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Oscars and plants
Oscars Redecorating The Tank 3/30/08
Dear Crew, As much as I like my Oscars, they are driving me insane. They are about eight months old and seems to hate everything in their tank. They are spitting gravel everywhere, pulling on tubing and attacking tank decorations. But this is not so much my problem. One of them is absolutely shredding any sort of plastic plants I put in there (She also tries to bite my hands when I clean the tank, but this is beside the point). She rips the plants apart and they get stuck in the filter. I want to have plants in my tank, it looks incredibly bare as is right now and it's really bothering me. Is there any sort of live plant, silk or plastic plant that can stand this kind of abuse? Do you have any recommendations? I realize that Oscars are notorious for this behavior, but I don't want my tank to look like a prison cell.
<Your Oscars are cichlids that are very territorial. This includes moving things around to set up borders to their turf. This is pretty normal with large cichlids. Unfortunately live plants don't stand a chance and artificial plants won't be much better. Maybe large pieces of driftwood that has already been soaked to remove tannins can give your tank a different look.-Chuck.>

Oscar Tank With Dirty Water 12/29/07
I have a few questions. I have one Oscar (the black and red kind) and also two tinfoil barbs. I have had them for about six months. They are all housed in a 100 gallon tank. I do about a 30% water change every Monday. My fish absolutely love when I change the water is really fun to watch them swim under the water that is being poured. Anyway, I am having troubles keeping my water clear and my glass free from yuck. I have been putting AquaSafe water conditioner with BioExtract about every other week. I don't want to put to many chemicals in my water, that is why I do not do it every time I change waters. What can I do to help clear the water and the glass? I do make sure that the fish are eating all of their food in two minutes. All other food I take out, so it doesn't dissolve in my water. What do I do? Thanks for any help that you can offer.
< Filtration is very important. You did not mention any details about the filters that you are using. Generally you need a filter that will move about 300+GPH. I prefer big outside power filters like the Emp. 400. It is somewhat noisy but does an excellent job and is easy to maintain. If space behind the tank is an issue then look at some canister filters. They work but I have found them a hassle to maintain.-Chuck>

Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) – 9/27/07
Dear Crew,
<Mitzi,>
(Neale's my new hero with all his clear concise advice so if he's in, feel free to pass this onto him. Not that he wants more mail!)
<No comment!>
I'm pulling my hair out trying to decide which exact size bigger tank to get for my Oscar. He's only 4" and in a 90 gal now, I have time and I know I don't "have" to get a bigger tank, but I want it for him.
<A great attitude.>
No tankmates, just him.
<Not even a Plec of some kind? My thinking is companion fish give the Oscar something to do while you're out. They provide some exercise too, as the fishes have to swim about to get out of each other's way. To be sure, Oscars are the Siamese cats of the cichlid world, very much human-centric animals that love the company of a trusted owner. But a Plec would do no harm and would double up as a useful cleaner-upper for removing little bits of food the Oscar leaves in the tank.>
I do know I want at least 125 gallons and 72" long.
<Very good.>
But there's big price differences between 18" wide and 24" wide.
<Indeed; to do with the thickness of the glass I think.>
I also was under the impression I should get one at least twice as tall as a full grown Oscar-which would be 24" tall, is that true?
<On the whole Oscars don't care. Depth is always a good thing, but volume is most important of all.>
Or would 17" tall be tall enough?
<Depends on the size of the Oscar really. A lot of specimens are kept in tanks that depth. But it's a little shallower than I'd recommend, if only because a full grown Oscar is quite deep bodied, and by the time you've added gravel to the bottom of the tank, it might look a little cramped. The fish won't care, but how things look matters too.>
My LFS has a special on 135 gal tanks. They're 72" X 18" X 24" tall for $350.00 total. For about the same price I could get a 127 gal 72" x 24" x 17" tall tank. I wanted him to have 2 ft of room to turn around in. Which is more important? 24" to turn around in (vs. 18") or having 24" height vs. 17" ? 18" doesn't seem like much room for a 12" fish to turn around in, at the same time 17" doesn't seem like it would be tall enough for a 12" fish given their leaping abilities.
<Tough call. My gut instinct would be to go with wider, shallower tank. Fish tend to be more stressed by feeling that they are "funneled in" to the left and right than how deep the water is below them. On the other hand, a shorter but deeper AND wider tank, say 60" by 24" by 24", would (in my opinion) be better than either. And likely cost the same.>
Both are great prices (I think), I'm just not sure how important each is.
<Six of one, half a dozen of the other really. But my gut instinct is to go with width over depth. It probably doesn't matter greatly to something as flexible as an Oscar. Depth/width issues tend to be more problematic with species that are inflexible, such as needlefish and gar.>
If both are pretty important PLEASE don't be afraid to say so. I'd much rather pass up this deal and hold off 2 months and save up another few hundred dollars, which is what I'm leaning towards.
Because for $600.00 I can get a 180 gal 72" X 24" X 25" tall tank-depending on how important you think height and width are.
<I can tell you this sort of aquarium is unbelievably nice. I looked after two, 200 gallon tanks about this size, and in terms of aquascaping and communities they're really flexible. One tank was filled with Central American cichlids and decorated with MASSIVE slabs of granite collected from the beach. To see something like a firemouth cichlid DWARFED by its environment really lends the aquarium a "slice of nature" feel. I've also seen these tanks planted with 'giant' plants like Vallisneria asiatica, and the results are amazing. On the other hand, for a single Oscar this is probably overkill. If you have $600 then go for it, but it isn't as if a smaller tank won't provide an equally nice place for your pet to live. Once you get about the 55 gallon size, your Oscar is basically a happy fish. These things have been tank-bred for generations and aren't nearly so bothered by aquarium conditions as wild fish.>
(Water changes would also be bigger with a 180 gal but that doesn't matter a whole lot, we're on a well & I have a 300 gal plastic stock tank to age it).
<Indeed. I find that actually getting my 'rear in gear' so that I do water changes at all is the biggest labour. Once you have the pipes and buckets laid out, looking after a 10 gallon tank or a 100 gallon tank isn't very different. And, on the plus side, bigger tanks go wrong less often, so the headache costs drop markedly.>
I'd really like your opinion as I know you'll tell it like it is. The opinions of ALL of you are very important and I put considerable amount of stock in what you say.
<Kind of you to tell us this. Thanks!>
What do you think?
Mitzi
<Hope this is food for thought, anyway. Cheers, Neale>

Re: Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) – 9/27/07
Dear Crew (Neale)
Oh good, my email did get answered by you, Neale :-) You seem to have the knack of answering in easily understood terms yet you're very upfront and not afraid to criticize when needed. I'm afraid after the 10th email asking, "Why did all my 47 fish die in my 2 gal Betta tank?" I'd probably lose my cool.
<This does indeed happen...>
You're much more patient and non-condescending that I could be. ALL of you are and I don't bother looking fish information up anywhere else anymore.
<Glad we can help.>
Yes, a 50" X 24" X 24" *is about the same price as the 125 & 127 gal tanks. But my heart is set on at least 6' long, I love seeing Oscars coast along a decent stretch of area.
<Very good.>
I like the thought of the 180 gal
(6' x 2' X 25"). You've given me an idea with aquascaping that hadn't occurred to me. I don't have the extra $300.00 just laying around but it's something I can save up in the next month or 2 and add to what I have and get that bigger tank. It's all a matter of priority and this just happens to be one of mine.
<Indeed.>
It's strange. I've had my other fish for years and just "really enjoyed them a lot". But this little Oscar opened up a whole new world, I love this fish. He gobbles zucchini I boil for him like it's the best bug he ever ate.
<Yep, Oscars eat plant material in the wild. No-one believes me when I say this, but wild fish are distinctly omnivorous.>
The rest of my family claim I can't cook to save my life, yet my loyal little fish loves my 'cooking'. He's happy to see all of us but I'm the one he wags his whole body for.
<More than likely.>
I never had that from a fish before & I love him for it, even if it's only because I'm the one who feeds him.
<Partly true, but Oscars do enjoy human company.>
Those 18" brown Plecs have got to be the homeliest creatures I've ever seen (sorry to all the Plec-lovers).
<There's more to Plecs than the "common Plec". Look up things like Panaque nigrolineatus and Pseudacanthicus sp. 'L025'. Some plecs will upstage their tankmates when it comes to looks!>
My husband loves them so it's a possibility. I'm open to thinking about it if you think it would break the boredom for the Oscar (I hadn't thought of it that way). At least a Plec wouldn't compete for food or attention.
<Indeed not. Quite the reverse, the two would largely utilise complementary food stuffs, while both being open to taking a little of one another's if some was left over.>
I'll go through the FAQs/articles and research them here. I haven't before because when I think "plecostomus " my mind sees big blocks of sandpaper lol But there's bound to be others I don't know about yet.
<Indeed there are. Planet Catfish is a great web site for seeing galleries of catfish including Plecs.>
Thank you once again, seeing things from another viewpoint makes me feel better. My gut instinct after reading your thoughts is to wait and get tall & wide both.
I'm so grateful to this website.
Mitzi
<Good luck, Neale>

Re: Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) 2nd part... Clown Loach comp.? – 9/27/07
Neale, Crew,
As a P.S. Neale, I read the articles on the different Plecs, very good information.
The only other fish I have a real desire for is the Clown Loach. I've never gotten any because my water is very hard (300 ppm) with a PH of 8 and everything I read says you 'need' soft water with a PH of 6 or so. I discussed my water with you recently in regards to the Oscar and you stated that seldom does a 'soft water fish' fail to acclimate to hard water. Would that hold true for the Clown Loach? Or is that stretching it too far? I know they can get up to 12" but it takes them many years to get there. I've also always read you 'have' to have a minimum of 3, do you agree with that? That would be what I'd really WANT to go into a 180 gal with the Oscar, I'm not sure my water would be acceptable though.
I don't feel right "settling" for a Plec (although the Royal Plec is actually pretty) just to alleviate boredom.
Thanks for helping me, I'm truly trying not to bother you!
Mitzi
<Clown loaches can and do thrive when kept with Oscars. Water chemistry is largely irrelevant with Clowns. What they appreciate it swimming space and water quality, both of which you're providing. When kept in groups of 4-6, Clowns become very different fish to how they seem when kept singly in a small aquarium. They scoot about nose-to-tail like Corydoras some of the time, though sometimes they'll turn around and snip at each other, perhaps establishing a pecking order. While they can get to 30 cm or so, that's uncommon in aquaria. A 15-20 cm specimen -- after 7 or 8 years of growth! -- would be pretty good going. Royal Plecs are very pretty, and I have one of my own. My favourite fish, and quite tame in her way. But so destructive of plants! Though she doesn't eat them, she uproots them, and causes me much grief in trying to make her aquarium pretty. This species mixes very well with Oscars. They are delicate after import though, so be sure and look for a nice, fat specimen with bright -- not sunken -- eyes. This actually holds true for all "rare" Plecs. PS. Usually, hard water fish have problems acclimating to soft water, and not the other way around. Soft water fish may nt like hard water, but it rarely does them any harm. But when hard water fish are kept in soft water, you end up with fish that have fungus, finrot, etc. I think it's a question of soft water lacking essential minerals while soft water has a surfeit of them -- it's easier for soft water fish to adjust to excess, than for hard water fish to make do without entirely. There are exceptions, but few. Cheers, Neale>

Re: Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) 2nd part – 9/27/07
Oh good-thank you! The thought of actually being able to get some Clown Loach after wanting them so long makes my whole day :-)) They grow slower than I thought, I believe when the time comes I'll find 6 that are almost as big as the Oscar. He should still be under 6" by the time I get the 180 g so finding 5" Clown Loaches shouldn't be too hard. They'll definitely get quarantined also. I've wanted them for so long but didn't think I could have them without an RO unit. If it came down to it I could always get an RO unit in the future if I find they don't do well in harder water.
Thank you! What great news for a Friday!
Mitzi
<Hi Mitzi. Clown loaches are definitely among the most slow growing fish in the hobby. In part, this might be because they're often kept in sub-optimal aquarium conditions. But they do also seem to be simply slow-growing, late-maturing, long-lived fish. Truly, hard water isn't an issue. These loaches are routinely kept by British aquarists, most of whom have to make do with "liquid rock". It's easy to fixate on soft water because it's more true to the natural ecology of many fish. But hard water has a key advantage: it's chemically stable. Fish will usually adapt fine to non-natural water chemistry, but what they HATE is fluctuating water chemistry. Unless you really need soft water, e.g., for breeding fish, then there's no practical advantages to using soft water with most standard aquarium fish. Cheers, Neale>

Re: Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) Update 11/12/07
I'm sending the previous correspondence for reference.
<Ah, hello again Mitzi!>
I fell in love with the Royal Plecs after Neale's emails about them (thanks, Neale!). I wanted one to put in a 180 gal tank with a 5" Oscar (tank is on its way).
<Royal Plecs are great companions for Oscars.>
I wanted Clown Loaches very badly also so was having a hard time deciding. I didn't want to order fish sight unseen online but had a pretty tough time finding a Royal Plec in my area. The LFS I trust the most said it'd be a 2-3 month wait for a tiny one.
<They are somewhat seasonal fish here in England, depending on the exporting season from South America, which seems to be around September time. As far as I know, they aren't bred in captivity.>
I happened to run across an Olive Royal Plec a few nights ago at a small out of the way fish shop.
<Also known as L027b. A fine choice.>
He'd been there a month, was nice and chunky and eating well so I bought him, he's in quarantine.
<A well-fed Panaque just demands to be bought! Well spotted. Quarantining this species is always a good idea, though that's more about getting them to eat than anything else. If your specimen is nice and fat, then your work is mostly done.>
He's only 3 1/2" though so he can't go in with my (now) 5 1/2" Oscar. I'm 99% sure my Oscar would eat him or die choking on him. Too risky.
<OK.>
I've decided to just put 2 large common Plecs in with the Oscar, will that be alright in a 180 gal?
<Should be.>
My LFS said it'd work fine, but I'm concerned about 'Plec squabbles'.
<See how things go. Look for signs of fin damage or scratches on the body armour. Mostly, it's squabbling over hiding spaces. These fish are schooling animals in the wild, but in aquaria (i.e., in small spaces) they become territorial. It's probable that mature males are the aggressive ones, since it's the males that guard the eggs and fry in muddy burrows.>
I also recently bought 6 tiny Clown Loaches from my trusted LFS, they'll be in quarantine another 2 weeks.
<Very good. Again, excellent additions to this sort of big-but-peaceful community.>
I'd recently asked Neale about putting Corydoras catfish in with my Severum in a 55 gal.
<Should work, except perhaps with tiny Corydoras that could be mistaken for food. Severums are herbivores of course, but they won't turn down an easy fish supper!>
I adore the Royal Plec (Oliver Twist) and the Clown Loaches so I bit the bullet & ordered a 6 ft long 125 gal for the Severum, 6 Clown Loaches and the Royal Plec. Is that enough room?
<Should be, assuming adequate filtration and aeration, plus of course water changes. Providing lots of hiding places will also be important. I'd be looking at terracotta pots and pipes of various sorts. These big fish (especially herbivores like Severums and Panaque) hammer plants so there's no mileage in planting the tank. But creating use of mock-Ancient Greek ceramic urns and the like can be used to create very attractive and easy to clean systems. I've seen people place airstones inside the urns so that the bubbles dramatically come out of the urns. Coloured lights also work great in these sorts of tanks. The additional aeration will also help with water quality and the stocking density.>
Would I possibly have room for 12 Corydoras (trilineatus)?
<Yes. Their total mass would be about the same as a half grown Clown Loach!>
I'm concerned about there being so many bottom feeders and the fact that Royal Plecs are said to be territorial at times with other bottom feeders.
<Royal Plecs ignore Corydoras completely, and likely loaches. Their preferred food is wood and vegetables, so largely they'll be eating different things to the other catfish. It's important not to give too much meaty food to Panaque, by the way. Do read this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/almosperffshmonks.htm >
If the Clown Loaches all thrive and happened to grow fast in the years to come I could always put 3 of them in the 180 gallon tank with the Oscar. This tank is centered around the Severum, so whatever you advise is best for him is what I plan to do. I want to stay understocked.
<Your plan sounds good.>
Thank you for listening to my dilemma. Lord knows I don't know what I'd do without your web site.
<Glad to help.>
PS My husband has been reading up on Dwarf Puffers and is planning on setting one up in a 12 gal tank. He was telling me about this "great article" he'd read in Tropical Fish magazine. I looked at the article and saw the author was none other than Neale Monks :-) I told my husband he's also my new hero with Oscar information-ha!
<I'm pleased you both enjoyed the article! TFH is a great magazine, and I'm always pleased with how they lay out and illustrate my articles.>
Thank you all for being there and being so wonderfully patient.
Mitzi
<Good luck, Neale>

Re: Tank height/width for Oscar (Neale?) Update 11/13/07
Excellent! I'm forever grateful for you and this entire site! Both tanks are going to have a lot of stacked driftwood and (what I call) mangrove roots. Just a week ago I was telling my husband how cool an "Egypt" tank would look. I was going to try to make it look like Stonehenge. The Greek-looking urns would fit in great! The fish wouldn't know I mixed 2 different "themes".
<Plecs and big loaches just love big ceramic urns and other ornaments. We often assume something "natural" is best, but animals don't really care. So long as it is safe to use underwater (i.e., nothing chemically treated or varnished) you're good to go. Terracotta objects work great. A lot of public aquaria do this sort of thing because it looks so good with the right lights and bubbles. At the London Aquarium, they have aquaria that look like Roman baths, the statues on Easter Island, even harbours with anchors and whatnot. With big fish, a few big ornaments looks amazing, and so much better than lots of little bits of clutter.>
The tank has 3 separate tops each with their own light fixture so I can put different colored bulb covers on each of the end ones. I love that idea, thank you!
<Over here there's a brand of air pump called Hydor and they have these clever little units that combine powerful spiraling air bubble generators with coloured lamps, so you get a column of red, blue or green bubbles. Another near trick is to place generic halogen spotlights well above the tank (say, 1 meter) and only use plain acrylic or glass as a tank cover. When the light is above the water and focused as a beam rather than a strip, could get the dappling pattern of light we've all seen when swimming underwater. It's a totally different effect to the usual uniform lighting. With a big tank without plants, you can really get creative with the lights, and build up areas of light and shade. Big fish, like Oscars, look incredibly dramatic, because they now look as if they are lurking under the shade of an overhanging tree. In other words, think outside the box.>
The Severum is a passive female (named Stewie). I always forget and call 'her' a 'he' though. She's in her own tank because of the fact she *is so passive. She's seems so sweet and protective of the 6 Corydoras she's in with now, one of the reasons I love her so. So I don't anticipate any problems with her towards new Corys.
<Agreed. Severums are generally quite mild. You get the odd mean specimen, but most are fine, especially females.>
I'm now re-thinking putting two (common) Plecs with my Oscar; one should be fine.
<Indeed.>
I don't want to have to part with one if they don't get along because I get too attached.
<Agreed!>
I literally *never* paid any attention to Plecs before your previous correspondence and only thought of them as 'ugly brown things'. I'm ashamed I thought that way now. They're beautiful and useful and come in hundreds of colors. Even the plain brown ones are pretty when you look at their patterns and their broad fat mouths.
<Precisely so. The problem with this whole family -- the Loricariidae -- is it is addictive. Once you learn about one or two of them, then you discover the Redfin Cactus Plec, the Queen Arabesque, the Blue-eyed Plec, the Black Adonis Plec, Hypancistrus zebra... there are literally hundreds of species in this group, many of which are superb animals.>
I wish they weren't so territorial so I could have a "Plec tank".
<That is the problem! They're one-to-a-tank mostly, and many get pretty big. But the smaller ones, like Whiptails and Clown Plecs, are often small enough you can set up groups. Under such conditions, many spawn quite willingly. The fathers are exceptionally good parents and will guard the fry even after hatching.>
I'm completely in love with this Royal Plec :-) Thank you for opening my eyes and for all your good advice.
<My pleasure! My Royal Plec is my absolute favourite fish and she is so tame and so funny-looking. Even my aquarists who keep marine fish accept that Royal Plecs are special fish with a charm and character all their own. Spend some time reading up on their science, too. They're amazing animals and unique among vertebrates in being able to eat and digest wood.>
Mitzi
<Cheers, Neale>

High ph, hard water-Oscar – 09/14/07
Dearest Crew,
I have extremely hard water and have 5 freshwater tanks. I don't completely trust dipsticks but I think this one is probably reasonably accurate. It says total hardness (GH) is 300 ppm and total alkalinity (KH) is barely under 300 ppm. We have well water with no chlorine or anything. I took it all with a grain of salt until I tried softening & lowering the ph with buckets of test water. I didn't want to put anything in the tanks until I knew what the end results of my bucket tests were. I've been reading extensively the past 4 wks on WWW about ph (something I never understood until I found your crew). The more I read the more concerned I became. I try so hard to feed the right food for each fish, give them plenty of room, keep ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all always '0' by quick 3-4% daily water changes. I want to take care of them right because they're my little charges and they only have me to do it.
My 'newest' fish is my now 4" red Oscar. I've him about 2
months. Lord, I love that wiggly little beggar fish. I care very much for my Severum, Goldfish & Blood Parrots but I'm completely enthralled with this little Oscar. I was lulled all these years by the idea that "stable PH is better than unstable proper PH" but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have been so complacent.
After finally understanding PH & alkalinity I'm worried about my Oscar because I adore him so and my Severum who needs a considerably lower ph. The ph of my 4 day old aerated water
is 8 to 8.2, the ph in the tanks runs about the same according to my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals liquid test tube kit.
I use pea gravel and inert smooth aquarium gravel in the tanks I'm concerned about, old driftwood, no limestone or dissolving rocks of any kind.
I used a 10 gal tub of the aged hard water and put a big handful of peat moss tied in nylon with a bubbler. It's been 2 days now and still at 8.2. I left the peat moss in there and added the recommended amount of "Beckett PH Lower" to it. It says it has 15% citrus acid. The pH immediately dropped to 7 but after just 8 hrs it had already risen back up to 8. That's the reason I tend to believe the test even though it was a dipstick test. This water is well buffered, I just wish it was buffered at 6-7 ph. It's not about to give up and let go of the high ph for any length of time. I can't subject fish to these swings, obviously.
Do you think an 8 to 8.2 ph is far too high for my Oscar? (I know it is for the Severum). Your Oscar facts said "Freshwater: pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5.0 - 19.0 was acceptable for Oscars. Yet all the FAQ's always say they need 6-7 ph and medium water. If all other factors in his care are optimal, am I worrying too much or worrying for good reason? HITH disease scares me badly and I want to avoid it at all costs. I don't want to shorten their lives in any way.
I read several of (mainly) Chuck's references to mixing 80% distilled water with 20% tap water along with leaving peat moss in the tank. That sounds like something I could easily do with no
trouble at all if distilled is safe to use. If it were only my 45 gal Severum tank I could also just as easily get water from my brother's house, no big deal. But my Oscar now has a 90 gal tank and I've decided on a 125 gal long tank the 1st of the year. That's alot of water to be dragging home for water changes. If you think the situation is dire enough I'll do research on an RO unit if I need to. I also worry that if something happens to me or I end up in the hospital and my husband had to do water changes he'd never be able to understand complicated water changes. He could easily do them by aging our plain tap water though (with me shouting orders from my hospital bed-ha!)
Could you please let me know if my ph is unacceptable for my Oscar? If it is, I'll do whatever I can to change it the right way. If it's not that big of a concern I can quit worrying so much about it.
It seems far too many people start mixing, changing & switching with the "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is!" mindset and I don't want to do that.
I apologize for the length of this email. What you're doing for the aquarium hobby is above and beyond the call of duty. I'm so thankful for your website.
Sincerely,
Mitzi
<Mitzi, the first thing to understand is pH is not important. Fish don't feel pH. What they react to is something called total dissolved solids, or TDS. It just so happens that high TDS tends to go along with alkaline pH and low TDS with acid pH. But because pH is "easy" to understand, and TDS is "difficult" to understand, aquarists often focus on pH instead of TDS. The analogy is IQ. People often think a high IQ means someone is smarter than someone with a lower IQ, but the reality is that all IQ measures is someone's ability to succeed at IQ tests. There are lots of very skilled, capable people like surgeons and artists and engineers who don't have particularly high IQ levels, and lots of people with high IQs that do incredibly dumb things and don't have particularly impressive careers. If you want to change the water chemistry in an aquarium, what you need to focus on is the TDS, not the pH. Adding magic potions that raise and lower pH is really wasting time and money. Yes, you can add pH-down products to an aquarium where the water has a high TDS level. And the pH may well become acidic for a while. But what you're actually doing is changing one set of mineral salts to another (through an acid-base reaction). You aren't removing those mineral salts, so you aren't softening the water in any meaningful way. If it really was that simple, people wouldn't be spending $100s on reverse-osmosis water softeners! If you genuinely want to put a soft water fish into a soft water aquarium, you have two options: use RO water or use rainwater. I do the latter, because its cheap and easy, but RO has the advantages of convenience and perhaps greater safety if you live in potentially polluted areas. Like Chuck suggests, I mix rainwater with hard tap water to get the water chemistry I want. But adding pH-down chemicals to the water IS NOT an option, so don't bother. Now, there is some misunderstanding about the water requirements for Astronotus ocellatus. Wild fish are found in a variety of habitats with both soft and moderately hard water. They have also become established outside their natural range (e.g., Florida) where they are living perfectly well in hard, alkaline water. According to Fishbase, which is based on wild, not aquarium, fish, Astronotus ocellatus has a hardness range of 5-19 degrees dH, which places your hard water well within its tolerances. I can also mention at this point that Oscars are routinely kept and bred in very hard, very alkaline water here in Southern England. Wild Astronotus ocellatus may be a little more fussy, but the aquarium strains aren't at all fussed. Looking at your other fish: Severums are found in a range of waters including brackish water, so they don't care. Blood parrots are some kind of hybrid of Central American cichlids, so they actually need hard/alkaline water and tend to be sickly went kept otherwise. Goldfish prefer hard/alkaline water as well. As I've said many, MANY times most fish will adapt fine to a range of water chemistry values -- what matters is stability. In fact, very few soft water fish fail to adapt to hard water; the problems are usually adapting hard water fish (like livebearers and Mbuna) to soft water conditions -- they usually get plagued with fungus or simply die. Changing water chemistry is something to do ONLY if you want to breed a particular species, AND even then ONLY once you are satisfied you understand what TDS, KH and GH are all about and how they interact with the conditions in the tank. If you don't understand them, then don't try and change them. For routine maintenance in display aquaria, stick with the water you have and concentrate on water QUALITY. So, in short, put the bottle of pH-down potion away, and just enjoy your fish. Cheers, Neale>

Re: High ph, hard water-Oscar – 09/14/07
Neale (and WWM),
Thank you thank you for the super fast informative answer! You've really put my mind at ease with such a complete answer. I've no doubt your response will help many people. What a relief, truly. They've all done so well, grown so fast and been consistently active for several years, it was hard to wrap my mind around the possibility that the hard/alkaline water was hurting them. But that's subjective because my own fish are all I have to compare to on a day to day basis. I feel very much relieved after your answer. Messing with their pH is something I certainly didn't want to have to do.
I've got dogs, cats, pet sheep, a pet rat, a dove and my other fish but this little $6 Oscar from PetSmart has given me more laughs and relaxation than anything else money could buy. Such intelligence and personality they have! I think doctors should prescribe an Oscar instead of Prozac and they'd have better results :-)
Thank you again for your words.
Mitzi
<Mitzi, glad to be of help. Yes, people do get worked into a lather over water chemistry, but the bottom line is that with freshwater fish at least it is relatively unimportant. Oscars are wonderful fish, and seem truly to have a genuine affection for human companions. There are many stories about people teaching them tricks and games. And yes, the therapeutic value of fish tanks is quite well known. They seem to slow people's heart rates and generally reduce stress. And simply working with animals and plants is just plain good for the soul. So enjoy your animals, and good luck. Neale>

Tiger Oscar Cichlid, beh., sys. - 7/23/07
Hi,
I recently bought two tiger cichlids at about 1.5 inch for a 30 gallon tank.
The two fishes are on the aquarium floor and do not move, although I can still see them wiggle a little bit. I was wondering if this is normal, or if there is some thing wrong with them? They also haven't eaten anything yet.
Thanks for your time,
John
<Hello John. Tiger Oscars are, as you know, going to grow into huge cichlids that CANNOT be kept safely in a 30 gallon tank. In the meantime though, if any Oscar is not swimming about and not hungry, you can assume something is wrong. Precisely what, I cannot say without more information. What are the water conditions? Hardness, pH, nitrite, and nitrate all matter here. What sort of filtration are you using? Like all cichlids, Oscars are very sensitive to dissolved metabolites in the water, i.e., if you don't do big, regular water changes -- the fish WILL get sick. You're remembering to add dechlorinator each time you change the water? There are no aggressive fish in the tank (Oscars are rather gentle, and easily bullied). What foods are you using? Juvenile Oscars are generally quite outgoing fish, but if the tank has no shade for them, they might feel exposed. Oscars are often mistreated by retailers. Check for signs of parasitic infections. It is common for people to feed them cheap feeder fish, and this gets them infected with internal bacteria and parasites. As you probably know, the ideal diet for Oscars contains no live fish at all, but rather crunchy invertebrates (what they eat in the wild) plus good quality cichlid pellets (Hikari Cichlid Gold is excellent, but there are others). Cheers, Neale>

Water Requirements For An Oscar 5/30/07
Hi, I have a 75 gal. aquarium with one large Plecostomus and I am planning to get one tiger Oscar in the next few weeks. What I need to know is I bought a Tap Water Filter for Aquariums. It came with a bottle of Electro-Right and a bottle of pH adjuster that I use in the water for my community aquarium to make perfect water for them. The directions say to make perfect water for African Cichlids to add African Cichlid Salts and buffers to the filtered water. Does this sound right for the Oscar or is there something else that I should do and also what is the right pH for a Oscar. Thanks for your help. Nancy
< Your Oscar originally came from the Amazon basin in South America. Your actual Oscar probably was born and bred in Asia. African cichlid salts and buffers are not needed for your Oscar. Treat the water as you for your community tank.-Chuck>

Re: Water Requirements For An Oscar 5/30/07
Thanks for the quick answer. One more quick question what is the proper PH for this Aquarium. And again thanks for the quick answer. Nancy
<Greetings. Oscars are pretty adaptable, and anything suitable for community tropical fish will be fine. The ideal would be slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0) and low to moderate hardness. Your Plecostomus will want the same sort of conditions. But really, provided the water isn't excessively hard (over 20 dH) or alkaline (much above pH 7.5) you don't really need to be fussed. Performing regular water changes to keep the water quality good is far more important to their health than worrying about the pH and hardness. Cheers, Neale>

Extended period of not eating/lesions/possible parasites? Oscar hlth., env. - 03/02/07
Greetings Experts,
<All.... right>
I've been reading the FAQ and I am very impressed with your crew's level of dedication.
<Me too>
However I've read through a few pages and I'm still not sure on a course of action.  I would really appreciate any help you can give.  We've been caring for a 12" tiger Oscar (his name is Grouch - get it?  Grouch the Oscar?  Get it?)
<Uh huh... shades of the Muppets>
for a few years now - he belonged to a former housemate and has been on "semi-permanent loan" for quite a while, and we have of course grown quite fond of him.  He lives by himself in a tank that is somewhere around 60-65 gallons.  He has been healthy and happy the whole time and we have never had any problems before.
Over the past few weeks, he has stopped eating.  At first he was doing the thing where he would spit out more food than he normally does; but by now, I would say that I haven't seen him eat anything at all in well over a week.  We feed him pellets only (no feeders), which he has always enjoyed just fine.  I generally keep up with weekly water changes (around 40-50%) and vacuuming, although I missed a few weeks in a row recently - not sure if that's related.
<Assuredly this is... a "build up" (accumulation) of waste products, derivatives... could easily account for the observed/related behavior>
He has always had bouts of aggressive swimming, but in the past few weeks he seems to have gotten into a few "fights" with the large wood decoration in his tank (and lost).  He had a few scrapes as a result which seem to be healing.  BUT, he now has several spots on the front of his head that have tufts of what looks like mold growing out of
them.  Is this the "hole in the head" disease I've been reading about, or are these just infected areas that he scraped?
<Related... are likely "neuromast" degenerative markings of some sort... environmental...>
Either way, is it time to medicate the water, and if so what would you recommend?
<Mmm, not time to medicate, but time to get back into and adhere to the previous maintenance routine... Also, I'd try enlarging this animal's diet a bit... perhaps (if you're not too squeamish) a few live earthworms... Mealworms... Crickets...>
Finally, I've noticed a few small (as in pencil-point small) creatures crawling around on his skin.  They appear as tiny white dots, but when you get up close you can see that they're moving.  They also appear on the wood decoration.  What the heck are these things, and more importantly, do you think they might be related to his illness?
<Can't tell... but these too are very likely positively correlatable with the cessation of water changes, vacuuming... and will "go" as well...>
The thing I am most worried about right now is his not eating.  How long can this go on for?
<Likely weeks>
And more importantly, how can I get him to start eating again?
<Improved conditions... live foods...>
I'm hoping you can help with any info that you can.  I'd like to hear what the Oscar specialists have to say before I randomly walk into a random pet store and find some random clerk and just say, "Um, my fish is sick."  Thanks for any help.  I (and Grouch) thank you.
- Chris
<Thank you for writing... If there's funds for such, I would invest in a few test kits... pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate... I suspect the first has fallen and the latter are over 20 ppm... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscars.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

My 3 Oscars aren't getting along... 1/26/07
I have 3 Oscars (1 Albino Tiger [4"], 1 Tiger [3.5"] and 1 Red [2"] all in a 47 gal. tank)
<Trouble... not enough room, one too small...>
and the albino (Whiteout) and the tiger (Butthead) are getting along but they keep leaving the red (Beavis) out of their activities.
Whiteout and Butthead, I think, are a pair from what I have researched, they stick together and explore the tank daily hardly leaving the other's side.
<Territorial animals... a 47 is too small...>
Beavis is kind of a solitary guy and he tries to get along with the two but whenever he gets too close, the two take turns butting him in the side.
Only when it comes to feeding do they get along and it's the better hunter who gets the feeders
<A very poor idea... see WWM re>
(which is usually Whiteout). I want to know what to do with them and should I introduce another Oscar so that Beavis can have a
mate?
<Mmm, no... need to remove the smallest fish... pronto... or it will be killed>
I've read the other FAQ's on your site and I do not want Beavis to be stressed and so far he isn't showing signs of that yet.
Thanks,
Nicole
<Another tank... eventually a much larger tank... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscars.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Fighting Oscars Are Getting Hot 12/24/06
I have two four-year old Oscars in a 90 gallon tank with a Pleco. Up until about six months ago, I had three, and, periodically, they would do frequent battle, sometimes nearly to the death for at least one, but all had their turns at coming out on top and on the bottom.
Just when it reached the point that I had decided to get rid of two of them (I put up a "free Oscar" poster at the local pet supply store but nobody bit), one died mysteriously and after that, there was peace. The other two got along for months with no trouble at all.
That peace ended the day before yesterday, when they suddenly started fighting ferociously. They fought so hard and so violently that I fear one or both may have wound up with broken jaws. Neither have taken a bite of food sense and the way their mouths look, and the way they are both swimming about with their jaws hanging down, I am not certain they can take a bite right now.
I was wondering why two peaceful fish would suddenly go to war with each other like that. As I have been traveling, I had not cleaned their tank for three weeks (my wife cared for them while I was gone but that care does not extend to tank cleaning) and I wondered if maybe there was a water-quality issue that had caused them to get cranky.
This afternoon, I interrupted the continuing brawl to clean their tank and when my skin came in contact with their water, I surprised at how warm it was. So I looked at the thermometer and it was 84 degrees! I try to keep it at 76 and I don't know how that happened, as the setting on the heater was just where it was supposed to be.
I have been cooling the tank down slowly and it is now down to 80 degrees. Tomorrow I will bring it down to 76. Could this warm water have triggered the battle? They are still making intimidating feints at each other, but there has been no more of the fierce fighting since I cleaned the tank.Thanks,Bill
< This is probably a combination of too much food from an inexperienced aquarist and temperatures rising. Big fish can be pretty tough on aquarium equipment. I would recommend getting a titanium or  stainless steel heater for this tank. As the water temps cool down things should settle down.>
PS: After you answer this question, I have a green terror question for you.
< You may have to wait awhile after x-mas to get a response.-Chuck> \

Oscar Set Up 9/26/06
Hey guys! I found your website to be filled so much awesome info. I'm just curious. What would be the ideal aquarium and equipment for a pair of Oscars? It'll be future reference for me. Thanks a lot and have a good one! Kev
<A 100 gallon aquarium with two Marineland Emperor 400 filters. A metal heater set at 78 F. A Python Water change system for doing 25 gallon weekly water changes. Large Spectrum pellets for food.-Chuck>

Can you recommend a filtration for an Oscar tank set-up?
Hi Bob!
<<Hi, Kristi. Tom with you, actually.>>
Love your site! It has really helped in my research of starting up an Oscar tank.
<<Glad to hear we've been of help so far.>>
I am a seasoned vet at raising and maintaining a community fish tank, now I want to try my hand at an Oscar tank.
<<A worthwhile project, Kristi.>>
I have a 42 gallon tank that I have set aside for this purpose. It is an Eclipse tank and filtration system.
<<Might not seem like it on the surface, Kristi, but 42 gallons is a bit small for an Oscar. Maintaining optimal water conditions become a bit problematic and the smaller, relatively speaking, sized tank is likely to increase aggressiveness and territoriality issues. A 55-gallon tank is really a better size here.>>
I have read many articles on filtration, i.e. internal and external filters. I read up on a filter that has a built-in heater. Are these better?
<<Likely the one of the Eheim Thermofilter models. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better filter, in my opinion. Having the heater "self-contained" has the obvious advantage of maintaining more uniform tank temperatures by returning water to the tank straight from the heat source. Tends to eliminate hot and cold spots that can occur with conventional heaters.>>
If I have this size tank, what size GPH should I look for in a filter?
<<I'd look in the 250-300 GPH range, Kristi. This would give you 6-7+ full-volume exchanges per hour.>>
I only want one Oscar, one convict and one pleco to reside in the tank. Would these overcrowd the tank in the future?
<<I believe you should consider not adding the Convict Cichlid. Here, again, I'm returning to the size of your tank. The Convict and the Oscar might get along in a much larger environment - though even this is up for debate - but in a 42-gallon tank, I'd practically guarantee a fight. The Oscar and the Pleco should do okay together, though.>>
Would they be good tank mates if placed in the tank as babies?
<<The Oscar and Pleco will, yes.>>
Should I only add one at a time after cycling the tank?
<<I would add both, together, as juveniles. Were you to add one before the other, the order would be the Pleco, first, followed by the Oscar. This would reduce any issues with the Oscar rapidly making the entire tank "his" territory.>>
Thanks for your help!
Kristi
<<Happy to do so, Kristi, and best of luck with your new venture! Tom>>

Tank for Oscars 9/6/06
Hi everybody (with Dr. Nick from the Simpson's accent)! Just wondering how big of a tank a group of six Oscars (space for full grown) will need, better in l x w x h then gallons.
-Jack
< You want a tank with lots of bottom surface area. Stay away from very tall tanks. At a minimum you want a 150 gallon tank. Bigger would be better. Especially if a pair decide to spawn.-Chuck>

Will a single Oscar get lonely?   9/4/06
Hello!
<Hi there>
You may have answered this, but I was wondering if just one Oscar would get lonely by itself?
<Not likely... has you! As company>
I do not currently own a large tank or an Oscar, but I like the idea of one Oscar with plenty of room for itself.  However, I  don't want to be cruel to an animal that would prefer companionship.  Is  one okay?
<Yes>
How big would one Oscar get alone?
<About the same size... a foot or so>
How big a tank should I  get?
<The bigger the better... at least forty gallons... sixty or more...>
Thanks--I just found your website tonight and it's great!
Dorothy Wilson
<Thank you for writing, sharing. Bob Fenner>

My Oscars are living in spite of me 8/25/06
I have a display tank in my office ( 13 inches across, 9 inched deep, 48 inches high - 30 gallons) and 2 new Oscars ( a tiger and a red Oscar)
<Not enough room...>
My clients told me to get Oscars... they told me to give them feeder fish.
<A very poor idea>
They told me not to worry about cleaning the filter too much , or changing the water every week. I've listened to them , and the Oscars are fine ( I thought swimming up and down would be a problem, by they are fine) After reading the faq's , I see I'm doing everything wrong. I only have time on Sundays to do anything more than 5 minutes of work. Where should I start?
;-)avi
<Regular water changes... weekly, stop feeding feeders for all the reasons stated on WWM... Look into larger quarters... Bob Fenner>

Re: My Oscar, Sys., seashells best at the seashore 8/1/06
Hmm.. I sent you an email earlier today, asking about my new Oscar. I know on your web page it says read and you'll more than likely find what you're looking for, and I think I found one of the answers to one of the questions I had asked. (the one about why my new Oscar lays at the bottom of the tank) I still am curious as to whether sea shells are good for the tank or not.
<Generally not useful for freshwater systems on two counts: they too-likely change water quality by dissolving... to conditions you don't want. And secondly, the shells sharp edges are too likely to physically damage the fishes>
they're pretty, but If they are harmful I'll take them out. I have two in there. so there's not that many. Anyways...one more question, and sorry for the bother: I currently have a 10 gallon tank with a two inch or smaller tiger Oscar. I know that is probably two small.
<Yes, will need more room... soon>
but it's all I can have right now. When should I upgrade to a larger tank?
<ASAPractical>
What size of Oscar is considered too large for my tank? Thanks.
<Likely at 3 inches or so... Bob Fenner>

Frightened Fish, Oscars   7/11/06
<<Hello, Krista. Tom with you.>>
I currently have two Oscars and a pleco in a 55 gal tank.  I have had them for about two months.  At first they were extremely friendly.  They would swim to the front of the tank when I came home from work and were friendly towards each other.
<<Okay.>>
Recently they seem to be extremely frightened by any movement at all.  They will come out when I feed them but hide immediately after.  I am thinking of taking their favorite hiding place out of the tank and rearranging some things.  Is this a good idea or is there anything else I can do?
<<Like taking a sick child's temperature, the first thing I would recommend is looking to your water conditions/parameters. Cichlids certainly like their hiding places and retreat there when feeling stressed. Since Oscars can be pretty outgoing animals, particularly when they recognize the person who provides the "yummies", I'd be looking for the reason that they now seem fearful of movement outside the tank. Sounds like there's more than meets the eye here, Krista.>>
I don't want to stress them out but I don't want them to hide all day either?
<<As a rule, I try to bear in mind that the tanks are my "displays" but they're my fishes' homes. Your pets have nowhere to "run" so taking away their "sanctuaries" will likely make matters worse. Again, I'd look at what's going on inside your tank before rearranging things. Specifically, I'd look to see if there are parameters that are in serious fluctuation like hardness, pH and temperature. Is there a possibility of an ammonia, or nitrite, spike that you might not be aware of? Even nitrate levels are something to be considered with these fish. Unlikely that this would manifest itself after only two months but do you feed them a varied diet? This is a misunderstood and very underestimated source of problems with fish. Even high quality foods, when there's no variety, can lead to health/stress problems. Usually these don't show up for quite some time but let's look at all possibilities here.>>
Thank you
Krista
<<You're welcome, Krista. Tom>>

Very Spoiled Oscar Questions, nod to Sab,   6/13/06
Hi!  I hope there isn't a limit to the number of emails a person can send?
<Heeee! I wish there were a number to those I answer!>
I think this is my 4th.  Thank you for all the great information and advice you have on your site (even the "bad" news kind).  Also, please forward my thanks to Sabrina.
<Ah, will do>
She answered an email about my female Betta Splendens last month.  Sadly, she died, but at least her last days were in water that was only dechlorinated, with a little API aquarium salt added.  I'm sure it was easier for her, if dying can be considered easy, than being in the 'toxic soup'  of medications I'd been subjecting her to.  I just wish I'd emailed sooner!
My email today, is in regard to my husband's Tiger Oscar, Vinny (Astronotus ocellatus).  We've had him about a month to six weeks.  He was about 2 inches when we got him, and I'd estimate him to be 3 & 1/2 to 4 inches now.  He is in a fully cycled 30 gallon tank.  Now, I know this is the part where you start getting annoyed, followed by cursing under your breath, possibly yelling at my email, perhaps making rude gestures, and finally in utter frustration, banging the keyboard against your head, but please bare with me.....
<Heeeeeee! Larger tank please>
    The tank was cycled, and then inhabited by, 3 Dwarf Gourami, 12 Corydoras Catfish (mixed), and a school of 18 Harlequin Rasboras prior to Vinny's occupancy.  I had nightmares about the 'cute baby Oscar' eating my beloved Corys
<You are/were right to be concerned here>
when my husband told me he wanted an Oscar, so I made the deal that we'd up grade the community to larger digs, and then he could have an Oscar.  The tank had/has a Rena Filstar Xp2 (300/gph) and a Penguin 350 dual BioWheel (350/gph) for filtration.  When we moved the 'community' we left the filtration, just took the fish and their decorations, plants, etc.  The Xp2 is running with 4 foam filters (2 - 20 ppi, 2 - 30 ppi) on the bottom, and a micro-filtration pad on the top.  The center is all bio-media, consisting of a mix of Filstar's Bio-chem Stars, Fluval's bio-cylinders, and Aqua Clear's Bio-max stones.  The 350 has one Aquatic Gardens replacement filter (the kind with the mechanical pad around the carbon - looks like three stacked pillows  and a blue bio-sponge all inside a frame).  In addition, there is a net bag with Seachem's Biostones, the wheel from a now defunct Penguin 150 (it was fully mature, and I didn't want to lose the colony on it), and 2 Fluval 1 Plus foam sponges (had them, don't have the unit anymore, so figured why not).  The water flows freely to both sides, so the media compartment is full, but not stuffed (no overflow, good, steady and even, return water from both sides).  I also have a Whisper 60 air pump (with backflow valve) hooked up to/running  a 4 inch airstone bar, a 3 inch airstone circle, and a simple sponge filter (for 25 gallons - "maturing" it for use, when needed, in a sick/quarantine/fry type applications).
<Good>
  The tank has two 75 watt heaters (one on each end).  For decoration Vinny has two 10 inch (diameter) fake water lilies floating on the surface (he likes to sit/float/hover under them).  He has about 1/3 of the bottom covered with around 1/2 to 3/4 inch of  gravel and smooth 'river' rocks, the rest (mostly under the log) is bare.  The gravel and stones cover the two air stones, which form a nice bubble-wall across the end of one side of the tank.  He plays in the bubbles daily.  Lastly, he has a large fake log.  It's a very large log!  It takes up about 1/2 of the bottom of the tank from side to side, about 1/4 to 1/3 the height, and 2/3 of the bottom from front to back.  It's open on both ends and has a hole in one side toward the center.  He'd had a small flat top cave the first couple weeks, but was already outgrowing it.  I guess my husband figured the new log would last him a lot longer!  He gets a 50% water change weekly.
<I'd restrict this to about a quarter per week/time>
I use Tetra's Aqua Safe OR Kordon's Nova Aqua Plus + OR Seachem's Prime, to condition the new water, which is matched to the tank water's temperature.   I also use a dose of  Hagen's Cycle, API's Stresszyme, Mardel's A.C.T., OR Seachem's Stability with each water change.  The filters are serviced bi-monthly, alternating weeks (i.e.:  week 1 the 350, week 2 the Xp2, week 3 the 350, an so on).
<Good practice>
I rinse the pads/foam in discard water only.  I replace the Xp2's pads alternately every other month (1 30ppi and 1 20ppi is new and the other 2 are mature at any given time).  The micro pad I change every two weeks, since it doesn't rinse well.  I usually leave the bio-medium alone, or do a light swishing in discard water (while it's in the basket).  I don't normally replace it, should I be?
<No... should last for years... with the occasional rinse...>
I replace the 350's filter (mechanical/chemical) part every two weeks, but just rinse the bio-sponge.  The rest (150's BioWheel, Fluval Sponges, etc) I usually leave alone, other than to rinse them at least monthly (again swishing in the discard bucket).  In between water changes we also have an Eheim battery operated hand vacuum than I use to help contain the mess Vinny makes (which is also why he doesn't have full gravel, so I can see when he has build up)  He gets fasted for one 24 hour period weekly.   We feed him Hikari's Cichlid Staple mini pellets, Hikari's Cichlid Gold mini pellets, HBH's Super Soft Pellets with Krill, Tetra's Baby Shrimp (Sun dried Gammarus), Hikari's Freeze-dried Ocean Plankton, and Tetra's Food sticks (the smaller ones).  I make sure he gets three of the Cichlid pellets twice a day (6 total between the Gold and Staple), along with one mouthful of the Plankton after the pellets, each of the two feedings.  My husband usually gives him the HBH soft pellets and/or the baby shrimp "snacks" two or three times a day.  I try to limit the "snacks" to one or two pellets and one or two of the baby shrimp, but I'm going on trust that he's not sneaking Vinny extra.  Since Vinny can move around the tank, and hasn't quadrupled in girth, I'm assuming he's not being overfed?  Should he be getting more?  I imagine he could bolt down a lot more in 2 or 3 minutes time.  He usually only gets the food sticks (2) at the meal before his water change.  He's very piggy with them, and has been know to 'spew' chunks all around him so he has room for the second one.  Then he goes around and picks up the chunks after he's finished the second one.  Out of necessity, we've been getting more accurate on guessing whether he's had time to finish the first one, or not.   He has two 'toys' in his tank.  A golf ball size whiffle ball (hollow with lots of holes) that he pushes around, chases when it's in the filter current, or pushes into the glass to get attention (my husband unwittingly reinforced that habit).  He also has a plastic plant.  It has a small (non-toxic) weight wrapped around it's base, to keep it on the bottom of the tank.  He lays next to it, and moves it a little, but seems to like the ball better.  I use 5 in 1 stick tests (Mardel or Jungle) 3 to 5 times a week, and do liquid tests twice weekly.  I test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.  The stick does GH and kH as well.  I do the liquid GH and kH tests once every 4 to 6 weeks.  His tank tests are:  Ammonia:  0, Nitrites:  0, Nitrates: 20-30ppm (usually 20), kH:  11, and pH is 8.0 by stick and liquid test and 7.8 per the electric gadget my husband got (not sure I trust it).  His temp. is stable at 77/78 degrees (have a thermometer on each end).  I also have a Seachem ammonia alert badge in the tank as a backup.  So, if you're still with me, my questions are:  1.  Is it possible to keep him in the 30 gallon, meet AND still exceed his needs, or are we doomed to failure?
<Will need to be moved to larger quarters in time... You might use the limit of 20ppm of nitrate as a guide as to when...>
2.  Do all Oscars try to damage/eat/rearrange the equipment in their tank?
<Oh yes...>
He's shown no interest in the heaters, thermometers, ammo. badge, filter intakes, etc.  Is it wishful thinking that he won't start tearing the tank up?
<Likely so>
I'm not counting the gravel, he can move it to his heart's content.  I look at it like the 'tank is for him, not for me' line of thought.  If I wanted a 'garden' I'd dig one in the back yard.... wanted a pretty picture, I'd hang it on the wall, sort of thing.  I'm mainly concerned about him hurting himself...... Vinny vs. Electricity...... doesn't seem like it would have a great outcome.  3.  Can a fish get burned on a submersible heater?
<Yes... more possibility of breakage, electricity troubles here though... When this fish is larger, in its bigger quarters, there are ways you can remote or surround the heater/s to avoid such>
I've seen things about putting a piece of pvc pipe over the heater?  Would an in-line heater in the canister's return line be a better way to go?
<Yes... as stated, will want to do with move to a bigger tank... when Vinny is larger...>
4.  What other kinds of 'toys' are safe/suitable for an Oscar?
<Most anything plastic...>
The plant was a no brainer, as it was aquarium safe.  The whiffle ball was harder, but since it wasn't colored, was too big to swallow, too small to scare him, and light enough not to break/crack the glass, we let him have it, after I'd thoroughly rinsed it in hot water.  However, finding other items hasn't been working out.  My husband wanted to look at dog and cat toys or baby toys, but I talked him out of it, since most are colored.  I convinced him the dyes in the plastic could be toxic when mixed with Vinny's water.... baby safe isn't fish safe.... so to speak.  Was I wrong?
<Mmm, "baby safe" is likely okay, chemically inert>
  5.  Can you estimate/guesstimate how long he'd be better than 'okay' in the 30 gallon?
<Six months perhaps>
For instance, if he only gets to 10 inches, would he be okay to stay in it?
<Mmm, no... will likely want to move when 4-6 inches...>
6.  I have an extra filter, a Fluval 3 Plus internal filter (185/gph), should I hook that up in his tank as well?
<Could>
Is there anything else that I can do to keep him in the 30 gallon longer/permanently?
<Mmm, if absolutely necessary, an experiment... could continuously to almost continuously change water... to reduce metabolites and their ill effects>
  A larger tank is not an option right now.  When it was safe to do so, we added new members to the new 55 gallon 'community'  tank, so they can't go back into the 30 gallon.  We have 6 more Harlequin Rasboras (total school of 24) plus the 12 Corys, and 9 mixed Platys.  The three Dwarf Gouramis were moved to a 20 long, along with the male Platys (THAT is another long story).  We don't have room for another 55 gallon (or the money for that matter).  Returning Vinny is not an option, my husband is completely attached to him.  Any tips, pointers, suggestions, etc would be most appreciated.  Thank you!!
<I strongly suspect that you two are "evolving" your hobby into more advanced groups of fishes... will either "find room" or move the Oscar to the 55... Can saltwater, reef systems be very far ahead? We'll see. Bob Fenner>

Very Spoiled Oscar Questions, nod to Sab, and a nod back - 06/14/2006
Hi!  I hope there isn't a limit to the number of emails a person can send?
<Heeee! I wish there were a number to those I answer!>
I think this is my 4th.  Thank you for all the great information and advice you have on your site (even the "bad" news kind).  Also, please forward my thanks to Sabrina.
<Ah, will do>
<<I'm glad to have helped, or at least glad fo having tried to help.>>
She answered an email about my female Betta Splendens last month.  Sadly, she died,
<<I'm so sorry to hear this, Heidi.>>
but at least her last days were in water that was only dechlorinated, with a little API aquarium salt added.  I'm sure it was easier for her, if dying can be considered easy, than being in the 'toxic soup'  of medications I'd been subjecting her to.
<<I'm sure you made her as comfortable as possible.>>
I just wish I'd emailed sooner!
<<No worries....  We do what we can.  You did the best you knew to do.  I'm glad you wrote to us at all, and gave us and yourself a chance to learn together.  Wishing you and all the lives in your care well,  -Sabrina>>

My Oscar, beh., systems 6/13/06
Hmm. I'm new to the raising of Oscars, and I have not actually had mine for more than two weeks, but I have some questions to ask that I couldn't find
in the FAQ, or if the answers are there, I overlooked them. I have a tiger Oscar, barely two inches right now. He's in a 10 gallon tank, and I'm
working on getting a larger one soon.
<Good>
The water balance appears suitable for him but he's shy. He hides at the bottom anytime I am in the room or the lights are on.
<Still just getting used to your setting... This fish will become more outgoing in time>
He eats, but only after I leave the room. (I know this because the food will be gone when I come back a few hours later and they
won't be stuck in the filter.) I also know that Oscars are messy fish, so I clean the filter and the tank (never doing a full water change) regularly. I
feed him Hikari Oscar pellet food. is there anything I'm doing wrong?
<Not thus far>
Or is it normal for a Oscar to do this for a couple of weeks until it is comfortable in its new tank?
<Yes>
I keep the water at 74 F.. and the only stuff in the tank with him are rocks and shells. Are the shells bad for him?
<Possibly. I would leave these out>
I keep a pleco in there as well..
<This fish also needs much more room...>
and he leaves it alone.. I don't know. I would appreciate some insight, even if it's to tell me I'm being dense and there's no problem. Thanks.
<No worries... Bob Fenner>

Re: My Oscar   6/13/06
I appreciate the quick reply. It really makes me feel better to know that, other than the too small tank, the fish is behaving normal. Thanks very much! (I removed the shells too)
            ~Jennifer
<Ahh, good and thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Future Oscar tank   4/26/06
I currently own a 225 Gallon tank that used to house a my tropical community fish.  A few years ago I had to go overseas for work, so I gave away/sold
all the fish to friends with healthy and compatible aquaria in an effort to provide them with good homes during my absence.
I have recently returned and have no intention of leaving again.  This time around, I want to set up an Oscar tank.  However, since I have never kept
cichlids, I am endeavoring to do all the necessary research on the subject before I set up the tank again and go out to buy fish.
Here are my questions:
1.  I would like to house 2 Oscars in the tank.  What do you suggest as the ideal number of Oscars for a tank my size?
< About 100 gallons if they get along.>
2.  I find the common Plecostomus endlessly amusing and would like to include one in my tank.  Is this too much bioload?  If not, what size pleco
should I buy to ensure that the Oscar doesn't grow large enough to eat it?
(I plan on buying 1-2 inch Oscars)
< The regular pleco gets over 12 inches long. Get one about 4 to 5 inches long with a couple 2 inch Oscars and the Oscars will never get big enough to eat them. With good filtration and regular water changes they will be fine.>
3. Most importantly, I would very much like to have an albino tiger Oscar.
You mention that they tend to be less aggressive and might have trouble competing for food.  Is there a way of overcoming this? Are there any more
albino-specific challenges to be aware of? Light sensitivity perhaps?
Decreased longevity?
< Albino Oscars  may not grow as fast or as large as normal colored Oscars. When mixed together the normals almost always seem to dominate.-Chuck>
I do look forward to hearing from you, and thank you in advance for your
time. Shankari

Adding An Oscar To a 55 Gallon Tank - 03/12/2006
Hey, I currently have a 55g Freshwater Tank with the following inhabitants:
12 inch Plecostomus
10 inch tinfoil barb
6 inch Bala Sharks (2)
8 inch Senegal Bichir
6 inch Columbian Shark
4 inch Cory Catfish
What would I have to do to be able to house one Tiger Oscar?
< Not recommended. Your Bala sharks and Colombian shark are still growing and your 55 gallon will soon be too small even for them.-Chuck>

Oscar health question ... more systems- 2/28/2006
I am new to the wonderful world of fishes. And have recently purchased an adorable little 1.5 inch black with white stripes Oscar (no idea what type
tag on the tank said fancy Oscar).
<All are the same species... as with domestic dogs...>
My worry is that normal fish swim with there body remotely flat like - my little guy swims at an angle close to / (Sorry only way I can describe it). it’s how we swam when I
purchased him I want to know if he is ill with anything or if this is normal?
<Small Oscars do "wag" a bit in swimming>
I have tried looking online and asked at the pet store (they looked at me like i was stupid but couldn't help me). I came by your web site and found it to be the most informative and helpful site i have found. Please let me know if you think something is wrong with him what it is and what I can do. Right now he is in a 10gal tank (upgrading to a min of 75g as by the end of the year) He has 3 tank mates 2 1.25 inch Jack Dempseys and a 4.5 inch pleco everyone gets along fine.
<Do keep your eye on the Dempseys... the behavior you describe may be largely "submissive" re their presence>
Will these fish have issues when they get bigger?
<Yes... much more so in crowded confines>
Or do you think they should be fine in a 75g tank.
Thank You for taking the time to answer my questions
Robert
<Should be fine there for a good long while. With careful observation, you should be able to discern whether trouble is excessive. Bob Fenner>

Setting Up An Oscar Tank 1/11/06
Hi Crew. I now have two successful tanks and a lot of credit goes to your site.
Planning on setting up my third tank This will be a Oscar only tank.
Specs are; Tank size- 55g- 3x1.5x1.5, Substrate= 2” Brown river sand appropriately treated Plants= Artificial, Can I keep live plants?
< No>
Filter= Internal Power filter, Thermometer, & heater Suggestions & Comments please?
Thanks Sandeep R
<Go with an external power filter that pumps at least 200gph. Go with an unbreakable heater. Never feed live fish without taking the proper precautions.-Chuck>

Getting An Oscar - 01/09/2006
I am interested in getting an Oscar. I've never had one before. I have tried to research them but, not having much luck on figuring out how to tell the males apart from the females. I also am confused on what to feed them. Some sites say to feed them smaller feeder fish, and other say not to. What do you suggest?? I am confused....... Can you help??? Jess
<Oscars get up around 12+ inches so you will need a big tank of at least 75 gallons when it is full grown. They are messy cichlids so you will need a very good filter too. Get one that pumps the volume of the tank at least 3 to 5 times per hour. I would recommend an outside power filter. Water should be around 80 F. When small feed flakes and small pellets. Larger fish could be fed earthworms, pellets and frozen foods. Feeders are not recommended because they are living fish that can carry diseases into your tank. Treating a large tank is not any fun. It is expensive, time consuming and difficult on your fish.-Chuck>

Little Tank + Big Messy Fish = Uh-Oh 1/8/06
    Great site guys thanks....
<Thank you and your welcome.>
    I've had two Oscars and 2 Plecos in a 30 gallon tank ( I know need to upgrade)
<Hehe, understatement of the new year.>
Oscars are still young the larger being 4inches.  Everything has been fine with them until 2 days ago no appetite, swimming erratically- vertically, on their side, the smaller seems to have scratches on the fins, and both seem to have a cloudy like film on their entire body.
<Indicative of poor water quality.>
I haven't seen any ich marks need help....Thanks
<Well as you allude to above this tank is quite small for the size and type of animals you have. Plecos and Oscars are very messy critters. I’m willing to be there is some nutrient accumulation going on here, what are your test results for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? Adam J.>

Oscar Tank 12/22/05
Hi!
These are my readings.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrates-5ppm
Ph~7.2
Is that a good healthy reading for my Oscar to live in?
<Water looks good, what size tank are we talking about? Maybe something around 75gallons or so? -Gage>

New Oscars and Water Changes 12/21/05
Hello, I have a question, I have a 80 gallon aquarium; it has wet/dry trickle filter and 20 watt UV sterilizer. I have cycled the aquarium and put variety of fishes like tetras , sword tails, African and Amazonian cichlids. I used to clean the aquarium and 20% water change every 4 weeks. Now I want to put 2 Oscars in it. But from the websites I found Oscars need weekly water change. So my questions are:
1.With the sterilizer I am still required to change 20% water weekly?
< The UV sterilizer kills bacteria and pathogens in the water. You change water to reduce the nitrate levels in the tank. One has nothing to do with the other. Yes you still need to do weekly water changes.>
2. And on every weekly water change do I have put the chemicals like aqua safe dechlorinator, vitamin, stress zyme etc.?
<If you have chlorine or chloramine in the water then it needs to be treated or it will be harmful to your fish. Most water conditioners can take care of both but you will have to read the bottle to be sure. For an average aquarium I think that is all you need. When you add the Oscars the tetras and swords are in danger of being eaten.-Chuck.> Thanks

Filtration and Sanity 12/12/05
To whom it may concern,
<I'm always concerned, the shrink says that's not healthy though.>
I am setting up a 100 gal for two Oscars. I already a Fluval 304 and a penguin bio wheel 305 power filter. I was wanting to purchase one more filter for my system and was wandering if you have any suggestions on which type or brand.
<Well what you have seems to be sufficient but if you want my opinion on filtration, I love the EHEIM canisters/wet-dry combo for freshwater use, I would also purchase a few powerheads for some water movement.>
thanks for your time.
<Welcome, Adam J.>

New Tank Setup for Oscars 11/9/05
Good morning! I've consulted you in the past and received some wonderful information on my 29 gal set up. Thank you for all of your advice as things are running smoothly with that system.
<Welcome>
With that said, I am looking to purchase a 55 gal tank and am interested in Oscars. I have read that only one Oscar can live in this environment.
<Ultimately... yes... though a few could be started here, moved to larger quarters down the line... better for this species socially to not be raised solitarily>
My question is, can a Pleco also live with this one Oscar or is the 55 gal only suitable for the one Oscar?
<Yes to the Pleco addition>
Additionally if I were to purchase two Oscars and one Pleco, can you tell me the tank size needed for that?
<Maybe an eighty gallon plus in time>
I love the idea of having a tank with larger fish. I know with larger fish, come space requirements. I do not want unhealthy or unhappy fishes, so thank you for your help in advance of me purchasing a set up.
Anne
<Thank you for sharing your plans, concerns. Bob Fenner>

Big Fish For Not So Big Tank 10/21/05
I own a 55 gal tank that houses two Oscars, one tiger about 3" and a red Oscar about 2". I have  been watching them and at fist they been just swimming together, now the bigger seems to be dominating the smaller one. Is this normal?
< Yes. Cichlids are very territorial and this often happens with two fish in the tank.>
I also plan to get a red devil to complete my tank. Would this be advisable since I always had red devils and liked them in my tank.
If not a red devil what about a  Tilapia butikoferi?
< Your 55 gallon will hold one adult fish. Pick one and get rid of or don't get the rest. All of the fish you have picked can get over a foot long over time.-Chuck>

Oscars Dig Undergravel Filters 9/13/05
I want to first say that I am impressed by the wealth of information on your site and am very grateful for it.
< Thank you for your kind words.>
My question is regarding my Oscars which appear to be a mating pair of roughly 7" or so. They often will appear to be performing the normal mating rituals, fin slapping, quivering, and lip locking. Problem is that they don't seem to follow thru with it. They do all those things and then nothing happens, they just stop. I've done some searching in your archives and not found anything that appears to match this situation. Also they often dig at the gravel but don't attempt to clean the flat rock I provided. They dig to the point that the undergravel filter I added becomes exposed, which brings my next question. I've read that the more filtration the better, so I added the undergravel variety. I have recently been told that that was not a good idea, that it doesn't help, and that when the Oscars expose the crate they are allowing what I thought was supposed to be beneficial to come back up and pollute the water. Is this accurate?  Thanks in advance. Jada
< Your young pair of Oscars are going through the motions. As they get older and more experienced they will ultimately spawn. When the Oscars exposed the filter plates the water fins the path of least resistance and goes through the plates and not the gravel. No filtration is going to happen.-Chuck>

Oscars and Tank Size. 9/9/05
I have read through most of your FAQs on Oscars and so I apologize for yet another tank size question.  From my research i have found sources saying anywhere from 55-125 gallons is the minimum for 2 adult Oscars.  I have a 72 gallon bowfront tank with 2 Emperor 400 filters and a marineland 550 powerhead with a sponge filter attached to it.  I would like to have 2 Oscars but I will not be getting a new tank for at least three years, and I don't want "unhappy" fish.  Any thoughts you have on this would be greatly appreciated.  thanks
>>>Greetings Nick,
This species of cichlid not only needs space because of it's size, but because of the amount of waste that it produces. They are VERY messy fish, and place a heavy load on the system. In my early days, I had a pair of in a 55, and I would never do that again. I'd say 72 gallons is on the edge, with 90 gallons being the minimum where things are comfortable both form a space standpoint, and waste management standpoint. Keep in mind that no matter what, you need to be doing as much as 50% water changes WEEKLY when they get large. Otherwise organic waste builds up in the water, and you end up with disease problems, most notably "hole in the head"
Good luck
Jim<<<

Re: Oscars 9/9/05
Thanks for the info, i think am gonna stick with one Oscar.
Nick
>>>I admire your discipline and regard for your charges Nick, good luck!<<<

Oscar Filtration 9/5/05
Hi, I have a red and a tiger Oscar. Both are about 10-12 inches in length. They are in a 120 gallon tank. I have a Cascade 1200. Is this a good filter and is it enough filtration for this size of tank with two fish.
< It says it pumps 315 gallons per hour. I would recommend a filter or filters that pump at least 360 gallons per hour. I don't like to use canister filters unless I have to. I prefer outside power filters or wet dry systems like the tidepool by Marineland for big tanks just because they are very easy to clean.>
I just got the tiger and I have had my Red for about 2 years and switched from a 50-75( not sure on size)  gallon tank to make room for both fish. Before in the smaller tank it would get dirty really fast with the same filter and only one fish. I guess my question is...should I get a second filter and what size would be sufficient.
< Start switching to an outside power filter. Look at the Marineland Emperor series.>
Also why do the two fish get side by side and shake their tails and fins?
< They are communicating with one another.>
I'm assuming they are marking their boundaries! Also will the two mate if they are male and female and what are their rituals for this?
< They are more likely establishing territories. Breeding starts with the male and female displaying at one another followed by some jaw locking . An area is then cleared and cleaned. The eggs are laid and then the male passes over them to fertilize them>
My red is a female I do believe. I think she has laid eggs....little white balls (size of pin heads) in the bottom of the tank where she had moved all the rock to make a flat surface. I saw this happen several times when she was in the tank by herself. But not recently.
< That fish is an obvious female that has laid infertile eggs. When the eggs are good or have been fertilized they turn a clear brown color.>
Overall the two are tying to get to know each other and have only been together for 3 days now. Is there anything I should watch out for? Main concern is about the filtration. I don't want to have to clean this tank constantly. Thank you, Karen
The Emperor 400 should help a lot. When you do your weekly water changes you should vacuum the gravel too.-Chuck>

Oscars Act Like They Are Starving 8/31/05
First off.  Love the site.  Have learned a lot from it.  I have 2 Oscars (Pedro & Napoleon) in a 75 gallon.  Pedro is about 5 inches, while Napoleon is about 4.   My problem is that they like to leap out of the water when I feed them.  If I open up the lid and hold my hand over the water with food they will jump up to my hand (Pedro has been about 90% out of the water).
And they splash water all over the place!  I even got nipped once. It didn't hurt....Do you think they'd bite hard enough to hurt me?
< They don't really have teeth but they will get larger and may develop some then.>
I like my fingers and want to keep them.  One time Pedro must have hit the side of the lid on his way back in, because I saw a section of his scales floating in the water.  Maybe he'll learn his lesson?  :)
Is there  anyway to stop them from jumping?   I try to open the tank lid really quick and throw the food in and close it fast!  But it's kind of difficult because I have a 2nd lid above it on my canopy.  By the time the canopy lid is open, they are up top awaiting my feeding hands.
Suggestions, comments, or jokes would be greatly appreciated...Dave
< Lower the water temp and that will slow them down. Mid to upper 70s F will slow down their metabolism and they won't be starved all the time.-Chuck>

More Cichlids and More Shoehorns, Different Querier - 08/26/2005
I just bought an Oscar about 3 inches long. There is only one other fish in the tank, a 3 inch pleco. The tank is 20 gallons, and I was wondering if the Oscar being in that sized tank by himself well be fine?
<No.  Both of these fish will seriously outgrow this tank - the Oscar will need a much larger tank in short order.>
Please email me back at XXXX.  Thank you for your time.  -Corey
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

My Tiger Oscar is sick 7/22/05
Hello, my name is Sharon and this is the first time I have had Oscars.  I purchased 3 of them from my local pet store and within 12 days one of them had died.
I noticed it (not sure how to tell female from male) was not acting normal, just laying around on the bottom of the tank, breathing heavily and not eating.  I have a 55 gallon tank that also houses 2 Plecos about 4 inches long.  I noticed the sick Oscar had a white frothy bubble of some sort in it's mouth when it breathed, and it was taking very deep breaths. I took it out of the tank and placed it in my beta fish vase.. I figured it was going to die, so I did not want it with the others for fear they would eat on it and get sick too.  Now, one of the others is sick with the same thing, frothy bubble, deep breathing, and a thick clear bubble surrounding it's eyes.
<Mmm, they do have a clear area...>
  This one is staying at the top of the tank, pretty much in one area...behind one of the tall plastic plants.  I have treated them for ICH first... which they did
have.  That cleared up.  After that, that is when I noticed the other fish get sick.  It was fine before then. I have assumed it was some sort of fungus and am treating with ANTI-FUNGUS BY AQUARIUM PRODUCTS once I finished treating for the ICH. It has made my water green.
<These "medicines" are toxic...>
I did a water change a couple of weeks ago, and have not been up to doing it lately as I am recovering from surgery.  Could you please give me an idea as to what is wrong with it,
<Is this tank cycled? How is it filtered? There is something amiss with the environment here... do you have test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?>
will the other Oscar catch it, can it be cured, should I just cut my loses and flush the sick one???????  Also, How often should I change my water, and how much?
<... this is posted... on WWM>
  Should I purchase separate kits that test for each nitrate, chlorine, etc?  What kinds of medicines should I have on hand?  I have also been feeding them Cichlid pellets, flakes and frozen shrimp.  Am I doing something wrong?  I want to be able to keep these Oscars for many years and allow my daughter to watch them grow, but so far, I am not having that much luck.  Please help me!!! Also, I am not sure where to look for your response, whether here or your website, so would you please send an answer to this email address just to make sure I get your help. Thank you.
Desperate for help!
<Then read... here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
re Set-up, Oscars... Bob Fenner>

Re: My Tiger Oscar <System> is sick 7/23/05
Bob,
<Lexxus>
Thanks for getting back with me.  I have looked at the site you gave and still have a lot of reading to do, but also more questions.  First, you mentioned something about filtration...I have a TopFin 55 gallon tank with a double filter that hangs over the sides, plastic plants and some fun decorations.  Right now there is no carbon in the filters because of the medicine in the water.  I am afraid my Oscars will not make it even after I have done a water change.  They have not moved from the corner of the tank in a couple of days, and not eaten at all.
<What is their water quality?>
You said the medicines I was using were toxic... but this is what employees at Petsmart suggested I use.  What would be better?
<... please keep reading...>
  Also, what is your take on Aquarium Salt?  Should I add it or not?
<I would>
I have seen you mention something about Furnace.  What is this and can it be bought at Petsmart?
<... don't add anything unless you know what you're doing. You don't>
How many water changes should I do to take out this green medicine in my tank, and if my fish die...including the Plecos who are swimming around like crazy, how long should I wait before adding 1 or 2 more Oscars?  Please help.
Thanks.
<Read, don't write. Bob Fenner>

Two Oscars space 7/6/05
My name is Alex, and i was wondering if I could keep 2 Oscars in a 55g successfully?
Thanks
<Not indefinitely w/o trouble. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscarsysfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Uncycled Oscar Tank
First off I'm sorry if you were asked this question before, but I tried looking it up and couldn't find it so here goes. My bf and I have recently purchased 3 new Oscars, that are approx. 3", 2.5",  and 2". He's had Oscars before, but I'm pretty new to the fish game. At the moment we have them in a 10 gallon tank but we're getting a 72 gallon at the end of the week. Anyway, they had these beautiful bright colors when we got them (which is the reason I picked them) but they seem to be fading. The 2.5" was black with them coolest bright white stripes, and now you can barely see them.  The other two were the had these colors like the chameleon paint you see on cars, ranging from oranges to purples, only one was like a dark grayish with stripes. Now they look so dull. I feed them cichlid sticks, and they're pigs!! Plus I drop algae wafers in for the sucker. How do we get those awesome colors back? Thank you for your time.
<Water changes, lots of them. 50% at a shot. Do two today, a few hours apart. Then daily. Your Oscars are suffering from ammonia poisoning. A result of all the food they eat. Please read here on establishing bio filtration:   ;http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm I would get the 72 set up ASAP, but leave the 3 Oscars in the 10 gallon until the new tank cycles. If not you'll soon be doing 50% water changes in the 72. Much easier in the 10. But you can't miss a day. And slow down on the feeding. Oscars are great beggars, but one small feeding a day is plenty. The more food that goes in, the more ammonia comes out. Even skipping a day once a week is better than over feeding at this point. I strongly recommend a test kit to check the water during cycling. It's the only way to know when the 72 is fish safe. Please do a "fishless cycle". I link above will explain all. Don>

Oscar Pond 6.14.05
hello.  I would like to place my Oscar's in a freshwater ( man made ) pond outside.  Is this a good idea, I have treated the water, do I need to do anything else?  I live in Houston so it is very hot at the moment Thank you for your time Julian.
<Your Oscars will love the additional room (assuming it is bigger than the tank), natural lighting cycle, and any bugs that venture near the surface of the water.  Keep an eye on the temperature so long as it is within range, and you have good filtration on the pond you should be in good shape.  I am also assuming that this is your pond and not a public pond or something similar, that would be a bad idea.  Gage>

Moving Big Fish
Hi Bob - I wanted to ask you what is the best way to move an Oscar fish into a larger tank. My Oscar hates to be moved and the last time jumped out of the tank and onto the floor. He jumped out one other time when I went to feed him and he really tears up his skin when he does this. We have tried netting, pouring, etc. and it is just a huge nightmare in my experience. Is there an easy way to do this? Any information that you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
< Big fish require big nets. Many fish stores don't carry nets big enough to do the job right. I would recommend a net as least twice the size of the fish So a 1 foot Oscar needs a two foot long net. You will probably have to go to a bait or fishing supply store to get that big a net. I would remove all the rocks and things that he could hurt himself on. Then turn out the lights and let him fall asleep. After a couple of hours then sneak back in and slowly catch the Oscar. Taking him out of the water should be easier in the bigger net. Obviously he will be wide awake when taken out of the water. Set the net in the new tank and allow him to swim out.
<<RMF would just scoop out this and other large FW fishes with dipping in large, thick plastic bags... much less scrapes>>
Don't just plop him in. Keep the tank dark for a few days and approach him slowly for awhile until he gets accustomed to his new surroundings.>
Also I know that you don't recommend feeding Oscars the feeder fish, but there are time when that is all mine will eat. How many and how often should they be fed the feeder fish if that is all they will eat at the time? Thanks!!!!
< I still stick to the old rule that feed him once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes.-Chuck>

Oscar Bumped His Head, Now Afraid of Dark? Rapid Light Changes
Hello, I'm quite concern about one of my Oscars. (I had them for about 3 months) About two weeks ago we moved my Oscars (2) from a 10 gallon tank to a 55 gallon. For the first week they seemed to be doing very well and loving there new home. One of my Oscars (my larger one) has had some missing fins since the first week we had him. Last week while at the pet store, I found some medication that was suppose to help with fin growth and repair. I started to apply the medication to the water last week Tuesday.
Since last week Wednesday, my larger Oscar stopped eating and was very unsociable, hiding behind rocks and plants. My smaller Oscar is doing perfectly fine. I just figured the larger one was not feeling well and decided to leave him be for awhile. Over the weekend he still was being the same, so we did a 20% water change, but still no change in the larger Oscar.
Then last night after eating supper, I was going to check on the Oscars, and could not find the larger one and then finally found him on the floor. We only have one tiny little opening on the tank and I'm quite amazed that he was able to fit through it. After we put him back in the tank, I'm notice that his scales around his eyes were all scraped up. He seemed to be very disoriented for awhile swimming vertically. After a few hours passed he seemed to be coming around. I tried to feed him again, and he still will not eat.
Just before bed time, I went to turn the light off and he went crazy (swimming totally fast back and forth throughout the tank hitting all objects in his path). I was total freaked out over this and quickly turned the light back on. He instantly clammed down. We have a water testing kit and have been checking it daily. The water seems to be perfectly fine and so does my smaller Oscar. I just have no idea what's going on with my larger Oscar. Any help is must appreciated. Amy
<Your answer is actually the title I placed on your question. Fish don't like "lights on-lights off". I think they have difficultly with their eyes rapidly changing from bright light to darkness and visa-versa. The trick is to place a small Christmas tree bulb sized night light on the same wall as the fish tank try turning the room lamp on first before turning on the fish tank light, and then turn off the fish tank light first before turning off the room light. It should make a difference.-Chuck>

Hurt Oscar - Rapid Light Change Follow-up
Thanks Chuck, What should I do about the larger Oscar not eating? Its been about a week and 1 day now that he has not been eating. This worries me because he used to be the one that was always starving for more food and would often jump at my hand when it was feeding time. Also, he is very unsocial able now, where before he stopped eating he was quite entertaining. He doesn't even seem like the same fish anymore.
The only thing that we did differently in the last week before he stopped eating was give them the medication for the fin repair and we fed them two goldfish as a treat which they haven't had in quite some time. I don't believe it was the medication because the smaller Oscar is doing perfectly fine. And I'm also afraid that he was injured in his jump out of the tank.
He is missing a lot of scales around his right eye and on the tip of his head. Will these scales grow back??
Also, do you think that the larger one might have gotten sick from the goldfish?
If so, what would you suggest that I give him to make him feel better and to start eating again. The last couple of days I've fed them flakes, frozen blood worm, frozen shrimp brim and pellets. The smaller Oscar eats like a pig and my larger Oscar just looks at the food and swims away. Amy
< The larger Oscar took a pretty good shot to the head when he jumped. He knows he is hurt and so do the other fish. I would place him in his own tank for awhile until he heals up. once the wounds are healed he should start to come around.-Chuck>

Oscar systems, feeding, Gage's go
Hello there,
Thank you for your web-site it is an easy to navigate wealth of knowledge. I have spent over an hour reading trying to narrow down my problem
I have, what I believe is, an albino Oscar.  He/She is white with an orange "knot" on s/he head and tips of fins.  He is about 6 inches tall and about 10" long.  I have had him for 5yrs now, and bought him when he was about 2".  (He was sold to me as a semi aggressive). He has since killed all the other semi aggressive that I had! So he is now the only one in the tank.  No matter what he is, I just adore him, he is our pet, and I have become concerned with his well being.
From the readings, there is a lot I should be doing that I have lucked out and never had to.  I am just concerned on where I should start.
I did a complete water change last week.  I also replaced the air tubing for the underground filter system, and bought a new over the tank filter.  Lots of changes here, so I wonder if I haven't stressed him out.
As a treat, only the third time I have ever offered, I put in 12 feeder gold fish.  If he has eaten any of them it was only one, as I now count 11.  But I don't know if that was done here or at the store.
The water was cloudy on the first day after the change so I added some Stress coat to my 50 gal tank.  The water cleared up beautifully.
Now I want to give my fish a hug.  He seems depressed almost afraid of the gold fish.  He has always been "moody" after a water change, but only for a few hours.  I changed his water last Tuesday and he has not snapped out of it.  He mingles at the bottom of the tank in one corner or another.  He still comes up to see me for feeding, but he is not nearly as perky and playful as usual.  After eating about 5 pellets he meanders back to the bottom.  He is not playing with the goldfish at all...the goldfish are not even afraid to go eat his pellets in front of him!!  It is almost as though the goldfish are bullying my Oscar!!
I see suggestions of Epsom salt, live worms, and water testing.  I have never done any of those things.  Where should I start???
I do not see any visible fungus, or sickness.  His eyes and fins look good at this point, although the water seems to be getting a little cloudy again.  By the look of the water, it seems like maybe his natural slime is falling off??
He still comes up and "kisses" at me and my children when he is visited.  He just seems sad and sluggish.  I want to catch whatever it is before it becomes a bigger problem.  Please advise on where I should start to diagnose our pet. Thank you so very much for your time and your website.  I look forward to hearing from you.
Jessica
<Hi Jessica, glad to hear you are learning what is best for your fish and correcting past mistakes. Most likely the 100% water change is what stressed out the fish, that is a pretty big shock.  The slimy weirdness in the water may be from the stress coat.  Feeder goldfish are not a good idea, for a treat I might pick up some frozen krill from the pet store, or even yummier big fat worms from a bait shop or a hole in the back yard. Feeders can introduce parasites, fungus, all around nastiness to your tank.  Just keep up on weekly to bi-weekly water changes and watch for signs of sickness (fuzziness, weird spots, open wounds, etc.).  He should return to his normal behavior in no time.  Best regards, Gage>

Oscar systems, feeding, Bob's try
Hello there,
Thank you for your web-site it is an easy to navigate wealth of knowledge. I have spent over an hour reading trying to narrow down my problem
I have, what I believe is, an albino Oscar.  He/She is white with an orange "knot" on s/he head and tips of fins.  He is about 6 inches tall and about 10" long.  I have had him for 5yrs now, and bought him when he was about 2".  (He was sold to me as a semi aggressive). He has since killed all the other semi aggressives that I had! So he is now the only one in the tank.  No matter what he is, I just adore him, he is our pet, and I have become concerned with his well being.
From the readings, there is a lot I should be doing that I have lucked out and never had to.  I am just concerned on where I should start.
I did a complete water change last week.
<Mmm, best to avoid such complete change-outs... restrict these to a good 20-25% maximum... too much change too soon is bad... and source water can be dangerously variable in quality>
I also replaced the air tubing for the underground filter system, and bought a new over the tank filter.  Lots of changes here, so I wonder if I haven't stressed him out.
<Possibly>
As a treat, only the third time I have ever offered, I put in 12 feeder gold fish.
<Not a good idea... real trouble as a source/vector for disease...>
If he has eaten any of them it was only one, as I now count 11.  But I don't know if that was done here or at the store.
The water was cloudy on the first day after the change so I added some Stress coat to my 50 gal tank.  The water cleared up beautifully.
Now I want to give my fish a hug.  He seems depressed almost afraid of the gold fish.  He has always been "moody" after a water change, but only for a few hours.  I changed his water last Tuesday and he has not snapped out of it.  He mingles at the bottom of the tank in one corner or another.  He still comes up to see me for feeding, but he is not nearly as perky and playful as usual.  After eating about 5 pellets he meanders back to the bottom.  He is not playing with the goldfish at all... the goldfish are not even afraid to go eat his pellets in front of him!!  It is almost as though the goldfish are bullying my Oscar!!
<Happens>
I see suggestions of Epsom salt, live worms, and water testing.  I have never done any of those things.  Where should I start???
<Reading further>
I do not see any visible fungus, or sickness.  His eyes and fins look good at this point, although the water seems to be getting a little cloudy again.  By the look of the water, it seems like maybe his natural slime is falling off??
<Possibly... the water change, possible disease from the goldfish...>
He still comes up and "kisses" at me and my children when he is visited.  He just seems sad and sluggish.  I want to catch whatever it is before it becomes a bigger problem.  Please advise on where I should start to diagnose our pet. Thank you so very much for your time and your website.  I look forward to hearing from you.
Jessica
<Mmm, keep reading, on WWM re feeder goldfish, all the Oscar FAQs. Bob Fenner>

Re: Oscar Looks Like a Red Devil, Chuck's input
Hello there, and thank you so much for your prompt response.  My gut feeling is to remove these goldfish, of which I will do today.  I have since been to the library and have found that I don't have an Oscar, but a Cichlasoma citrinellum (Midas Cichlid).
< Go to fishbase.org and search for red devil. There are a couple of fish that look similar.>
I have also learned he is indeed a male. :o) He is a beautiful fish and I plan to search your website for info on him. Do you have any tips on this type of fish??
< You seem to have learned a lot and I think you are already on the right track.>
He seems to have a lot of the same characteristics of the Oscar is there any definite differences?
<The are both new world cichlids. The Oscar comes from South America and the Red Devil type comes from Central America. They are both one of the top predators in their natural habitat.>
I also purchased a heater, and thermometer for his tank, he has never had one before, but I want him to be comfortable.  Dang, I forgot that water tester equipment that you advised!  Back to the pet store.  Thanks again for your advise and your website.  I appreciate your time and your help. Jessica
< This is what Wetwebmedia is here for.-Chuck>

How Many Oscars?
Hi, I have a three foot long tank and wanted to keep two pairs of Oscar. Is it ok to keep 2 pairs?
< NO!!!!! Each pair of Oscars should have at least a 50 to 75 gallon tank to themselves.>
Is it true that they fight in small numbers and are better in large number ?
<When fish are kept crowded a aggressive fish will have more fish to pick on a the aggression is diluted. If there is just on other fish then it is picked on all the time and soon will be dead.>
How many Oscars do you suggest?
< Only one.-Chuck>

Abused O