# Oscars



## mvm2691 (Mar 5, 2008)

I have 3 oscars that i just recieved from someone who didnt want them or the tank anymore. Two of tehm have been beating up on the other one and really messing him up(when i got him he was laying on he bottom and having trouble breathing). He has large white patches where they have bit him on his gills and mid body. He is the smallest one, about 8 inches, the others and about 10 inches and 12. The fish were in a 75 gallon tank. I took him out and put him in a 30 gallon tank because he wasnt goin to last much longer with the other guys. Im wondering why they would be doing this? Territory?Because he sick? Thanks


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Because a 75 is nowhere near the right size for 3 oscars...To keep 3 oscars happy you need around 200 gallons. They're probably fighting over territory, because a 75 is a good size for ONE oscar.


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## mvm2691 (Mar 5, 2008)

Okay, thats what i kind of figured. Any idea of what i should do? I know I cannot keep an oscar in a 30 gallon tank. do you think a pet store would take him in? Please people keep in mind I did not put these fish together I got these fish from somone who couldnt keep the tank clean and it was probaly the worst condition tank I have ever seen when I got it.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

Yeah, get rid of two of them, keep your favorite. A 75g is adequate territory and water for one of them. A 130g would be minimum for 3 oscars. I have one in a 100g, and they are mess machines,m keeping that tank in good conditions would be all but impossible.

Many LFS's will take in fish, as long as its an LFS and not petsmart/petco. You could also try craigslist or put out adoption classifieds.


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## mvm2691 (Mar 5, 2008)

Alright. Yeah they do make a mess, and right now i dont have anything in the tank, just bare glass so its not too hard to clean.


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## Corydoras (Mar 18, 2008)

Ouch lol, I have a Tiger Oscar in a 29 for now. Probably will go with 55+ when he/she gets a little bigger. So far hes been great, he likes tearing things up though, every morning I have to rearrange the tank again lol.


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

You need to move the oscar out NOW, don't wait for it to grow. You'll start having stunting problems and hole-in-the-head disease. Also, your oscar is probably tearing everything up not only because it's an oscar, but because it doesn't have a big enough territory. An oscar needs a 75 gallon tank. Your pacus need even more. I'd start planning to buy an extremely large tank now.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

mvm you could probably nurse the sick one back to health in the 30 gallon, which would make him much easier to adopt. Do very regular water changes (daily even) and that would be a good hospital tank for him. As soon as he starts moving around more and looking better I would put the ad out to re-home him.


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## mvm2691 (Mar 5, 2008)

im going to give him to my biology teacher who has plenty of big tanks in the classroom


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## ORCA. (Sep 27, 2005)

I managed to acquire a copy of the December issue of Practical Fishkeeping (scarcer than the proverbial!) and came across a query from someone who was busy setting up a 122x38x43cm/48"x15"x17" tank (this equates to 44g Imperial or 52g US) . His question was how many Oscars could be comfortably kept in a set up this size? and what tank mates if any. The answer has me thinking, It stated a full grown pair could be housed and the only viable tank mate a large Pleco (poop machine) . No mention about how much filtration? What has me thinking is the writer is (in PFK's words) the foremost cichlid writer in the UK. Maybe some of you have this issue and can read it in full(page 27).


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

Interesting take orca. I very highly doubt the person asking the question will be able to maintain a pleco and two full grown oscars in a 52 gallon tank.


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