Hi im new to keeping oscar fish and i have a 75 US gallon tank. I am wondering how many oscars i could keep in it? i was also planning on keeping a pleco in the tank to help keep algea down. Is this okay or is the tank going to be to crwoded

-Thomas

pleco will add a fair bit of bioload, i only have a lil one at the moment which is growing and he leaves more noticable crap then the oscar. and noddy will probably tell u that they dont do the greatest job of making ur tank pretty.

Just one oscar...

...and buy a pleco b/c you want a pleco...don't ever get one predominately to be a 'cleaning aide.' They create far, far more waste and debris than they clean. So much waste you wouldn't believe it, and they they crap like champs. Loooong strings of fecal matter swaying gently to and fro in the bubble current makes a beautiful and natural addition to any tank, let me tell you.

Also, make sure you are aware of what type you are buying, because if you buy one of the many species referred to as a 'common' pleco like the ones found in most every petco and big chain store..you are gonna end up with this down the road...I just rehomed mine to a pond after he broke 11 inches after 1 year.



Don't get me wrong..I love plecostomus just as much as the restavus, it's just that from now on I will only get smaller, more colorful species. There are some absolutely gorgeous ones out there.

Go for the L numbers most of them dont break much more than 6 inches and some of them are simply stunning to look at

love the phantoms, Dimmy just lost hers, but sge reslved to put it in a jar, filled with alcohol.
He still looks the same as the day he died.
And it saves you a lot of waterchanges.

what would be a good cleaner fish that wont produce as much waist as the pleco and what size tank would you recomend for 2 oscars?

Thomas112393 wrote:


I don't really believe in 'cleaner fish,' actually. It's my opinion that any fish that 'cleans' still produces far more waste than it cleans up. Besides, they don't really eat dookie or anything, which is mostly the problem in tanks. There are bits of uneaten food and algae some clean up...but again, they just turn it into dookie themselves eventually anyways. Maybe snails I guess...but as I recall they can become a nuisance in themselves.

I would recommend 110-120 gallons for 2.

Fully grown bristlenoses couldt be an option, and like i said before a Hypostomus at 6 inch would be a great addition,.
They are pretty common available and wll noy outgrow yout tank.
Or a fancy Pseudacanthicus. they come with beautifull red tails, but look a so spiny.
Or get yourself an oddball pleco, allthough this may be a bit hard , due to the pleco export ban.
Any pleco between 6-10"wouldt do fine.
Go get an Oligancistrus, maxes out at 7 inch.



No, that's mean, for i know nobody on any forum or in real lif ewho has this fish as well.
It's not even described in the Aqualog yet.
Uberrare... but you'll find something nice.
Just take your time.
I found a hobby importer who taught me a lot and most of my plecos came from that Plecofanatic guy and are doing fine, after the first years.

So do you think i just shouldnt get a pleco and just get an oscar because the whole reason i was going to get the pleco was so my tank would be cleaner.

one Oscar alone in a 75 gallon would make for a happy Oscar!

well, i had 5 plecos and my tank looked like this:



Until i got pleco Nr6 and within 2 days all my interior looked like this:


But that means absolutely no guarantees on algae cleaning, and most likely only adds a lot to the bioload.

what about a clown loach,
as a Q on my own how much biolode do they make because i was thinking of getting a couple of them.

also silver dollars could be an option but again im not sure of the biolode