How big are your Oscar(s)?

[holbritter]

I have a new 55g tank and put my 3 albino corys, my one angel, and a new oscar. He is about 4" right now.

For the longest time I've been reading how I needed at least a 55g for one oscar......so I finally got one and bought an oscar!

Now I'm was reading a different thread about how this tank is now not big enough for my oscar, since it's only 12" in width, and he won't be able to turn around.

So....thought I'd ask what size are all the Oscars around here? Are there a lot of 15" Oscars around?

[cocoa_pleco]

mines about 7-8", and in the 90g.

[Fishguy2727]

Mine aren't big yet. A 75 is much better. It is hard to gauge how many would have gotten big if they were proeprly cared for. SOO many are crammed in overstocked, under-maintained 55s that they are stunted. So they only hit 8" and people think the 55 is fine.

I think if you really keep up with maintenance and keep the nitrates under 20ppm you should be fine for a while. If it hits 10" and looks like it isn't done yet try and step up.

[Bassfan]

i always thought, as long as the fish has room good food and the tank looks clear then its good.

[holbritter]

Well, my big "dream" is to do just that...step it up big! I saved all year to get the sweet 55g set up I have now. :)
I would love at least a 120g tank, but right now it's not too realistic :(

Yes...I do a 30-50% water change every week, and scoop up any poop I see in between that. I also have a canister filter rated for a 75g and I put a sponge filter at the other end "just cause".


I've had this guy since September, and I think he was about 2" when I got him. He's only about 4" now......does that sound about the right rate of growth?

[Bassfan]

its a little slow, usually its 1 inch- to 1 1/2 inch a month they grow, sometimes more. i wouldnt worry about it though, just make sure the tank looks clean and what not.

[holbritter]

I thought it sounded a little slow when I was reading other threads and how fast others have grown.
I've only been feeding him the Hakari Gold (sp?) pellets, but see that I should be mixing it up a little, so I just gave him 2 peas and he gulped them up!

[OscarFan]

most oscars only get to be 12 inches. And if they do it would have to be severeal years old

[Bassfan]

oscarfan is right i havent seen an oscar get 15", they get as big as a pieplate.

[OscarFan]

oh yeah mines 7 inches

[Fishguy2727]

Some do get well over a foot. It isn't common, but neither is proper care. Can you get Hikari Cichlid Bio-Gold+ and New Life Spectrum?

[cocoa_pleco]

if you give the oscar proper food, filtration, and tank size it can get over a foot

[Bassfan]

Ok, what about my oscar.. i feed him hikari cichlid gold which im going to switch too Biogold+ in a 55 gallon tank with 2 penguin 350 bio wheel filters?? My water changes arent the greatest right now but im going to start doing 1 every week now. With me not doing water changes every week is my oscar stunted? the water is clear.

[cocoa_pleco]

in a 55g it might get a bit stunted, but still should have a fairly good life.

[cocoa_pleco]

heres a few pics of my oscar while were at it, and his 90g and the pacu

[Bassfan]

he still going to get 12" though wont he?

[cocoa_pleco]

he still going to get 12" though wont he?

i doubt it in a 55g, is it standard? oscars need at least a 75g, best 90g+ to hit fullgrown

[Bassfan]

you were the one who said 1 in a 55 gallon was fine and they would get to that size.......

[cocoa_pleco]

i said that he would be a bit stunted but would have a good life. he wont be at his full potential but a 55g is better than sticking him in a 29g. he still will be a good size

[Bassfan]

well whats a bit stunted?? you kept yours in a 50 gallon didnt you?? just trying to understand, no offense.

[cocoa_pleco]

a bit stunted is not fullgrown. he wont be a monster but will be a good size. i had the oscar and pacu in the 50g because they were small, and i knew that when they got big i could go out and get a larger tank without any trouble, hence the 90g, and they wont be stunted

[Bassfan]

Well what size he going to get then?

[cocoa_pleco]

it really varies but you can expect 11-13"

[Bassfan]

oh ok thats a good size..

[2manyfish]

Mines in a 50g which is 36" x 18" x 18" . Right now he's had a recent growth spurt so I would put him at 9.5" to 10" in length. This is not a totally accurate measurment as he gets very excited if I'm near the tank and I can't measure him very well! After we move he will go into a bigger tank but right now I am unsure of which exact tank he will end up in. I'm going to measure him at that time too!

It goes without saying that bigger is always better when it comes to fish, but I'm one of the few who think a 55g for a single oscar (no other fish) is fine. As long as you do your weekly large water changes and feed a good varied diet I really don't see the problem. The vast majority of oscars out there get to be in the 10" to 12" range. This is even in very large tanks! And the fish can indeed bend. These are not firmly rigid animals, they are flexible so they can turn around in a 55g....

I have only read of one oscar that got to be 15" and that was over at oscarfish.com....(they had proof too, photo with ruler underneath the oscar, not just saying it!!)

my 2¢

[Tooch]

Right now my oscar is between 8" - 10". He's in a 150gal now but will soon be moved to a 265

[NickFish]

Although I do not own an oscar I am taking care of one. (see my blog for more info)
He's around 10" right now and I doubt he'll grow any bigger cause he's been in a 20G all his life (soon to be moved into a 55G) but I am hopeful.
(I don't recommend either of those tank sizes for a full grown oscar but I don't really have many options)

[Ocellatus]

9" female and 10" male.

[TowBoater]

5" youngin!!!