Oscar, tank size and tank mates

[Nailroth]

Hey i really want to get me an Oscar but i know they become huge, I don't have a tank to fit an oscar now only 2 99 gallon tanks but in the near future im going to buy me an approximately 142 gallon tank, can an adult oscar live in this size tank?

length 59 inches
width 23 inches
depth 23 inches
Gallons 142

these are rough estimates of the tank size (i use cm not inches were i live so i had to calculate cm to inches)

I also want some tips on tank mates for an oscar for this size tank, i would like to keep 2 oscar but i believe the tank is to small for 2 male oscars (going to buy oscar fry not full grown so might get 2 males if i buy 2 read it's hard to see what gender a oscar are and i don't want to take the chance to get 2 male to have them kill each other off when i have had them for a while)

Thanks in advance

[ScottishFish]

A 75G is the bare minimum for 1 adult oscar. So a 142G will be excellent. You may be able to fit 2 in that depending on the nature of the individual fish, some are ok with tankmates and other oscars, some won't even tolerate other fish in the aquarium.

Good tankmates can be - severums, convicts, firemouths, some geophagus, JD's, Green terrors.

Oscars do produce massive bioloads, what filtration you using?

[Nailroth]

in one of the 99 gallon i use 1 fluval 3 with a fluval 406 the other tank has a fluval 3 with a maxi jet 1500 but if i'm going to get me a 142 gallon tank ill be buying a Fluval FX 5 just for the bioload of the oscar.

i think it wont be hard to keep oscar with tankmates if we go the dog/cat route. aslong as they are rised from an early age with tankmates i think it will be ok but ill look into that aswell


won't convicts be a stupid idea for tankmates for a oscar in a small tank like this? i heard they are easier to breed then guppies and they are extremely protective and will most likely kill the oscar becose of it size it can't really stay far enough away?

[ScottishFish]

Just as a bit of advice, I'd recomend you to overfilter by at least 2x so if your tanks 99G (let's call it 100) then you should be using at least 200G of filtration.

I have a Fluval 406 on a 48G, its an excellent filter, its rated to 400L I'm not sure what its rated to in gallons. The FX5 is supposed to be a pretty impressive filter also

[Nailroth]

the 406 is rated for 100 gallon and the fx5 is rated for 400 us gallon or 1500L

i use more then twice the tank volume in filtration the 406 is rated for a 100 gallon tank i have a 99 gallon and i filtrate 389 gallons an hour the fx 5 filters 593 gallons an hour so for a 142 with an oscar i think its not a problem with the filtration :D

[ScottishFish]

The 406 isn't enough on its own for the 99G, its rated to 100G when there is no media in it, when you have media in it the rate of filtration can almost half. So really you should get another filter rated to 100G for your 99G tank.

The FX5 will do great for the 142G, I'd also recomend an internal or HOB filter to help with surface agitation and mechanical filtration

[Nailroth]

are convict cichlids as bad as i have read? easier to breed then guppy and extremly protective? don't want to buy convicts and when my oscar gets to full size he gets killed becose the convicts spawned and he was to big to stay out of their way?

[Goes to 11!]

Convicts do live up to their reputation.

It really depends on the footprint of your tank, If the O can get out of what the convicts consider 'MINE' he will possibly be left alone if he chooses to stay there.

If he cannot get out of the pairs claimed territory they will never ever let up on him.

[fishguy420]

i had some convicts in with my oscar in 140 gallon tank mind u oscars were 10 inch and they took over 3/4 of my tank had to take them out they were stressing the fish if u dont get a pair u should be fine . they leave other fish alone until they start mateing then they become very i mean very mean. shortly one of my 10 inch oscars died i dont know if it was from that thoe.it was about three days after i took out convicts and most of the fry.

[Goes to 11!]

The 406 isn't enough on its own for the 99G, its rated to 100G when there is no media in it, when you have media in it the rate of filtration can almost half. So really you should get another filter rated to 100G for your 99G tank.

+1 to Scotti!

He is dead on right about this and you need even more with Oscars. [Them being large, wide bodied fish that are messy eaters to boot lol]

I am not sure that raising the O with smaller fish is going to help much [Depends on the Oscar] but you will know inside of a year because he will be able to eat much smaller tank mates long before then.

Good luck!