New Oscars Need Help

[ilyreef]

A pet shop at near my house has had a large Oscer (about 10 inches) in about a one gallong tank since i moved in 6 months ago and just this week got in a large albino oscer and put them in the same tank, also with a small pleco. Needless to say the fish could only stay side by side and didn't have any space to move.

I had a extra fresh water tank at home, 30 gallons with just plants and snails so decided to get the Ocsers and give them some space to swim. I know that they will eat the snails and clams and need a bigger tank that is not a issue but since i have added them to tank they have just been sitting on the bottom hardly moving at all.

When they were in the bag one ripped it trying to get out, so they were very active. I saw online that this is normal as long as they are not gilling or showing other signs of stress. The site said that Ocsers are known to "sulk" when something changes. If this is true how long does it normally last?

 

[cmantis]

While I applaud your motives for wanting to rescue the fish from the terrible conditions that they were in unfortunately this means that the pet store in question will simply order two more. I think you need to have a talk with the owner and or post on craigslist or some local forums.

 

[ilyreef]

I thought about that also. But im not sure if the first one they had there they ordered because there was no label on the tank to indicate that they were even selling it and the manager gave them to me for the price of the baby oscers that they had there so i kinda believe that maybe he was a baby at the pet store at one point and no one bought him.

If i see another one there i will deffinitly have to say something about it.

 

[KathyC]

I kept Oscars for about 15 years - without a doubt my very favorite fish

Yes, they pout, uslually by sitting on the bottom of the tank and facing away from you.

A few things...30G is way too small, 2 Oscars need an absolute miniumum tank size of 75 G , 90 better, and 120 would be more like home. Forget plants or any small fish, the plants they will play with & tear apart and smaller fish..they will :eat:


Before you move them to a larger tank, do be sure to cycle it first and make sure it can handle the bio-load of the fish before you put them in there.


You REALLY will have to watch the water parameters, they are poop machines and your water quality will suffer, so get ready for many water changes and make sure you have excellent filtration on the tank.
Check your ammonia constantly and react when it begins to spike.

What are you trying to feed them? (did you ask what the store was feeding?) Please do NOT ever give them feeder goldfish as a meal..they do NOT require live food and those are extremely UNHEALTHY to feed (due to disease) and nutritionally they are useless. Feed them a good 'staple' food..Cichlid Sticks (the big ones, but not the ones that look like cheese doodles) are excellent for them. if you want to give them something meaty - give them bits of raw supermarket shrimp.
Anything they don't eat - net it out of the tank.

They are called 'wet pets' as they will recognize you when you come to feed them and their reaction (once they feel at home) will make you smile.

..and they live a long time if you take good care of them...easily upwards of 10 years.

Did I forget anything you may want to know?

 

[ilyreef]

Thank you so much for the advice KathyC.

They are pouting less now. Yesterday was the first time i saw them swimming around and i got them to eat. There are still times if i get to close to the tank or move to fast that they sink to the bottom but they seem to be adjusting well.

My boyfriend has a 100+ gal tank in storage that we plan on getting and setting up for them so they wont be in 30 gal tank for long.

We currently have a whisper filter on the tank for 10-30 gal tank and were talking about getting another one to put on tank because there on one occasion sand got into the filter and it turned off so we want to have a back up on the tank.

At the store they said they were feeding them cichlid food and feeder fish. I agree with you about feeder fish and they are not going to be eating them anymore. We did get them large Cichlid floating stick (maybe the ones that look like cheese doodles). But they also have been eating snails and blood worms. Shimp is a good idea i will pick some up.

My boyfriend and mom use to have oscers so i was very excited to get these guys, i have only heard great things about them and i can already see how they have so much personality.

I do have one other question. We noticed the albino oscer (who is a little smaller then the other one) flicking his pectoral fins and vibrating his tail fin when, is that how they communicate or something?

 

[ilyreef]

 

[nycfatcow]

Nice looking oscars, agreed they are probably gonna shred up all of those plants in the tank. Good save, cant believe these guys were in a 1 gallon tank.

 

[ilyreef]

Update: The dark Oscar is now eating from our hand =)

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

When I was a kid, I have generations of oscars. If they know you enough, they let to lift them out of water without flapping. One of mine would grab my finger with his mouth very slowly(he knows my finger is not food) and let me pull him partially up until I lower him back in the water completely. But some how I lost interest of them after I come here.

 

[KathyC]

Good to hear they are doing well
Another thing to remember about them pouting...to them the room they are in IS part of the tank...so if you rearrange furniture, or something near the tank, you may find them pouting again..lol

How is the water quality holding up?

The pleco - it is black & brown? Likely a Gibbiceps Pleco ( called the 'common' pleco..what an awful way to describe such a wonderful fish!).
Mine is now 14 years old and his name is Murray..he is a full 18" long and as wide as my forearm. He would tease my Oscars just for fun, never hurt them though he surely could have killed them sinc ehe is so powerful.
When one of my Oscars was dying and listing to the side, he would come and 'prop' her up and hold her there..it was so damned sad to watch.
..and people think fish don't relate to other fish. I will never ever believe that.

I do have one other question. We noticed the albino oscer (who is a little smaller then the other one) flicking his pectoral fins and vibrating his tail fin when, is that how they communicate or something?
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=1204807

Yup. It is a friendly gesture and could be used as part of a mating 'dance'.

My last pair was an albino and a tiger like yours :fish:

 

[ilyreef]

The water quality has been a chore. I have been doing small water changes almost every other day just because they make a mess feeding. To make things worse we noticed so ick on there pectoral fins so we are treating them for that.

We are in the prosses of getting a new larger tank for them either getting the 90 gallon out of storage or just buying a 120 from the local store. Hopefully after the month long treatment period for ick the new tank will be ready for them.

The pleo gets along with them great. The pleco has a spot on the glass that he hangs out all day and that's the corner that the oscers will go sulk. Sometimes they get to close to the pleco and he pushes them away LOL.

Lately the two oscers have been pushing each other around allot and lip locking, yesterday they did it three times that i saw. But they still swim around together so as you said it might be a mating 'dance' or they are working out dominance.

Also the past few days the albino one has not been eating but the other one will eat from our hand already. When we first got them the albino was the aggressive eater. I read that sometimes they eat alot and then stop eating for sometime and everything is normal with them. Is that true? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him ( other then the little ick that he is being treated for).

 

[yah-the submariner]

just give it time. i was a huge freshwater guy. most important thing OVER FILTRATION! this will save your life. double whatever the filter size recommended for your tank and with two oscars and a large pleco(poop machines including pleco) i would just get a canister filter now.lol you can also feed beef hearts,freeze dried shrimp and especially krill. does great for coloration. i would also feed tropical granules from time to time brings out the secondary colors (red on the albino ect.) you should also build caves aka hiding spots they will be much happier,as they will feel more secure. they may run in but will spend most of their time out in the open curiously watching you. build more than one with driftwood if you can,rock is cheaper or do a combo. they will be less likely to tear up the plants,but still may. not sure if you have one but it wouldn't hurt to add an air pump and bubbler. as they mature they will spar more. this will increase depending on the amount of room they have and if the build cave in a larger tank on opposite ends may decrease. excellent fish,my favorites by far, i miss them.