I've had my baby O (about 2 inches long) for a week now and I'm starting to plan an upgrade of the little guy's home (which is a 55 US gal). In my initial research I've noticed two different tank widths: 18" and 24". I would assume the bigger is better, but is 18" width reasonable/sufficient? Does tank width matter? The length will probably be 72" (183 cm). To fit in my space, I would prefer the narrower distance from the wall. Are there things I should be considering with regards to depth and width?

Thanks in advance - I'm just in the initial research phases - the actual upgrade probably wouldn't happen until January.

18 wouldt be enough even for a fullgrown O.
But compared to the lenght of your tank, I think bigger is better for the look of your tank.
My width is 2 foot and filled with water it looks a lot smaller.
Plus it will give your O's more Gallons of water, what they'll be thankfull for.
The bigger the tank,the more natural behaviour they'll display.

thanks for the advice on visual appeal. How tall/deep is yours?

i have my 11" oscar currently living in a 48x12x21" 55 gallon tank and its definatly crowded. here soon im upgrading it to a 8'x2'x2' 212 gallon tank, hopefully the big O can have enough room to turn around properly now lol.

in oscar, volume of water counts a lot... cleaning has to be considered because
it is very hard to reach the bottom of the tank if it is to deep.

just my two cents opinion

MeghanR wrote:

Mine is 6'x2'x2'.
And I don't mind showing my tank!

i have one oscar tank that is 72x24x24 and another that is 72x27x27 i find both to be more than adequate for oscars but depending on your stock list a 72x18x24 is also large enough for one oscars and a few friends.
basically it will come down to what you are going to put in it that will dictate the final size. requardless like noddy said an 18 inch tank is wide enough for any oscar.

gorgeous tank - very inspirational:)