Oscar friends?

[oscarchic11]

Is there any kind of bottom feeder I can put in with my 3" Oscar? She is an albino tiger and is soon being moved to a 55.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

bristlenose plecos, zebra plecos - that kinda thing. check they dont get too big for the tank though, like an l-83 (that i stupidly got) or a common pleco.
how does it behave? i love oscars

 

[oscarchic11]

I learned the hard way that oscars can't be kept with mollies(the pet store said they could) but since figuring that situation out she is much happier, although she is constantly trying to jump out of his tank, which is of course hooded. She loves feeding time, and snacks even more. She likes chicken, burger, and Apple for snack about twice a week. Or a couple feeder guppies just to keep up the predator instinct.

 

[steez]

Careful with feeders, they can carry disease. They are just for fun, they don't carry good nutrients for the Oscar.

 

[Oscar26]

iv just set up my first tank , got some baby oscars , and a pit bull plec and a gold spotted plec , been together a few weeks now and growing nicely and getting along fine ! hope that helps u

 

[Fishguy2727]

A high quality pellet should be effectively their entire diet. I recommend New Life Spectrum. Oscars are particularly sensitive to HLLE which is usually caused by less than ideal food and water quality when it comes to oscars.

Live foods can introduce pathogens, are not nutritionally complete or balanced, and can increase aggression.

IMO oscars need a minimum of a 75 gallon tank for one or two, they just get too big for 55s (unless you keep them in a 55 and stunt them, in which they fish, like a kid kept in a closet always fits in the closet). But the 55 will be fine until it is about 8-10" if you do enough water changes to keep the nitrate under 20ppm.

The full size bristlenose plecos are an option as are many other like like larger Synodontis spp., silver dollars and other larger characins and cyprinids. No common plecos, they get too big, don't eat algae well, and just end up being poop machines (VERY long, stringy poop).

 

[oscarchic11]

I've only given her a few feeders, she gets primarily chiclid pellets. I throw in a couple tropical veggie flakes about once a week 2 cause she seems to like them (that's what she was fed @ store) but they are a treat like I said. And I really want to get her a 150 but don't have the room right now as I live in a small apartment with my lil sister and her young family. I'm only 20 and don't yet have my own place, but once I do I would like to keep my tanks I get as "upgrades" for her and use them for other, smaller fish.

 

[Fishguy2727]

You can get a bigger tank and still keep the 4' length. Four foot tanks include: 55, 60, 65, 75, 90, 110 XH, 120, 150, and even 200 gallon deep dimension.

 

[oscarchic11]

Really!? The biggest tank they have @ my lfs is the 55 I want fyi buy, and my parents are carpenters so I was going to see if my dad would build me a custom stand/cabinet for me.

 

[Fishguy2727]

That is one of the largest of the most common tanks, but there are MANY sizes and shapes available as standard models from multiple manufacturers. Check out the sites of Aqueon and Marineland for more information, then go to your LFS and ask about prices. Keep in mind that in most places the small local shop is a better option for help and knowledge than the big box companies.

 

[oscarchic11]

Well this small local shop told me I could have an Oscar in with 3 mollies in a 10 g.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Then you need to find a new one. They still should be able to get a larger four foot tank for you though.

 

[tiger terror]

I also agree with fish guy,it may be wise to find another lfs on account of such horrid advice...

 

[Fishguy2727]

The best possibility is that it is a horribly informed employee and management may not realize how bad the issue is. With such a knowledge based industry it can be hard to find good employees and they don't always know what to say, which is when they just make it up.

 

[oscarchic11]

I pigeons in a city where there are 2, and the other place is even worse. Twice expensive, and iffy fish.(they tend to die quickly) and it was the owner of the store that told me that I could keep them together. Luckily I thought it sounded strange having 4 2" fish in a 10g, so I bought a 20 just to make sure everyone had enough room. That is what my baby girl is in now til I can get her her bigger one for Xmas. Then get more mollies and another peaceful schooling fish for the 20.

 

[oscarchic11]

Live in* stupid smart phone.

 

[tiger terror]

Sounds good,if the fish quality around you is that poor go online & you can find quality fish to order..

 

[oscarchic11]

I've been thinking about it. But I need somewhere to put my tanks first.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

thats the issue - not enough room for the desired tanks. or the weight bearing issue. or the water change quantity on the bills issue. this is why we dont all have a small ocean or river established in our houses
lol.

 

[oscarchic11]

Ya. I'd love to have a koi pond, but I'm pretty sure Maine is 2 cold. And is have to find somewhere to put them in when winter came. My mom and I had a feeder comet originally for my turtles grow to a foot. We got him when he was an inch long. Lol.