Oscar Fish OK!

Tryin2fish89

Ok. So i have a 30 gallon tank and decided to get one tiger Oscar. Petsmart said a 30 gallon was minimum for this fish, so i of course bought one. But after doing some research it seems my tank could be a bit on the small side. Will Ozzy (his name) be ok long term? Cuz I LOVE him lol

small fry

30g may make a good starter tank, but a 55 gallon tank is bare minimum. Your little guy will grow pretty quickly, so you may want to start saving. With a max size of over 1', you are going to need a tank bigger than a 30g.

Check craigslist. I have seen full setups (w/ 55g tank, stand, filters, heater, decor, etc.) for under $100 in my area. Just make sure you get enough information from the buyer to feel confortable with getting the tank. I got my 30g saltwater tank w/ 10g sump, powerhead, 30-40lbs of Live Rock, Live Sand, and my 2 damselfish for $150. The possibilities are endless!

Tiger Oscars are awesome! Can't wait to see pics!

Tryin2fish89

thanks man. Ill post some soon!!!

jeaninel

Small fry is right. Oscars grow very quickly. You'll need a bigger tank soon. Oscars can grow to about 14". A 75 gallon would be better. The extra width (18", compared to 12" on the 55) gives an adult Oscar more turning room.

Christople

definitely get a bigger tank. Pet smart told me the same thing and I returned it. My tank being a 35 gallon I was luckily under warranty.

OscarLoverJim

That Petsmart employee should be beat with a live weasel. Yeah a 30 gallon will be OK for a few months but then you'll just have to spend more money on a bigger tank when you could have used all your funds, including what you spent on the 30, on a larger tank. I have my single tiger Oscar in a 55 but I have some major filtration and do at least 50% water changes every week. I also don't use any gravel as it provides more water space and makes prompt clean up of solid waste easier.

I agree a 75 would be better but my Oscar is healthy and doing good in the 55.

A 30 is going to last only a few months, I wonder what kind of filtration you have?

Tryin2fish89

i have the filter that came with the starter kit. I figured this would not be enough, so i do water changes twice a week ( around 30 percent) and i didnt have any water quality issues. The last time i checked was a week ago.

OscarLoverJim

Oscars do require a lot of filtration, they're dirty fish; messy eaters and poop a lot. Their water needs to be constantly upkept or they can develop HITH (Hole In The Head).

But they are awesome fish and well worth the slightly greater required effort

Jakiebabie

Many years ago, I had 3 Oscars and 2 Bala Sharks in a 90 Gallon. Not much swim room left when they all got to be 8-10 inches big. But they lived for many years. Eventually we ended up with 2 Oscars and they must both have been males because they played tug of war with their mouths and shot water up the walls splashing around. We sold the Bala's back to the LFS and I think one Oscar died. We were using a Fluval cannister filter at the time.
I sold the whole 90 gallon tank, stand, fluval, rocks, gravel, top and lights for $200 to someone who needed winter housing for her pond fish.
Of course many years later I am now heavily back into it all. lol Addictions are like that.

Christople

I would be angry if that happened to me. I also wish I could have more than one tank.