Just got a 4inch Oscar and a 4inch Jack Dempsey today.?

Question

I know i'll have to get a bigger tank for them, probably sooner rather than later. Right now they're in a 10gal tank. But how big can they get before I absolutely have to move them to a larger tank to keep them healthy. I know water changes are a must, especially in a smaller tank.

Also, after swimming around the tank for most of the day, towards the evening just before I shut the tank light off for the night they both started to calmly hover towards the top back corner of the tank. I figured maybe they were trying to get away from the light due to stress(one 15watt fluorescent on opposite side) then after I had the light off for a while I figured that's how they rested(slept). But I read through a handful of the question here and it said that they rest on the bottom. So why are they doing this exactly?

Could it be they're trying to get away from the flow of the power filter so they can rest easy? I'm just throwing out anything I can guess at the moment.

I'd appreciate any help.

Answer 1

First, something you need to realize, The normal fish rules do not apply to Oscars.

They are one of the few fish that will outgrow a tank!

Also, they need 2-3 galllons for each inch of fish.

How long can you keep then in that tank? that depends on the size they are now. If they are small, around 2 inches, they will be fine for about 1 year. If they are already 4-5 inches, you have about 6 months before you need a new tank.

you are right, they do sleep on the bottom, but they are in a new tank without established territory, so they will act differently for the first day or two. Oscars are known to huddle when they are scared. So dont worry about that unless they are still doing it a week from now.

You will eventually need a 55 gallon tank, but you can work your way up to that. While it is cheaper to go straight to the big tank in the long run, as you are buying fewer tanks and equipment overall, you can slowly increase the size.

When i started with Oscars i used a 20 gallon tall,and that lasted about 2 years.

as for only keeping them together, Oscars and Dempseys are both agressive fish, but they rae two of the LEAST territorial of all agressive fish and will get along fine given room.

I used to keep 2 Oscars (each was 15 inches) with a Green Terror (7-8 inches) and a few smaller catfish in a 55 gallon tank.

They lived about 7 years, died because I screwed up and didnt clean the tank when i was supposed to and it "cycled" on me (downside of working all day with fish is you dont always feel like dealing with them at home too). If you clean the tank every 5-6 months completely, you will be fine.

Answer 2

Two of my favorite tropical fish! These fish really develop personality over time, and you they should enjoy a long,happy life with you.The bigger the tank the better,no doubt.They apparently have been conditioned to be fed at the top back corner of the tank,and were probably looking for a handout.They will take food directly from your fingers,and will gladly eat pretty much anything they can cram into their mouth.I had a pair of each years ago.The Oscars grew to about 1 foot in a 55 gallon setup with marbles lining the bottom,and the Jack Dempsey's were about 8 inches long in a 40 gallon setup. In Florida, Oscar's have become a gamefish,and they can be several pounds!
Oscar, Astronotus ocellatus
3 lbs. 8 oz., Pasadena Lakes, 7-30-99, Jay Wright, Jr.
My pair of Dempsey's had pups eventually,and they got about half an inch long before my 8 year old nephew threw a butter knife at a friend of my lil sis and busted the tank.
One more thing, never change more than half the water at a time, the stress may be too much for these hardy fish.

Answer 3

The 1 inch per gallon does not apply. These are not little danios these fish- the oscar- have more body amss and produce more waste/ ammonia. They need a bigger tank now.

You are going to wake up to a dead fish one of these days. I have kept a lot of aggressive fish- my guess would be the Dempsey will kill your oscar. The tank is too small. They Will Not live together peacefully. Once they adjust to your water temp and chemistry someone is going to die.

A single oscar needs a 55 gallon to himself. A dempsey will do o.k in a 55 with a few tank mates.

When aggressive fish hover at the top it is a sign of submission. When our pair spawns they other fish tend to hover behind the filter until everything calms down.

Trust me- you need to bring the oscar back unless you just want one fish in a huge tank. If you don't this will get messy.

Side note- the idea that fish "grow to the size of their environment" is ignorant. Do some research- you kill fish or you give them adequate space to live- there is not middle ground.

Answer 4

Don't throw a 4-inch Gene Tunney in there.

; )

Seriously, I'd have to think the pet shop staff could answer that unless they're just there to ring up the sales. That would be too bad - my suggestion is to Google the fish types and look for care tips. And as far as having enough space, just kind of eyeball how well they move around in relation to each other - if they seem to be chasing each other all the time, it could be play or it could lead to something worse. Who knows? Heck, you probably saw a bunch of "crowded" tanks at the store, so what we think of as crowded may not be so to the fish, who naturally swim in schools.

Answer 5

The general rule of thumb is 1inch of fish per gallon. They aren't happy though, I 'm sure of it.

I'd check the temperature and turn off the light for 24hrs. If they don't eat tomorrow, add a little ick treatment with melaluca as the active ingredient just in case.

Finally, get a biowheel and you won't have to do waterchanges hardly ever! It takes about 6 weeks to go through its first cycle. Its worth it because water changing is stressful to them as well.

Answer 6

They will start cautiously. Than come out when they are more comfortable. Get a bigger tank for more fish...........not necessarily for just these two. Get more cichlids. There will be a cool pecking established that you will be able to observe. My husband says he thinks its one fish per 5 gallons. So if you like the fish invest in a nice piece of furniture.A 60 gallon tank in the living room.......you will enjoy it for years. Cichlids tend to have their own territories in the tank. It will be bordered by landmarks...such as rocks and plants. so always set up many different areas...environments so the lower pecking order fish have places to hide! Have fun!

Answer 7

they usually only grow as big as their invironment...aggressive fish may fight for dominancy ..you know that right?