Oscar and Pleco in a 10 gallon

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
J

JTRG05

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2009
251
0
0
Northwest Ohio
I recently went looking for a new fish for my 29 gallon tank, chose a Green Spotted Puffer. Upon my search I talked to many clerks across Ohio's diverse LFS landscape and decided to share my experience.

I talked to a Grocery Store's Fish expert who recommended an Oscar, the conversation went like this:

"Aren't Oscars a bit large for a 29 gallon tank?"
"No, they grow to the size of the tank, I keep mine with a Pleco in a 10 gallon."
":WHOA: Okay, thanks. Bye"
*Enter me running out of store*

I'm glad I talked to the expert. Well I then went to PetCo, after looking around for a bit, until I saw someone walk out of the store with a 3 gallon tank and a baby Oscar. Hoped it wasn't going to be used for the Oscar.

Reason I posted this in CA/SA was because I feel like Oscars are the #1 fish kept in to small of tanks by people who have no idea how to keep them. Whether its because they are common, are purchased small, or because they are the first thing many people think of when they hear cichlid this happens.
 
well i would have to say the same thing happened to me but i was pointed towards a 10 gal. tank and two tiger oscars lol. of course i bought it and quickly found out that this was not going to work at all. They have a 125 gal. tank now that is six feet long and two rena xp3 canister filters and two 300 watt visi-therm heaters and two coralife 36" lights... my question is that the color had fallen out on my oscars when they where in the little tank will it come back to the bright colors that they had before. they have only been in there for about a month now.
 
ssd;3352955; said:
well i would have to say the same thing happened to me but i was pointed towards a 10 gal. tank and two tiger oscars lol. of course i bought it and quickly found out that this was not going to work at all. They have a 125 gal. tank now that is six feet long and two rena xp3 canister filters and two 300 watt visi-therm heaters and two coralife 36" lights... my question is that the color had fallen out on my oscars when they where in the little tank will it come back to the bright colors that they had before. they have only been in there for about a month now.
Click to expand...


Cichlids as a rule..........change their colors like a chameleon. Moods,stress,aggression,hunger, etc.

Once they settle in and get comfortable in a roomie 125g they color up nicely.
 
its sad to say that this happens all the time. I have actually been told to leave walmarts pet section cause I overheard the clerk telling the woman to get 6 oscars. This woman wanted some small colorful fish for a 20 gallon community tank. It just so happens that they had just been restocked and they had at least 20 oscars. I told the women oscar were the wrong choice, and she might be better off with some mollies instead. (At a third the price). I whipped out my cell phone and showed her some pics, and she relized she infact did not want 6 oscars. After I was told to leave, I asked to speak with the manager, of course he was unavailible. I was told that its wrong of me to missrepresent myself as a "aquatic expert" when they are just as imformative. I could not stand there and listen to the crap that came out of his mouth so I had to leave
 
Someone just brought an oscar into the store where I work. I'm pretty sure he was raised in about a 29 gallon. He's maybe 7", but his eyes are HUGE for his size. I'm guessing given a proper tank, he'd be 14" by now. I can't imagine he'll grow much more at this point. It's pretty sad. I really wish I had room for another oscar because I kind of want him. I would really like to give him a nice tank to live out the rest of his life because I'm sure so far it has been miserable. I really don't want another idiot to buy him and torture him for the rest of his life
 
Oscars are my all time favorites. And yes-it makes me just sick to see how poorly the majority are taken care of. But we in the US can't get people to spay & neuter their pets, there's no way we're going to actually convince anyone to take proper care of a fish.
 
JTRG05;3343879; said:
"No, they grow to the size of the tank, I keep mine with a Pleco in a 10 gallon."


Reason I posted this in CA/SA was because I feel like Oscars are the #1 fish kept in to small of tanks by people who have no idea how to keep them. Whether its because they are common, are purchased small, or because they are the first thing many people think of when they hear cichlid this happens.
Click to expand...

Ahh, the old "They only grow to the size of the tank" rule. Thats ussually people who have stunted goldfish or small tropicals that began to beleive that crap. I cringe every time I hear someone say that and my wife tries to stop me in the LFS's when I correct them. it's ussually followed by "And they lived for such a long time, like 3yrs" when in reality they can live around 20+.

I'll definently agree with ya. Oscars along with Pacu have it the worst in the hobby, bettas aswell just because of all the Siamese Fighting Fish Buzz and how their kept until sold.
 
oscars are definetly up there, but I'm pretty sure the common pleco is the #1 fish kept in too small a tank.

it's always sad to see those peopel come in and ask what east algae then the store clerk directs them to a juvie common pleco. they buy it and ask what else they can put i their huge 10g tank. lol

I think the biggest contributer to the O's being in small tnaks is the fact that they look so adorable (can a guy use that word? lol) when small. if they were ugly ducklings this wouldn't be a problem.
 
Maybe we should print small Flyers and go into the LFS and put this flyers Saying Not Compatible with anything smaller then a 55gal!! then tape them into the Oscars tank. <---but that's just me being crazy

luckily the ppl around here at LFS know thier stuff. nad i always Question them ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom