does the size of the aquarium have any effect on the growth of the oscar?

Answer 1

yes it will affect there growth

Answer 2

I've heard many different things about this and witnessed some others. I have 1 albino and 1 tiger Oscar in a 75 gallon tank and they are approximately 10 to 12 inches long. Oscars in general are very hearty eaters. I can put 50 feeder fish in there and in a matter of 3 hours they are gone. But if I walk by the tank later in the day after the feeder fish are gone they are both at the glass all excited expecting me to drop them something. You can see their belly's extended from everything they just ate but will still want more. They are fed daily large cichlid sticks and pellets. I give them the feeder fish once a week as a treat.
I've also seen some pretty horrid conditions like a foot long Oscar in a 20 gallon tank and the owner think that's a perfectly acceptable size tank for that large of a fish. It may have been when it was first bought as a juvenile, but not at it's adult size. It did grow from a juvenile to a foot long adult in a 20 gallon aquarium.
In the case of Oscars I say no to the size of the tank affecting how large they will get. Their voracious appetite and how much you feed them determine their growth. This is just from what I've seen over the years in different settings.
Wood Nymph is right about water quality. Be prepared to do water changes VERY often. There is a tool you can get called The Python from various online stores. It's the single greatest thing I've ever invested in and makes water changes so much easier. Do a google search for it. Also forget about many small decorations or plants in your tank. My two seem to redecorate the tank every other day. They will dig up most anything light enough for them to move.

Answer 3

Yes, and the size of the tank has more effects than just the growth problem, but I will respond mainly to your question.

When in a small tank, it stunts the fish. It makes the organs grow deformed and causes serious health problems including a shortened life span. The other problem, it is nearly impossible to keep the water clean, and that is horrible for their health as well. A single Oscar needs a minimum of 55 gallons, but that is being moved to 75 gallons now because a 55 is not as wide as the Oscar is long, and they like to swim, so 4 ft is really the minimum length as well, that puts you at the 75 tank ... 55 is adequate for territorial purposes and you can get away with a lot of maintenance 2 in a 75, but over 100 would be much better.

I used to have a good article from oscarfish.com, but when they revamped their forum all of the articles were lost.

If you want a detailed description, go to this site, there is someone there who has pictures of a stunted oscar and shows the diseases that go with it. I know I haven't deleted them from my inbox, so I may still have them as well there. http://www.oscarfish.com/

other great oscar sites:

http://www.theoscarspot.com/

http://oscarfishtank.com/

Answer 4

yes to some extent.
the larger the body of water the more stable the water conditions eg nitrite or ammonia build ups, this is especially true of Oscars as they are practically messing fish. these water conditions affect growth rates, the better the conditions the better the growth rate. so yes a smaller tank will stunt growth, but it will not prevent it for ever.

Answer 5

If you keep the water clean the size of the tank will have no effect on the size of the fish,however, the smaller the tank,the more difficult it becomes to keep the water clean. People that say that a fish only grows to the size of the tank it's kept in are wrong! The actual process is that a fish in a tank that's too small will be stunted from living in it's own crap. That's stupid and cruel.

Answer 6

Yes, if it is too small, it will die, growth stops at that point.

Oscars need to be in 55 gallon tanks or more. Alone is the best way for them. Could you put one in a 29? Sure. It will still reach it's full 12" and die a miserable death.

Answer 7

yes indeed. Once you put in inside a big aquarium and feed it with live feeder fish instead of pellets, they will grow big but not to the extent to over size the tank.

Answer 8

YES