Oscars

I have one oscar in a 20 gallon tank. My aquarium store tells me if I feed him twice a day, ( one of the feedings to be krill because it is high in protein) do a 25% water change each week,(removing the debris from the bottom & keeping the tank clean ) I stand a good chance of growing a large oscar even though the tank is quite small. Opinions?

[geekdafied]

Oscars grow out of their enviroment pretty quickly, unless you have like a 150g tank. I had one for 8yrs and it was about 15"s long and weighed almost 3lbs. I only feed mine pellet once a day. I could also pet mine, it would swim up to the surface an roll on to its side for me to rub its belly.

[Matt Rogers]

It will be challenging in a small tank. I would encourage a larger tank as well.
You will need a serious filter as well.
Personally I wouldn't feed it twice a day myself.

(Not sure what this post was doing in the cichlid board. Edit - never mind i don't know what i am talking about here.! )

[djnzlab1]

HI,
You may want to use some carbon to clear the water and change it weekly there's alot of that organic stuff in the water with carnivores.
He will grow so fast that you will be looking for anew home in about 6mos.
They don't pay for them at the LPS they just take them or flush them and sell you another baby.
its kind of sad cause they are so smart for fish mine used to beg to be fed.
You can feed every other day and they will stil grow well.
Most LPS are trying to sell you food. and new babies.
Doug

[geekdafied]

There is a store here that takes the large ones. He built a 4000g indoor pond with cinder blocks and pond liner. He has all kinds of oscars and other south american cichlids along with african cichlids and even a 3foot redtail cat.

But a 20g is not a good tank for oscars as mentioned. They grow quick and get huge.

[OGW]

Salty, You will probably have 4-6 months before that fish needs rehomed or retanked.
The food issue with Oscars is not the end that it goes in but the end it comes out...it's Big and there's Alot Of IT!!!
You can feed them multiple times a day and they will eat it all. The trick to keeping your water clear, when feeding at multiple times a day, is to only feed them what you would if you were only feeding them once a day.
Voracious Appetites are said to be common for the species(that's an understatment if I've ever heard one)!!!
Common for the Owners of Oscars is the regular and seemingly constant use of a Python siphon

I'm saying that it Will Out-Grow that tank.
It's not that it can not grow big in a small tank...it's that the upkeep will be everyday and there will be constant issues with water quality. You will find that as your Oscar gets bigger the more frequent and higher volume the water changes will be...that will just be even more exaggerated though with the 20g tank.
If you have never had Oscars before...They get real attitudes as they grow.
If they dont like something in the tank...They move it! They can get along with everything for months at a time...then suddenly the heater or filter intake pipe is their mortal enemy
In a small tank thats going to mean alot of Hood/Lid Slapping and Water Splashing!
Wish you luck....but it's going to be alot of work.


There's an article somewhere about a 5g oscar tank...I'll see if I can find it.
(the person is doing 100% water changes EVERYDAY)

[OGW]

Here's the Article:
The 5-gallon Oscar Tank
Speaker: David Boruchowitz (Editor-in-chief of Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine)

Keep in mind that the information documented is based on an experiment that David is currently doing. Even though the experiment has shown some incredible results we are not recommending that this is a preferred method of fish care.

- David believes that using water straight from his tap is the best because he does not believe in doctoring water and he truly believes that when doctoring water it is next to impossible to maintain consistent levels (e.g. pH). Each time you change the water, especially when making the amount of water change in this experiment he believes that consistent water is better than having changing levels. Keep in mind that David has well water which does not contain chlorine or other additives that most public water contains. Also, if the water the fish is used to is different that what comes out of the tap and weaning process will need to be done.

Experiment:
- Can an Oscar live happily, even more happily, in an equivalent of a 5-gallon tank?
- The only way an Oscar could truly live in a 5-gallon tank would be to have constant water flow (3” bulkheads on both ends of the tank). However, realistically the fish would be too cramped. So, having said that the following is the basis of his experiment.
- His theory started based on how the Amazon works, which is the river drains and fills up from rain never using the same water. He wanted to simulate that the best that he could in an aquarium. Based on the math he compared 12 Oscars and 1 Pictus Cat fish in a 75-gallon tank (which equates to 5.7 gallons / fish) to the same fish in a 500-gallon tank. Changing 100% of the water in the 75-gallon tank daily and changing 100% of the water in the 500-gallon weekly. The math shows that the pollution percentage of the 75-gallon in any one day is still a little less than the 500-gallon in the week. However the 75-gallon trend is much healthier for the fish. David has the math worked out into bar graphs which I have requested a copy of and will post when he sends it to me.
- David decided to try this experiment with a 75-gallon tank, 12 Oscar’s (approximately 4” in size) and a Pictus Cat fish. He started the experiment with a cycled filter and an absolute bare tank (no substrate). Every day he would clean the tank out, bringing the water level right to the bottom. The Oscars were literally lying on their sides. He said the first time he did this they were freaking a little, but after the first time they actually reacted as if they were excited to get the fresh water. He would then fill the tank with water from a hose using a garden nozzle with the water coming out full blast to degas the water (see the note below about degassing the water). As the water was be replaced at full pressure the Oscars absolutely loved it and would get right into the main stream of the water. Their reactions were absolutely amazing. By doing this 100% change on a daily basis he is essentially bypassing the biofiltration. However, there are times when he can not change the water daily and the filter still does its job.
- NOTE – Degassing Water – One item that David mentioned is that water needs to be replaced in a tank at full pressure in order to degas the water. Apparently micro-bubbles that can enter a tank when replacing water slowly have been known to cause embolisms that can lead to death. Personally, I never knew this and found it intriguing. I would like to hear from anyone that has any knowledge on this topic. I remember seeing a posting about someone who did a water change and the next morning his fish was dead. I would be curious to know if this could have been the cause.

Results:
- So far the fish are healthy and seem happier than other Oscars he has raised. He also stated that the Oscars appear to be growing quicker.