how cold of temps can oscars handle??
- Thread starter blowfishRus
- Start date
my oscars are 6 1/2 and i cant see them in anything smaller then a 75 ( anything smaller then a 4 foot by 18 wide )
Sorry, i didn't read the tank size. I agree, oscars should not be kept in anything smaller than 75g.
Modest_Man;4531095; said:
I would agree with this statement, but at the same time I think keeping the tank at say 78-80 is better for an oscar than keeping it at 72ish, if only by a slight margin.
Lets compare apples to oranges and look at Largemouth Bass in North America... In Nebraska they seldom get above 8 lbs (I believe the state record is around 11lbs) Down in Texas they grow much larger faster because there is longer window of time to actively feed and keep the metabolism going at full speed before going into "stasis" when the temp drops. Then again this is a temperate vs tropical scenario, so it may not apply.
Someone set up a 2 identical single specimen 75 gallon aquariums, get a single oscar in each, feed the same diet and follow the same water changing sched. In one tank keep the water @ 79 degrees, keep the other at 72. I am guessing the 79 degree tank will have a larger and possibly healthier Oscar at the end of a year. Will the 72 degree oscar be fine, probably
Of course a fish kept in warmer water will grow faster and be larger. They're cold blooded and can't regulate their internal temperature so warmer water means an increased metabolism and hence increased growth.
Larger does not necessarily mean healthier. I'm of the thought that most aquarium kept cichlids are much too fat due to too frequent feedings and higher temperatures and don't resemble their wild counterparts in body shape or activity. This can easily decrease the lifespan of the animal (just like people, you see old people and obese people, but you don't see old obese people).
Larger does not necessarily mean healthier. I'm of the thought that most aquarium kept cichlids are much too fat due to too frequent feedings and higher temperatures and don't resemble their wild counterparts in body shape or activity. This can easily decrease the lifespan of the animal (just like people, you see old people and obese people, but you don't see old obese people).
Modest_Man;4532062; said:
you obviously haven't been to my in-law's family reunions Modest_Man
But, that is a valid point, like everything it is finding a balance.
Modest_Man;4532062; said:
I thought the quote was about old Herion addicted prostitues
but I guess the point comes across either way eh
I had a girlfriend once with an Oscar that died because she was unaware that the heater had stopped working. I'm not sure how long the heater was out, and she obviously hadn't been too observant to notice changes in the behavior of the fish, but lesson learned there is that Oscar's don't tolerate cooler water too well. The house probably never got below 68F, but it was winter so there was likely a cooling effect from evaporation.
Perhaps the OP would be better off with a stuffed fish. Temperature isn't as critical with them as it is with TROPICAL fish.
