Mishy Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Oh my.. after reading all these.. I want an oscar!! My cousin had one back in malaysia, since gone to a friend who has a 10ft tank. We used to have a thrill feeding the him round dollops of mince pork... One question though that's got me curious. I've read somewhere that feeder fish are usually quite sickly. If the oscar eats them, wouldn't they be like sick too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 feeders aren't really recommended for that reason unless you QT them first. The only live fish I will feed mine will be my culls, which means he's not going to get a whole lot since I try and keep every fish I breed unless they have severe deformities :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Wow, can you keep two oscars in a tank together under anything like 8ft?? Don't these babies grow up... huge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 According to all the info I have gathered, 2 oscars would require a 100-125 Gallon tank. Its not just the size of the fish .. its the amount of waste they produce both in bodily functions and their messy eating habits. Water conditions tend to go down hill rather rapidly 55 - 75g is recommended for one. I just scrape in with Roy at 55g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mishy Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Errr... so metric wise we're talking...? Can you keep any other fish with the oscar? we were considering a pair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mishy Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Nevermind.... got it 55g = 208l for those interested... The power of google Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 :( .. .the smaller of the pair didnt like living at my house and decided to skip off to the Big-Pond last nite which actually doesnt upset me greatly because I had since read that 2 wasnt a good idea...only when they are bigger and a breeding pair is it apparently a good idea... ...AND my biggest tank is waaaay too small for 2 of these dudes. YES I did buy em on the spur of the moment BEFORE I had done any homework.... so now there is 1 Oscar left...we want to call him Ozzi of course but thats the dogs name!...lol... I agree with the feeder-fish theories too...thankfully, these are my own lil betta-fry and I know they arent sick...*phew*...theyre healthier than me lil ratbags... Ozzi 2 as he shall be named at the moment is in a 150 litre all to himself with a pair of my mystery-snails...he seems to like following the snails around... and YES they do grow HUGE at about the rate of an inch a month... NOW I'd like to see that! So now I shall get my wish of a MONSTER-SIZED fishy-tank...I was thinking around 300-400 litres should do the job...now I just gotta figure out how big in cm's that is?! He has enough room for a little while but yeah from what I have read ( thanks for the tip-off on a very thorough Oscar-site Mousie!) 200 litres is minimum for an "O".... He will soon outgrow his tank and I shall have run-out of feeder-fry by then too although I have read they will also "take" smallish goldfishies ....I am also thinking live food such as this would be best used as part of a varied diet much like our lil Betta-dudes But OOOOO what glorious fishies... The kids want to teach him tricks already... I needed a change QUICKLY and a new challenge to keep my mind occupied by learning about something-else other than my own health issues... And YES I admit to checking on this new dude every few minutes like a nervous new mum... He did get up to mischief last-nite once we had turned the lights off and went to bed...decided he didnt like where I had put the thermometer!..think I will swap it for one of those thin plastic strip ones that he cannot play with cos its on the outside of the glass...I know theyre not as accurate but crikey...dont want him breaking the glass one in his house either! BTW...also managed to re-home ALL my snails in exchange for fishy-stuff..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Can you keep any other fish with the oscar? we were considering a pair <{POST_SNAPBACK}> providing you have the tank space you can keep other fish with them. Severums, the larger plecos and larger catfish seem to be popular choices of tank mates. A 208L tank wouldn't support a tank mate though. I'm sorry to hear you lost one of your little fellows Tonia I have been wading my way through that site for the past week..there is a heck of a lot of oscar specific info there ..even if it does send me into information overload at times :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 I noticed you had been "lurking" on the O site...LOL... They seem rather particular that you use their forum exactly according to their rules...that worries me just a tad!...I have read more than once on there already of someone being ticked-off by the mods for something I consider not that big a crime! info overload or what though!...boy...I just thought I was buying something to fix my other problem of too many fry :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 The power of google Check out the power of Vicki's conversion tools! Oscars are tops. I miss having them :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Ozz as he is called presently finally managed to capture and devour one of the 5 neons that were swimming happily in his tank... It did take him 4 or 5 days to eventually catch one of em tho... these are the same nasty neons I have had for ages and ages...and have even ignored for months because I was cross when they ate some of my betas and they had been banished to the snail-tank... he's still got 4 to catch but they are very very fast and possibly a fraction too big for his mouth yet...wont be for long from what I hear... I just LOVE these guys... I though betas had character...wait til you have an oscar, they follow you like a puppy begging to be fed... ... now I have to get him to sit-still and pose for the camera...and then re-figure out how to work photobucket,,,gee i hope I can find my password...I have some piccies in their I havent seen for ages! how long have you had roy Mousie and how long was he and is he now?...I have read they grow faster than weeds?! Ozz is about 8-9cm atm....he wont line-up against the ruler either :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 I've had Roy nearly 2 weeks now. He was 6-7cm when I got him and I would estimate he's around 8-9 now. I had a ruler out last night trying to get a more accurate reading as we were debating how much he has grown in such a short time, but he was more interested in trying to elicit food than being measured. Average growth of a baby oscar is about 1 inch per month, so Roy is pretty much on target from the looks of things. GB decided to take some snaps a few days ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 :lol: Hes gorgeous Mousie... Ozz is about the size of Roy in the first picture..seems they might be nearly twins! ... Ozz is camera-shy and races off to hide behind the heater everytime I try get a piccy,,, ratbag...we are definately going to have to fix that...Cos I want piccys of him not the stupid heater! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mishy Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 OMG... Mouse he's gorgeous!! One of the best markings I've seen on a tiger for awhile.. or maybe we just get the dregs here in Melbourne... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Thanks guys! Mishy, not all the tigers I've seen have been as brightly coloured as Roy or had as much of the orange on them as what he's got, but the whole batch that were in at the time I got Roy were all the same. I guess they were siblings. The lfs in that I got him from likes to buy locally bred fish as much as possible, so its likely they came from somewhere near by rather than one of the larger suppliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Right, seriously want an oscar and I have about 3 spare 3 footers and 1 spare 5 footer at the moment.. Mousie can you please let me know which pet shop you got Roy from.. I am on the bandwagon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 the 5ft would be perfect for an O Tammy. Roy came from a little lfs (very small) that is 5 min up the road from me, so well out of the way unless you were planning on popping in for a coffee or had to go to Armadale for some reason I'll grab a card next time I'm in and give you the name and phone number. You might want to ring first before trekking out if you were after something specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 yes...I also got Ozz from a small out of the way fishy-shop up in Joondalup...he had 4 Oscars left and all were/are the same bright orange as roy... Ohhh I love my Ozz... Ozz is in a 75 litre tank atm but he is getting a 6 foot quite soon... cos I did get him on the spur of the moment,,,and I want to cycle his big permanent home before I pop him in there... Tammy...set your 5 footer-up and start cycling it now!,,and go check out mousies recomendation of an oscar-website...so that when you get your O he has a home ready to go into and you'll be all read-up on their care...... these are called Tiger Oscars...the dark ones with bright orange almost fluoro stripeys... Ozz rearranges his tank everynight...each morning I have to re-stick the filter on the wall. I had to remove his glass thermometer after I found it floating after his first night home, did NOT want him to break it.. ...and he has some colourful placcy stones that he pushes around and he has those 4 neons he chases for fun.... I have just bought a new stainless-steel heater for him too so he cant break the glass one. oh and yes hes now knocked himself out once the other night chasing his dinner...it was so funny...they swim so fast and I dont think his brakes work well...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mishy Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Stop it quokka stop it.... You got me in stitches already.. I'm already pestering Nam to hurry up and buy a place so i got a nice new house to put a 8 ft tank in... and a couple of oscars ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Wow great colour on that oscar Mouse <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 thanks! The kids love his orange eyeballs <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quokka Posted February 9, 2006 Report Share Posted February 9, 2006 yes...arent they JUST amazing...and so like a puppy begging for food...does roy speak to you as well mousie?... whenever Ozz sees me his mouth moves constantly.... its like hes saying "feed me mum"...LOL! I like your thinking Mishy...keep at it...or just buy the tank then Nam will have to buy you a house to fit it in... <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2006 he does! you realise just how big their mouth really is when they start doing that <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted February 9, 2006 Report Share Posted February 9, 2006 You guys have really really got me hooked... Now I cant wait! I am gonna head home and see what spare filters etc that I have and make sure that it will be sufficient for the 5 footer... I am sure I have a stainless steel 300watt heater somewhere... think that will be a smarter choice than glass. yippee... I am getting an oscar.... hmm I wonder if they are sold up here to save me to jaunt to Perth!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted February 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2006 they are a very popular fish, so they should be available. Perhaps you can ask a lfs to get some in for you? Most are happy to do that I've found if you want something in particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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