Oscars

[Nick89]

Hey all, just wondering, what would be the best filter to buy for a 55 gallon aquarium? I know there's canisters but im a n00b so I have no idea haha.

-AK

[AquaQueen]

You should ask this question in the Tank Setup section of the forum. Ya might get answers alot faster.

[zackish]

Definitely go with a canister. Because I have one I recommend a Rena Filstar. I have a xP2 on my 29 gallon aquarium and it does a great job.
You want good filtration from what I understand with oscars so I would definitely go with a larger one. An xP3 would be good for what you need.
Here is probably one of the cheapest but most reputable sites that you can get it at:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp17290/si1380029/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsrenafilstarxp2canisterfilte r
That link is the xP2, they might be temporarily out of the xP3 I would check it in a few days.

I also hope you only plan to keep one oscar in this 55 gallon followed by regular weekly water changes?

[cocoa_pleco]

i would say a fluval 305 or 405. or better yet, a fluidized bed filter and canister or HOB. my oscar has a fluidized bed filter for 300g and aquaclear for 100g (aeration) but a fluval 305 or 405 is good too (405 is best). and do weekly water changes, i just finished giving my oscar and convicts a 50% vacuum/water change

[zackish]

You have a 300 gallon cocoa?
Also, could someone gime a quick runabout of a fluidized bed filter?

[AquaQueen]

ok maybe I was wrong...my bad!

[cocoa_pleco]

the bed filter is for 300g. i got mine really cheap (60$) since i bought 400$ of stuff at a time at that lfs. how it works is a powerhead blows water in it, and the water goes through tiny sand that holds gazilliongazilliongazillionmillionbillion bacteria, then it sprays back in the tank. the sand never needs replacing or maintenance. theyre considered fairly new technology but are wickedly good. if youre a expert craftsman (exact opposite of me) go on google and you can make a DIY one with acrylic and stuff like that

[Nick89]

so it looks like the canisters are in. Ill have to save up a little more but It will be worth it. And I only plan on getting 1 oscar, i know 2 would be cramped so 1 is enough.

-AK

[zackish]

ok maybe I was wrong...my bad!

You are probably right aquaqueen most of the time however I have been using the "New Posts" features lately and so do some other people. I just go there and read all the "New posts" and throw up a reply rather than going scrolling through each section.
No worries though.

[zackish]

the bed filter is for 300g. i got mine really cheap (60$) since i bought 400$ of stuff at a time at that lfs. how it works is a powerhead blows water in it, and the water goes through tiny sand that holds gazilliongazilliongazillionmillionbillion bacteria, then it sprays back in the tank. the sand never needs replacing or maintenance. theyre considered fairly new technology but are wickedly good.

Can you use it in place of a canister or any other filter?

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, i just recommend you use another HOB or powerhead for aeration, but otherwise theyre extremely good. you can even drill the tank and hook up a canister filter to the fluidized bed filter

[Nick89]

So could i add any other fish in with the oscar? or is it out of the question?

-AK

[zackish]

I need to get some aeration on my tank in general, especially because I have Co2 in there. I just took off my HOB because it was stupid and obnoxious but now I have nothing breaking the surface.

[cocoa_pleco]

thats good with CO2, you dont want any surface disruption.

in a 55g, a single oscar is the limit. i have the white convict pair and oscar in my 50g because the oscar is small and its a growout tank. if you got a 75g you could get 2 oscars or a oscar and another large cichlid (JD) etc

[Nick89]

Ok cool, how long does it usually take for them to be fully grown, or at least 11 inches?

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

not too long, a year i think? they go through huge growth spurts

[Nick89]

Solid! thanks again for your help hopefully ill have this tank up and running soon enough.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

no prob! good luck

[zackish]

Some feeder fish is about all you can fit in there:ezpi_wink1:

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i dont feed mine live food besides live cricket. i give him hikari pellets. always feed hikari or NLS ( new life spectrum )

also, no carbon in the filter

[Nick89]

What type of Hikari is good?? and yeah i know some feeder goldfish have diseases.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

i got the hikari large cichlid pellets. was around 20$ for a big bag but he gulps them. hes so messy that bits of food literally fly through his gills.

[Nick89]

hey about the filter, could i get away with 2 emperor power filters model 400?? its cheaper but just 1 filter is rated up to 80 US gallons.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, im sure that will work too.

[Fishguy2727]

Fluidized beds are only biological filters. You would need something for mechanical as well.

Emperors are good because of the Biowheels, but bad because of the cartridges. They include carbon, are more expensive, and cannot really be re-used. That is why something with re-usable mechanical media is ideal. This is the case with Fluval and many other canisters. If you use a HOB go with AquaClear. But canisters will be better.

Are you trying to have live plants in there?

For food you want Hikari Bio-Gold+ and New Life Spectrum. No need for anything else.

Really a 55 is too small for an oscar, but if you can get him into a 75+ at about the 10-11" mark it is fine. One of th emost important things is water changes. You can have all the filtration in the world, if you aren't doing an aggressive water change schedule it doesn't matter.

[Nick89]

Ive heard majority of people do keep 1 oscar in a 55 gallon just fine. and no live plants. 75 gallon is just to big so its not ideal for me. Id like to have a ginormous tank but i live in a very small home. About the water changes, Im willing to do a 50% once a week.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

50% is fine. its best in a 55g not to have gravel unless you clean well since oscars are so messy, but if youre sure you could still clean good you can use a substrate

[cocoa_pleco]

and one last thing, a few allow plants. mine has cabomba and some kinda valnersnia with him and he leaves it alone

[Nick89]

so no gravel? what about the vaccum you can buy? dont those work? i like gravel in a tank, it looks pretty.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

you gonna use a python or a regular vac? either way, you can use gravel but make sure you do some heavy duty vacuuming. with no gravel its easier to vacuum the mess but with gravel you have to swish alot.

[Nick89]

Ok how does the vaccum work?? im sure one of the guys at the petstore can show me but i want to get an idea. "swish"?? what type of gravel would be easier to maintain??

-AK

[Fishguy2727]

The normal sized gravel that most gravels are is fine. Color is up to you.

These fish can hit 15-18". Since 55s are 12" wide on the inside, they should not be in that tank once they hit about 11-12" max. So preferably by the time they hit 9-10" you are looking for a larger tank. Many people do lots of things 'just fine' even though they shouldn't. 'Just fine' can mean they grew, looked good, and showed no obvious signs of distress for many years. However, that doesn't mean the fish thrived, which should always be the goal. The owner of an oscar who hits 12" in a 55, is colored nicely, and lives to six or eight years may tell you it is fine to keep them in a 55. But when this animal can hit 18" (or rarely even more) and be 20 years old or more when properly cared for, 'just fine' is usually unsatisfactory.

[Nick89]

Well i called the local pet store and the guy said i could have just 1 oscar in the 55. There arent many other fish that get somewhat big and as fun as an oscar. I dont have the room for anything bigger than a 55. Any ideas?

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

there are other fish like that, a pair of JD's is alright in a 55g. them matter of a oscar in a 55g is quality of life. lol, everyone says this one, but you could live in a closet all your life with a toilet, clean water running tap, tiny black and white TV, and treadmill and fresh food all day, right? but would you be happy? no, you need space. thats how a oscar would feel. the only reason i have a oscar in the 50g long is that hes small and i know for sure right on the spot i can get him a 125g when hes larger.

[Nick89]

yeah but i mean the guy at the pet store said 1 is good in a 55 gal. i like fish that get big, so people can go by and see something that they probably wouldnt have.

-AK

[gm72]

The guy at the fish store is trying to make a sale and obviously doesn't care too much about how happy the fish is.

[Nick89]

then whats available for a 55 gallon?? basically im looking for a fish that has character.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

a pair of severums have character, or a pair of JD's, or a pair of bloodparrots

[Fishguy2727]

There are many cichlids that will be 6-12". There are even some non-cichlids that have personality that would do quite well in a 55. Many people like goldfish.

Many people will tell you an oscar is fine in a 55, so the guy at the pet store is just one. That is the problem and part of the cause of so many oscars being crammed in 55s (and most aren't left by themselves).

[cocoa_pleco]

goldfish are an excellent idea. i had one that was born in 1975 and a person gave it to me in 2003, tons of character, but he died in 2005. he lived along time and was like a cichlid with personality. even my large pearl gourami has personality. he always follows me and begs for food.

[Nick89]

hey i was wondering, is there any type of alge eaters that could be kept in the tank with the osar? i know there is small alge suckers.

-AK

[gm72]

Small plecos and ottos will be fish food for oscars once they get large.

[Nick89]

even the ones that get like 5 inches? thats small, yet too big for an oscar to eat....or am i wrong ? lol

-AK

[gm72]

Just depends on when you get them. If you have an 8" oscar and a baby otto, the otto will be gone. You will have to make sure the sizes are compatible. Most anything that is small enough to fit in the big oscar's mouth will be fit into said oscar's mouth!

[Nick89]

well i plan on getting a little oscar maybe 3-4 inches max.. maybe smaller, depends whats available but nothing big because i want to watch my oscar grow.

-AK

[gm72]

Oscars, as aggressive cichlids, usually will not take well to new tank mates unless they have been tank mates from when they were young. So plan to get what you want from the outset and it should make life easier!

[Nick89]

so get them both, the same time, but i heard a story that plecos can die because the tank is new with no alge. is this true?

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

if you feed algae wafers the pleco will feed off those

[Nick89]

oh ok cool. I was just reading up on on oscars a little bit, and it said that oscars tend to get bored.. What does that mean and hthey are more liable to get diseases. how can i prevent it? Ive seen people tie a bobber to the bottom of the tank and they like to play with that. any additional info would be greatly appreciated.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

bored means they just sit and do nothing, it causes them to be sad. and depressed. usually just a ping pong ball or a floating plant keeps them entertained. mines just gets entertained if i sit by him. he comes up and stares at me

[Nick89]

oh ok, well i wouldnt want any fish of mine to be sad. thing with the ping pong ball is, when he got bigger id be worried he swallow it and choke. What about "Dither fish" in the tank. would that cause the fish to be bored?? (i know im asking a lot of questions but i want to be ready for when i do get the fish within the next couple weeks or month.)

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, its okay, in the end as long as you learn theres no loss. the ping pong ball is fine as long as you watch him. with dither fish, they would end up as dither snacks. the best form of entertainment is them watching you. thats why i sit with mine for about a hour a day and play psp or watch TV, keeps him happy

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, its okay, in the end as long as you learn theres no loss. the ping pong ball is fine as long as you watch him. with dither fish, they would end up as dither snacks. the best form of entertainment is them watching you. thats why i sit with mine for about a hour a day and play psp or watch TV, keeps him happy

[Nick89]

lol what ya mean theres no loss? and the tank might go in my room, so ill be sitting right next to him playing some madden or watching the tv. have you seen the bobber thing though?? how did they tie it down? i think thats a cool idea.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

never tried or seen the bobber. mine leaves my live plants alone so his only interest is me. another idea you could try is live crickets. they swim away and try to escape the oscar so that might be a challenge for him and provide mental stimulation.

[Nick89]

yeah someone tied a bobber to i think a rock and its like right in the middle of the tank and they attack it lol. but what you mean in the end as long as you learn theres no loss?

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i meant it doesnt matter if you ask alot of questions as long as you learn to properly care for a oscar in the end

[Nick89]

OH ok lol sorry about that, i got a little confused. yeah i want to make sure everything is just right before i go out and purchase a fish. i dont want to buy a redtail catfish and put him in a 5 gallon lol know what i mean?

-AK

[Nick89]

OH i almost forgot an important question(s).. How do you pick out a healthy Oscar? what should i look for? What should i stay away from? At Walmart they had some nice (about 3 inch) oscars for 9.99. Is walmart a reliable place or should i go to like a petco or someother LFS?

-AK

[Fishguy2727]

The oscar should be alert, responsive to your movements, eyes clear (not cloudy), etc.. Avoid ones that are sitting on the bottom or have clamped fins, cloudy eyes, ick, torn up fins, etc..

I would use fishing line and tie the bobber to a rock.

Even if the pleco is too big to fit in the oscar's mouth, sometimes they will beat the pleco to death. But again, if started out together they should be fine. However, the best thing for algae is a Mag-Float. Plecos end up being little poop machines that do more harm than good, so they should be avoided.

[cocoa_pleco]

ditto on the mag-float. almost all of my tanks have one. the scrape algae like crazy

[Nick89]

The oscar should be alert, responsive to your movements, eyes clear (not cloudy), etc.. Avoid ones that are sitting on the bottom or have clamped fins, cloudy eyes, ick, torn up fins, etc..

I would use fishing line and tie the bobber to a rock.

Even if the pleco is too big to fit in the oscar's mouth, sometimes they will beat the pleco to death. But again, if started out together they should be fine. However, the best thing for algae is a Mag-Float. Plecos end up being little poop machines that do more harm than good, so they should be avoided.

Ive heard of people putting their finger on the glass and whatever one goes to it first is the one you should pick. Any truth to that?? and what do clamped fins look like?? i know ick is when they looked salted. So look for one that doesnt look beat up and is swimming. usually when i look at the oscars they always seem to be yawning lol.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

clamped fins is when their fins are tight against their body

[Nick89]

oh ok. i do know that im getting either a red tiger oscar or a red oscar. ive found that when bigger red tiger oscars, they tend to lose their colors. Although i do like the looks of them when they are little.

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i cant remember what mine is, hes just grey and dark black with a round neon red patch on his tail. i wanted a albino but i ended up with him

[Nick89]

Is getting fish at wal-mart bad?? ive heard stories saying they arent really healthy fish.

-AK

[YaYgoldFish]

Well if it's clean and the fish is swuimming around with no signs of illness it's ok..but if the water isn't clear an the tanks are dirty then try looking around other places.

[cocoa_pleco]

wal-mart's fish are 80% of the time in bad health. they over stock the sale tanks and keep them in poor conditions. if you want a cheap baby oscar there i would say go for it as long as theyre healthy. some wal-marts take amazing care of the fish, and some keep platy's, molly's, and oscars in the same tank.

[Nick89]

yeah this walmart had the fish separate. oscars with the oscars. but i might just go to the pet store instead, at least you know they have quarantine tanks.

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

thats a good idea buying from a proper store, probably in better conditions and health

[Nick89]

Well, i went to a fish store today and I was looking around at the plecos they had, and i asked the guy if i could keep a clown pleco in with an oscar and he told me as long as the oscar is smaller than the pleco then its ok. Then i asked when he gets to be bigger than the pleco will he be ok and he said they should be fine because they were brought up together. Any truth to this?? or is he trying to make a sale?

-AK

[cocoa_pleco]

probably a sale. even though they will be brought up together, the oscar will grow larger than the pleco in no time and he might devour the pleco

[gm72]

Agreed with cocoa. Plecos usually grow very slowly and a healthy oscar will grow quite quickly, making this a potential mismatch.

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, my oscar has grown about a extra 3" in the time ive had him, a month. and my old clown pleco grew about .5" every month, so the pleco would be a snack

[Nick89]

Speaking of growing.. IF i got the proper filtration, did the 1/3 water change once a week and fed him the hikari gold pellets, will the oscar grow to his full size (around 12 inches or more) despite being in the 55 gallon? Ive heard of some peoples Oscar's not growing past 6 inches, and the water conditions were "good" by what they said. Whats the best way to assure a healthy oscar?

[cocoa_pleco]

healthy oscar, fullgrown, needs-

minimum 75g
canister filter
possibly a second filter
high quality food
50% weekly water changes

[Fishguy2727]

Every fish is different. I have seen some pretty nice fish come from bad conditions, but that is extremely rare. It usually takes superb conditions to get them to their full potential.

[gm72]

Great point about allowing the animal to get to its full potential. If one is not willing to do that, then the animal should not be kept.

I'm not saying this is the case here, just pointing out a very good philosophy!

[Nick89]

ok ok i dont want to hear the 75 minimum gallon stuff, an oscar can be kept comfortably and healthy by himself in a 55 gallon with the proper filtration and water changes. on a side note, im a little closer to getting my tank, and getting it set up.

[gm72]

AquaKid, you asked the question and you received valid advice. I believe the reason cocoa was saying 75 gallons is because of the width (by this I intend to discuss the front-to-back measurement) of the tank. Keeping a 12" fish in a 12" wide tank is a bad idea. Would you not agree?

I would also ask what you would consider to be "proper filtration and water changes" for a single oscar in a 55 gallon tank. I am asking so that we are assured of giving you proper advice for your venture.

[Fishguy2727]

Oscars can hit 15-18". Since the inside dimension of a 55 front to back (the width) is only 12", they cannot comfortably fit in a 55. Now, most oscars don't get that big, why not? Because so many people cram them into 55s. The ones that people bring in at 18"+ are in bigger tanks (150, 180, etc.). Our doorways are taller than we are (on average), why? Because even though we don't spend a lot of time in doorways (oscars don't spend much time oriented front to back in a tank) we use them enough to need enough height to walk through them without hitting out heads (oscars need enough room to turn around). There are very few fish that do not need a tank at least as wide as they are long. These are fish that are very flexible and usually long (eels, ropefish, etc.). It is not a matter of volume, especially in this case, it is a matter of dimensions. If you can find a 55 that is 18" wide by about 3' long, that is fine. But since 55 means the usual 48x13x21, an oscar is too big to be in there for its entire life. If it will be moved up to a 75 or larger by about 10", that is fine. The ones that live to their full potential (20 years) are not crammed in 55s.

[gm72]

Fantastic reply, Fishguy. Great clarification on their size, too. 12" is usually what we see, but they should grow larger in more ideal conditions. Very, very well said as usual!

[Nick89]

ok, i understand that a 55 gallon isnt that wide BUT not all fish turn around in a 360 degree motion they can swim upwards and turn, theres different ways of turning around. I didnt mean to sound like a jerk i apologize if it was taken that way. As for filtration i plan on running a canister filter (fluval 405 like cocoa has mentioned) and another HOB filter, maybe the emperor 400 or penguin 350. As for the water changes i think 1/3 is plenty for a water change but who knows.

[Nick89]

ok no offense fishguy but its kind of pointless getting another tank after buying one that is more than capable of housing an oscar.. no offense. Also, i dont have the room for a 75 and i understand 55's and 75 are the same length but the weight i am more concerned about. i live ina fairly older house and i wouldnt trust these floors with that much weight.

If someone has some type of suggestion on what type of fish to get, feel free to give out some suggestions. But the type of fish im looking for gets big, has a lot of personality. Only fish comes to mind is the oscar.

[Drumachine09]

As aquariusts, it is our duty to provide the most ideal conditions to our fish. When we cannot provide whats best, we should accept that fact, and rethink our plans.

I was in the same boat as you are. IMO, don't try an oscar.

[Nick89]

Why couldnt' i have an oscar in a 55??? ive heard of people having oscars in 29 gallon tanks and they lived long and they got fairly big. I must be missing something here.

edit: what fish would you reccomend in a 55 then???

[Drumachine09]

The accepted principals of aquariums are not based on personal anecdotes, but rather facts.

You could put an Oscar in a 55, heck, you could even put a 5 pound catfish in a 55. HOWEVER, because it is our duty to provide the BEST possible conditions for our livestock, that would be irresponsible.

I take it you are looking for a larger cichlid?

[Nick89]

Yes, a large cichlid would be nice. and something that gets relatively aggressive (more personality i think)

[Drumachine09]

Look into the smaller south american cichlids, such as severums.

[Nick89]

i was looking at some other threads and someone mentioned a red devil or convict cichlid. i know convicts get like 6 inches but what if i got one (no way with 2, dont want fry) and maybe some other fish. I dunno i just wanted that one huge fish in the tank that would eat like a goldfish here and there ya know?

[Fishguy2727]

Just because someone out there has taken bad care of their fish and the fish didn't die outright doesn't mean it was right or that you should lower yourself to their level. Did those oscars hit 15-18"? Did they live to 10, 15, or even 20 years old? I am guessing no. They can't fit in any tank that is only 12" wide for the reasons stated. No they are not prefectly straight as they turn around, but it is not pleasant for them to have to bump the walls as they try and turn around. Which is why if the tank is 12" wide, the longest fish in there should not be more than 12" long, because when they turn around they won't be hitting the walls. When a 15" fish tries to turn around it will be hitting the walls. And they should not have to turn sideways and turn upward to turn around (that is definitely telling you they need a bigger tank). It would be pointless to get another tank that could house oscars IF you already had one that could, which you don't.

Other aggressive cichlids that only hit 10-12" are red devils, jack dempseys, electric blue jack dempseys, maybe flowerhorns, texas cichlids, and a lot more with African rift lake cichlids. You could have multiple female convicts. They have better colors and won't breed. Males without females may get along too. There are a lot of options that will thrive in your tank.

The more filtration the better. I would have two canisters if you can afford it, or get one now and then in six months or so add another. Minimum water changes are whatever keeps your nitrates below 20ppm. However, the more you do the better the fish will do.

Diet is another very important factor in fish care. I would suggest feeding only New Life Spectrum. It goes againt most recommendatiosn to only feed one food, but that is because no other food has provided the nutrition NLS does. They truly do better on only NLS than with anything else, even in mixes of high quality pellets. If you absolutely refuse to avoid live food and are going to do it no matter what, breed them yourself.

[deckard_wa]

I agree with Fishguy, I've got 5 Oscars and would never consider putting them in a 4' tank, even a 75g.

For a wet pet in a 55g that's owner responsive, cool looking and pretty aggressive, I say you can't go past a Green Terror

[gm72]

AquaKid, I am going to join this discussion again and point out an analogy. You are stating that an oscar doesn't necessarily turn around in a 360 degree arc, that others have kept oscars in a 55, etc.

Here are the analogies. There are people in third world countries living in absolutely horrific conditions who survive but are certainly not thriving. Also, you could live in a walk-in closet for your entire life, but I promise you won't like it. Also, humans can live by just eating rice, beans, and grass, but I can't guarantee long-term health and certainly can't say the person/people would be happy.

Keep fish responsibly or don't keep them at all. You are on the right track by researching other fish.

[tropfish]

why not get a pair of jack dempseys? they're big cichlids that get striking coloration, and CAN fit in a 55g. I mean the fish should at least be able to turn around. It shouldn't have to exert that much effort to do something so simple.

[cocoa_pleco]

why not get a pair of jack dempseys? they're big cichlids that get striking coloration, and CAN fit in a 55g. I mean the fish should at least be able to turn around. It shouldn't have to exert that much effort to do something so simple.

good point. it would like you having to climb a ladder to reach the fridge.

also, with oscars and gallons, think of it this way. (lol, i was bored today so i made this up).

in school you want to do good, right? so think of percents as gallons, 1%=1G. you dont want 55% in school, so you dont want 55g to a oscar. you want around 75%+ marks in school, so a 75G for a oscar is good.

[Nick89]

ok you guys got me thinking and now im looking at these cool fish that get about 12'' long. they arent cichlids, they are African knife fish. They look cool and get big enough for a 55 gallon. WHAT should i know about these fish?? i know i should put in a peice of pvc pipe in there so they can go in. Do they eat fish??? these ones were black and they were about 8 inches maybe.

[tropfish]

that should be good, but they are nocturnal and secrative, that wouldn't be a very itnerestign tank. I would get a pair of jack dempseys (ino i already said it but i love those fish)

[cocoa_pleco]

you mean clown knifes or black knifes? ive had both, and both get large (some even 2'). they both would be able to sit in a 55g for about a year until they need a larger tank (a fullgrown clown needs a 300g). black ghost knifes eat flakes, and clown knifes eat white clouds

[Nick89]

they dont sell jacks in any of the places around here(dont know why). So that leaves me with 1 more aggressive fish and it is the dang ol devils lol. They get around 12'' so i mean thats a good fit and there was a thread on it awhile ago. I was watching them today for about 30 minutes ( didnt have to be anywhere for 45 minutes, what better way than to watch fish? lol) and there was this 1 particular devil i was watching, he was one of the biggest ones (around 3 3 1/2'') maybe more and you could see he had these big lips and the bump on the head was VERY noticeable, and these guys werent that big and i could see it starting to get big. he was the only one without nipped fins or anything he was CONSTANTLY chasing the others around.

[tropfish]

well african knifes get around 10=12' so they would be fine i na 5g tank. they're less common tho b/c i had trouble finding info on them.

[cocoa_pleco]

well african knifes get around 10=12' so they would be fine i na 5g tank. they're less common tho b/c i had trouble finding info on them.

lol, hope you mean 55g and not 5g

[tropfish]

yes lol 55g i mean.

[Fishguy2727]

And 12 inches (") not 12 feet (').

I think if you are looking for a nice interesting fish for a 55 and like oscars, a knife would not be a very good alternative. I would recommend sticking with some sort of cichlid. If you don't like the red devils ask them what else they can get in. Do they sell African cichlids?

[2manyfish]

Have you thought about a blood parrot? I have one, a female. She's about 6.5 years old and around 8" in length. Her mouth is normal in shape and she is very, very aggressive!! She is also very beautiful - her colors will intensify right before she spawns (bold orange or red) and then after the eggs are gone she will almost blanch out turning a nice shade of pink, white and lavender.
Look in the dealers' tank for a blood parrot with a normal mouth. There are usually one or two of them in the bunch.
Tons of personality and beautiful to boot....
I have mine in a 55g with a red-tailed shark and a rhino pleco.

[tropfish]

I ahve a blood parrot too, a yellow one, he's about 4 inches right now but such an awesome fish, he eats from my hand and jumps up to get to the food.

[2manyfish]

Is your blood parrot in the 29g?
If so then your question of what to put in the 55g is solved! Your BP will need a bigger tank anyway so.......the real question then is what to put in the 29? :ezpi_wink1:

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, its kuhli_loach thats redoing the 55g.

but yes, BP's need 29g each to themselves

[2manyfish]

Oh crap.






Sorry 'bout that! :ezpi_wink1:

[tropfish]

Ino but i'm gettign a 55g for chritmas so it'll work out perfectly! I'll either move all the fish from the 29g into the 55g or keep the bp in the 29g by itself and put the other fish in the 55g with another cichlid.

[Nick89]

so trop what other cichlid did you have in mind to go in with the 55 gal?