he will be donated eventually.

The oscar, though, should be fine in this tank, at least up until he's 7". It's very deep, he has plenty of room to turn around, swim to the top, and such. He may get bored swimming side-to-side.. however, I have a spare 75g he could go in one day, if need be.

He started to eat today. I've been throwing his food in the same spot to see if he gets down the owner/food repetition down. He ate quite a bit actually but he still hangs up by the filter. Maybe I'll do a PWC, just in case..

 

[mommytron]

since it's a new set up you should be keeping an eye on your parameters. i'd be worried since he's hanging near the surface. what are your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)? even though you used seeded material you may be experiencing a mini cycle.