New 125 gallon Oscar build

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Just bought a 125 gallon tank last night. Hope to start setting up soon for 2-3 oscars and a pleco. Have 2 emperor 400's and a fluval 306 for filtration. Got the tank, glass tops, stand, light and the emperors all for 200$. So I think just be needing substrate and a heater? Was thinking sand? Maybe? also have a 55 with guppies breeding for feeders. Any thoughts or advice before I get started? This is the first time I have stocked oscars. Thanks for the opinions and advice to all.

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Nothing? Ok, trail & error begins!

 

[Megacichlid]

Oscars can be messy,so i like gravel,dosent end up in filter,heater yes run about 78-82*ish,add fresh water salt 1tblspn for each 5 gal,and watch for aggression, in my experience oscars are pretty easy to maintane,just sloppy,good luck

 

[Terrance]

You don't have enough flow/filtration. Without an upgrade in the filter department, you should be prepared to do a very thorough job siphoning every week.

 

[Megacichlid]

Id run at least a fluval 405 or equivelent plus at min a 50% wc weekly

 

[animalzrok2]

hi just wondering if you were planning on breeding the oscars...

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

I have x2 emperor 400s and a fluval 306 that by my math turns 1100 gallons per hour almost a turn over of 10 times an hour. That's not enough? I have no more room on the back of my tank. And no I will not be breeding the oscars.

 

[Megacichlid]

So long as you gravel vac and do wc's regularly with oscars you should be fine,the problem is they poop massive and are incredibly sloppy eaters,but 1100 gph yes sounds fine

 

[Phranque]

NEVER keep two oscars unless they are a mating pair..... Either one or three (or more), and you really don't have room for more than 3. If you have two, one of them is very likely to become the aggressor and can hound the other one to death (literally). With three, if one becomes aggressive, it's spread among the other two. IMO, I would go with one and some other medium cichlids.....

IF you still decide to go with three, be forewarned.... buy a Python water changer, because you will get mighty tired of hauling buckets doing at least 60 to 70 gallon water changes EVERY week for the next decade or more.

 

[Mogurako]

I would spend the money and get one if not two Fluval Fx5 they are amazing filters and will really help keep the tank clean.
For substrate I recommend pool filter sand it will keep all the detritus out of the substrate and makes it easy to to just run the vac over the surface of the sand and suck everything up.

I would start to watch out for aggression around 14 months to 2 years when they reach sexual maturity If two do pair off remove the third and prepare for allot of water of the floor.

Also prepare for a couple of 40% + PWC a week to keep nitrates low.

 

[Terrance]

I have x2 emperor 400s and a fluval 306 that by my math turns 1100 gallons per hour almost a turn over of 10 times an hour. That's not enough? I have no more room on the back of my tank. And no I will not be breeding the oscars.

1100gph is the max flow without resistance. Usually the flow is slower than stated on the box.

Fluval FX5 is rated at 1000gph, but probably not that high with aquarium decor and extra media added to the canister.

 

[Mogurako]

I believe a fx5 is like 750 with media and 925 with out media.

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

Any cool larger fish that you would suggest for tank mates, with an Oscar? Right now I'm leaning to:
1 Oscar
1 pleco (common)

Would a pacu or frontosa do well in there?

I will be adding a second fluval 306 in a couple months.

 

[Mogurako]

Any cool larger fish that you would suggest for tank mates, with an Oscar? Right now I'm leaning to:
1 Oscar
1 pleco (common)

Would a pacu or frontosa do well in there?

I will be adding a second fluval 306 in a couple months.

I would go with a royal pleco over a common I think they look cooler and are also smaller. Pacu would get way to big for a 125 and I would not mix fronts with Oscars.

You can add any larger tetras as dithers. Tinfoil barbs or silver dollars would look cool.

 

[cichlid.greenhorn]

I have heard the word dither before on posts, what does that mean?

Also I'm breeding mollies and guppies in seperate 55s for feeders. How often & how many per Oscar would you feed?

 

[Mogurako]

I have heard the word dither before on posts, what does that mean?

Also I'm breeding mollies and guppies in seperate 55s for feeders. How often & how many per Oscar would you feed?

Dithers are normally a fast moving schooling fish that aggressive cichlid would focus its aggression on chasing them around the tank instead of its tank mates.

I personally dont care for feeding live food, there's no need too and tends to cause more problems than it worth. I would just feed a high quality pellet like NLS, Hakari or OmegaOne.

 

[Phranque]

I personally dont care for feeding live food, there's no need too and tends to cause more problems than it worth. I would just feed a high quality pellet like NLS, Hakari or OmegaOne.

Agreed.... stay away from live feeders. There are good quality pellets that are much more nutritious for fish.


As far as tank mates.... if it were mine, I'd probably be looking at a Jack Dempsey, some Silver Dollars, a Black Ghost Knife and a Royal Pleco..... Mog's right, Common Pleco's get way too big. Even a Royal can get upwards of 14", but will do OK in a 6ft tank, just provide a couple good sized pieces of driftwood for them.

 

[Aski247]

Dithers are normally a fast moving schooling fish that aggressive cichlid would focus its aggression on chasing them around the tank instead of its tank mates.

I personally dont care for feeding live food, there's no need too and tends to cause more problems than it worth. I would just feed a high quality pellet like NLS, Hakari or OmegaOne.

Dithers are actually faster community type fish that are used to help draw out shy cichlids and make them feel more comfy.

"target fish" are the ones used to spread aggression and draw attention away from other tank mates.

I actually bought 10 giant danios today to help keep my RD off my bichir.

If I had them in a nice 125 I would with out a doubt go with exodons as the targets.

And maybe a pair of fire mouth's.

 

[Mogurako]

Dithers are actually faster community type fish that are used to help draw out shy cichlids and make them feel more comfy.

"target fish" are the ones used to spread aggression and draw attention away from other tank mates.

That's right I always get that backwards.

 

[Pton46]

I have kept Oscars and I always a convict.... they are fast and Tough and the Oscars Tend to leave them alone.....As long they don't fit in their mouth.

Don't get Two Convicts because if you get a Breeding pair they are extremely Territorial and will cause problems in my Experience. I had a buddy who put two Convicts in with his Red Oscar in a 75 gallon....worse than the WWF...lol. Lots of water on the floor.