would a 55 gallon be good or do i need bigger i only want one and also what would be good tankmates for him i want a pleco too but dont know if he will kill him i have seen it done but want to be sure before i jump into it.
2007-04-11 14:56:21 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
For a single Oscar a 55 would be the very, very minimum, better a 70 gallon because they are deeper front to back. If you want room for any tank mates at all, I would suggest nothing less than a 90 gallon to be honest.
MM
2007-04-11 15:10:02 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
I agree with with the two poster who said 75 and 90 gallons.
The reason is simple. these tanks are 48" long and 18" deep. The 55 gallon is 48" and only 12" deep. Considering an adult Oscar will get to more then 12" long, you can understand why the extra space will give him more freedom of movement.
In addition, Oscars and Pleco's are both very messy fish. The more water volume you have, the cleaner the tank will keep and the healthier your fish will be in the long run.
Here's a run-down of the posts so far:
30 gallons: Completely unacceptable. Stuffing a 14" fish as messy and strong as the Oscar in a tank this small is irresponsible and somewhat cruel.
55 gallons: Adequate. This tank has plenty of length for the fish, and the narrowness of the tank will only become a problem when the fish grows near to full size, and only for people who like their fish to have freedom of movement.
75/90 gallons: Best alternative. Perfect amount of space for an adult Oscar and a Pleco.
Seriously - you are buying a 55 anyway? Just upgrade to the 75 gallon - you won't regret it.
2007-04-12 01:03:47 · answer #2 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Generally for larger fish you want a tank with a footprint that is 4 times longer and 1.5 times wider than the adult size of the fish. A well kept oscar will get to at least 12", this means a standard 75 gallon would be the minimum size.
You also need this water volume, as oscars are very messy fish. They are very good at polluting their own habitat, which along with a poor diet has been implicated in hole in the head disease.
Oscars & common plecs do make good tankmates, you will need at least double the normal filtration, along with weekly water changes if you want to try this in a 75. A 120 would be a better bet for an oscar and a common plec.
2007-04-11 18:03:51 · answer #3 · answered by Tolak 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
a 55 gallon tank would be a great tank to start off with, you do know that Oscars can get rather large. I work at a local pet shop and the only thing that we recommend putting with an Oscar is a pleco if you get them around the same time, same size most of the time they will not harm each other. Dont put anything with an Oscar they are very aggressive fish. It is a big decision to make since you can only have one type of fish. But they are also a very beautiful fish. There are also differet types of Oscars, diffrent colors One that is a favorite in out store is called a Red Velevet. Good luck
2007-04-11 15:05:06 · answer #4 · answered by Momie2bee07 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A 55 gallon is perfect for an oscar. Pleco's generally are fine with an oscar, unless you buy a 3" pleco and have it with you 8" oscar. For other tank mates make sure they are about the same size and at least semi-aggresive. African cichlids would be fine and long as you have some decor in the tank for everything to hide in. Oh, if you feed him goldfish or anything live it will make him more aggresive towards the other fish you have with it, so keep in mind his temper depends on you too.
2007-04-11 15:03:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
A 55 galon is great for the oscar though I'm not so sure about the pleco as oscars are very aggresive. Also, the pleco gets really big, depending on which pleco it is, But you should do okay. Good luck and hope this helps!
2007-04-11 14:59:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A 55 gallon tank would be the best size for your oscar.
2007-04-11 17:03:52 · answer #7 · answered by chalah c 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
30 Gallon one oscar 55 great for two. FULL size. 90 is pushing the limits here not needed. Just because a book says minimum of 55 gallon does not mean a smaller fish cannot live happily in less. As they grow, moving them to new housing is great for the fish. Also what books tend not to mention is that two fish can live happily in the same amount of water.
2007-04-12 00:48:46 · answer #8 · answered by kenssealer 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
ive seen plecos and oscars together before the oscars stay up top and the plecos stay near the bottom- get them around the same size -
people will tell you 55 is big enough for an oscar and it is to live but when they get that big they cant move around like smaller fish can - but i know so many people that have them and they are gorgeous fish i just feel bad they dont have freedom to swim like the smaller fish
but yeah theyll b ok
2007-04-11 15:01:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
30 gallons is the minimum for growing a single Oscar in for life.
but you could get some texas cichlids, jack dempseys, and some fire mouths, etc...
2007-04-11 16:50:55 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋