CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

hi
i am new to the forum. i have 7 oscars; 5 babies and 2 older ones.
i did have 4 oscars between 17-25cm long from head to tail.

the largest one (approx 20-25cm) seems to be pairing up with the smallest one who is approx 15-17cm. they started attacking the other two fish. the biggest one had grown up with one of them since he was baby, but ended up killing him!
i removed the other one as they were picking on it too.
the 2 that i think are pairing spend alot of time swimming together and often vibrate their tails at each other but don't hurt each other.
they haven't made any nest. are they pairing up??
and im pretty sure the bigger one is male, but is the smaller one big/old enough to breed??

Hi, Annalee, and welcome to the forum!  Sounds like pairing behavior from your description, though some time may still pass before they actually start raising a family.  They'll know if they're large enough. 

What size tank are they all in?  They'll probably appreciate some kind of flat rock on the bottom.  Keep us posted, and good luck!

hello, i have 5 Oscars. 2 albino and 3 black Oscars. i have a 30 gallon tank. all of my Oscars are smaller than 4in. i was wondering if they will breded in this tank and at this size?

Hi, Choin, and welcome to the forum!  First, congratulations on your choice of fish! Oscars are great pets!  I remember my first Oscar -- I won't depress myself by saying how many years ago that was.  First of all, I wouldn't look for your Oscars to breed at that size.  The real problem with your setup right now is the tank size.  Oscars get grow pretty large (over a foot long) very fast.  For long term care you need to figure a single Oscar should have a minimum tank size of 55 gallons.  An experienced fishkeeper can keep two in a 55, but it's really a lot of work -- very tight food control, religious water change regimen, fanatical filtration, etc.  75 for 2 is a much better choice -- some folks say you should have a 90 gallon for 2 full grown O's.  Your thirty gallon isn't going to be adequate for more than a few months -- even for one fish.  For sure you need a much bigger tank, and sooner would be a lot better than later.  Here's a thread from our FAQs:

http://oscarsfishtank.com/discuss/index ... pic=2846.0

Good luck with your fish!

ok thanks. i have a problem i just realized that my oscars fins are ripping. but y?

How long has the tank been in operation?  Do you have water test kits?  If not, you need to pick some up.  You need to know ammonia levels, nitrite levels, and nitrate levels.  pH is also a nice thing to know, but IMO not as vital as ammonia and nitrite.  Let us know what those readings are, and we might be able to give you some guidance.

thanks, right now im on the edge of giving my oscars away and getting some convicts. do they make good pets also

They are also very popular, and don't grow as large as Oscars.