CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

thinking about getting a 55 gallon tank

my oscar is about3.5 inches already (about a monthish)

so i was wondering if 55g would be enough? im hoping to put an albino in there with him too

Can be done, but if you haven't bought it yet why not go for a 90?

well mainly expenses... and i cant find a 90g anywhere localy

but could i raise both oscars till death or would i eventualy need to change size....

if not both... how about just one?

My personal opinion is no.
Too many times Ive had to help people out because they have gotton in way over their heads.
I know other people do it but you find a lot know what they are doing and are really highly experienced and not new to the hobby as far as large cichlids go.

Even one oscar in a 55g can be not so good when they get to full size and is best in a 80g tank. The average footprint width wise for a 55g is just over 12 inches and with a lot of oscars thats not a lot of turning room. Also things tend to go wrong a lot slower in a larger tank thats not over crowded and you have time to remedy a hazardas situation. For people on the go with work and family life this is ideal not having to worry something willl happen overnight.

anyway just my opinion

I agree with Tony about not having 2 oscars in a 55 gal and I also think that a larger tank is better for just one as well. I know that expenses can be tight with larger tanks as well as space but we need to keep the idea of giving what's best for our little buddies instead of just what's minimal. With a 90 gal tank you would never have to worry about getting another tank and could easily raise another oscar with the one that you have now. Keep your eyes open for good deals in the paper, trader or buy and sell just like caboose did.

alright... thanks for your opinion

wat if i put 2 oscars in a 55g tank... how old can they get before i move them to a larger?

ill save up for a larger one in a couple of years if they can wait that long...

The average Oscar will put on an inch a month it's first year. So at the end of one year your looking at a 10" fish....roughly. Two years is to long of a wait I'm afraid.

im goin to go head and get the 55g tank...
Ill have enough money in a year for a larger (ill eventual sell my 10g and 55g after i buy the larger) but im going to put a small abino and my 3.5inch red in my new 55g

I could use some help on getting started with the tank though...

Thanks for all of yours guys advice

Good luck ... I have my one red in a 48 gallon bow now and can tell you the sucker is growing like crazy. I'm thinking 5 months and and I'll need to get him out and into a bigger tank. I'm a total newb at this and can tell you these guys here are awsome and know a lot more the the guy at your local fish store ... at least mine ...

im working on some good pics so ill try to have them posted tomarow

OK ...so you're Bernard Hopkins and can't afford over a 55? I would think you'd have a 1000 gallon wall aquaruim ...heehee ...

Just kidding Bro ....how did the 55 work out?

I have one in a 55 G and he is healthy. I'm not saying I have the best setup out there but it works well with one fish and is easy to maintain. Magnum 350 with porcelin biomedia instead of activated charcoal, 2 biowheels, and an undergravel filter with 2 powerheads. The undergravel filter is not a good idea unless you regularly vaccum the gravel to get rid of waste. I use a setup to the faucet and keep the hose stationary in several spots to pull up areas that have collected under the filter. Works for me. I do a biweekly 50% water change and have done so for the past 3 years. Works for me and the water tests well BEFORE the water changes. The biggest pain is rinsing out the filter sleeve on the Magnum. I replace it altogether once a month.

bi-weekly you mean twice a week at 50% per change at once?
If so then wow but happy to hear it works without stressing out the fish

In my opioion, a 55 is a bit too cramped for an adult oscar. I have a 13" adult in a 75gal. He would have a little trouble turning around in a 55. I also have 6 in a 240. 2 of them are my prized wilds from Peru. I have an empty 180gal. that I'll be putting them in shortly. The point is, even in this big tank with 6 oscars in it, I can see they could use a bit more space.