CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Hey I have two Oscars in a 55 gal tank and they are 3 inches, I was just wondering how come they hang around each other and never leave each other, could they be male and female? or they just group fish until they hit a certain size?

Most fish tend to hang around their own species in a tank, regardless of whether other fish are present or not. Oscars are one of those species. Take it as a good sign, if one of them decides to just hang out on it's own at the top or at the bottom of the tank (and generally doesn't leave that area) it's a sign that the other could be bullying him (or her) a lot. Also a sign of illness. My 4 are 10 - 12 inches long, they still hang out all together. Fighting included lol.

Another reason why fish group together, safety in numbers

wow so your tank must be big? hmmm also i wondering can i have three Oscars that are 3-4 inches and stay in a 55 gal tank without any problems?

Yes, its no problem at all...now when they are all three FULL GROWN to max size, the 55 gallon tank will be a bit small, especially if it is the long narrow kind which makes it a hassle for them to "turn around" when they get big since they would be just as long from head to tail as the width of the tank.

So whats the ideal width of a tank for O's Adult

Well, it really depends on the Oscar "Adult" since their is apparently a good amount of variation in the adult size, I've seen some real monsters that were maybe about a foot and a half but those would be the exception. Personally I would say that the width should be double their length but anything bigger then their own length should be 'tolerable' if its not also 'overstocked'.

ty for the answers and also one more thing how long does it usually take for an oscar to grow at least 6 inches?

You mean from an egg to 6 inches, or from 3 inches to 6 inches or from 1 inch to 6 inches? Also, this would vary a lot based on diet, water/tank conditions, genetics and if its the dominant fish in the tank or on the receiving end of bullies etc...if it's young it has capacity to grow fast if fed and kept in optimum conditions...i remember seeing mine grow an inch in what seemed like overnight, well yea a 'little' exaggeration maybe

lol i guess from 3 to 6 with some broken up fins and yeah lolz but otherwise they eat but don't know when they are fool or something

In as little as 3months. Yes, they can grow as fast as 1 inch per month, but there's much variation due to many variables. (genetics, tank size, type of food, amount of food, water quality, etc etc..) You can usually count on a quarter of an inch to three quarters of an inch per month and at times more. So again, it could be in three months or in six months. Gives me an idea, we should have contest of fastest growing oscar (would be nice to compile data from everyone on their oscar's progress, so don't forget to measure, write down the date and get back to us with updates!)