Hi there all. Sorry I didn't introduce myself before demanding assistance. My name is Tia, and I'm a bleeding heart. When I rescued 'The Baron' two weeks ago, he had been in a tank without a heater or regular water changes for at least 4 months. It is a 35-40 gallon hex, and he is only 3.5-4 inches. His water parameters are fine, really effective undergravel filter+powerhead, save the PH, which is too high due to some coral decorations in the tank. He seemed relatively healthy, cept the wispy tips of his pelvic fins were missing and there was a tiny hole in one of them. The tips have not grown back yet (how long should that take?), but the tiny hole healed over, and the fins haven't gotten worse/don't look ragged. I don't know what the original owners were thinking, but when he came to me, he (a lutino red i think) had three tankmates: two 2inch orange goldfish, and one 4-5inch redtailed tinfoil barb. They were all being (under-)fed tetra 'microcrabs' exclusively before I got them some pellets. After the oscar was being better fed, he started getting REALLY food aggressive with the barb because the barb is lightning fast and can steal his food before he can finish aiming for it. Well, I knew they couldn't stay in there together for long. The barb already had a bum eye (pupil is permanently contracted/probably from the oscar)from before I got them. Two days ago, the oscar got him in that eye again(was all swollen). Last night I took the barb and 2 goldfish out of the tank and to a friend's house temporarily. This is the first time he's been this aggressive, ever. He was suprisingly disinterested in the goldfish (whom are too small to steal his food), but without the barb in the tank, I was afraid he'd turn on them. Goldfish shouldn't be in there with him anyway. 4 months ago, there were 3 goldfish, he ate one, but I assume he didn't like it or the other two would have been toast long ago. Anyway, I'm finally almost to the meat of my question. He has been acting depressed since I removed the other 3 fish. He hid for half a day. He acts upset with me. He hides when I come up to the tank, whereas he did the opposite before. As much as that Attention Deficit Disorder barb annoyed him, he did swim with him and interact positively with him most of the time. He only rarely tried to attack or escape the barb. I just couldn't live with having such a docile fish get seriously hurt by 'The Baron'. Regardless, I think the oscar is lonely and scared that he's next, but I have no idea where to start on trying to figure out what kind of fish could get along with him. (I KNOW a much bigger tank is in order before I add a tankmate.) It's sounds like a JD would be too aggressive for him, almost anything else not aggressive enough, and a pleco or other bottom feeder will not actually serve to keep him company, right? Also, he's young, but might be stunted from being half starved (He didn't grow much in the four months he was without heat and good food.) I'm not sure if oscars are less aggressive when they are young? Do they get meaner as they get older? I've thought about rescuing another similar sized oscar (I'm sure there are plenty in need of a better home), but I keep reading horror stories of one mutilating the other in such few numbers. There's no way I could ever afford the kind of tank able house many of them! I just really want him, and all of them, to be happy. They had a really rough time up til now, and I just want to make things as perfect as possible for them. Thank you all so much for reading this!

Tia

Hi, there, Tia.
Welcome to the site.
I had a green sunfish with my O, and when the sunfish died ( ) my O showed a big change in behaviour.
He began sulking and was not having a good time.
So i bought a big Vieja Synspillum to keep him company, but they really didn't like eachother and i had to train my Vieja to be nice to the O.
Later I introduced a florida Gar into the tank, and he became real friendly with my O.
They hunt the tank together now.


O's can indeed get used to smaller fish in the tank as well.
I got a tiny barb in my O's tank, who blended in fine and survived the big boys.
Getting another fish can work out fine, but can be a pain as well.
It's allways a guess and there are no guarantees.
Oscars can become territorial once they grow a bit older, and having 2 males in the same tank will be troublesome.
If you get a pair, wich is allways a guess, the couple may be very aggressive against any other tankmates.
Well, that's some info , hope that helps.
anyway, we recommend at least 55Gl per Oscar for the fish to thrive and stay healthy, so in time you will have to upgrade or your maintenance will increase drasticly, for a Adult oscar will spoil the water of a small tank very quickly.
Keeping your fish happy in a 40 Gl tank will be quite a hassle...
Any chance for an upgrade?

Zo jaloers op je rode oscar, kut dat ik er geen kon vinden hier

That gar, is it hard to statisfie foodwise. i was like hoping to get some sort of buddie for mine instead of the clownloaches, but i never found anything i liked. i was like maybe a arowana, but i like this gar alot! not that i want to be a copycat, but its so awesome :o

Now I'm surprised, first time somebody adresses me in Dutch on OFL!lol
Now where did you learn this?
Or maybe i should ask, where are you from, Fristeh???

Those two are something else!

Thank you for the warm welcome. There is definitely an upgrade in the works already. After doing a bit of research, I quickly realized that if I was going to keep this fish, it would be long term, and I'd have to put time and some money into it. I've been searching locally for a 75+ (hopefully closer to 100 or 125) used tank. I wish I had warning. Over the summer, everyone is cleaning out garages and giving away small AND large tanks.... I know I don't have til next summer, LoL! So its a waiting game... trolling the classifieds and craigslist for a good deal. I'm thinking late January at the absolute latest though.

He is still being really moody. I gave him a partial water change. It didn't really need it, but that seemed to perk him up a bit. I've seen a few fish go "deserted island crazy" being by themselves.. meaning, not sure what to do when finally presented with another fish. Those were mostly goldfish tho... The barb was kind of obsessed with his own reflection. I've read they can go a little loopy without others of their kind. Now he is in a (slightly warmer than usual)tank with some goldfish temporarily, and he's happy as can be, just having a lot of company around his size. He's even acting a little more like a goldfish LOL! I noticed The Baron being suddenly interested in his own reflection before I touched up the tank. I know oscars don't school, but that video just convinces me that everybody needs a friend!

So two males is probably a bad idea.. but even if I could find a definite female (good luck!), I'd have to worry about fry, right? and finding homes for them, too... They are awfully good parents.

yes, and you wouldn't want your tank looking like this, right?



looking at secondhand sites is an excellent option .
Hop for someone who is moving, and needs to get rid of their tank.
I think it's best to get a large as possible tank, to avoid having to upgrade again in the future. Ones the virus of MTS or BTS sets in, there's usually no stopping it!lol

Noddy what is that a pic of ??? Shrink wrapped fish?

No, just a batch of 200 young Oscars at feeding time!

Noddy wrote:


Hmmm... looks like shrink wrapped Oscars to me!

Hi Tina and welcome to OFL... You have done a great thing by saving your baby...
The guys gave you good advice about finding a bigger tank. But if a 75 is all you can find, your Oscar will be fine on his own. One thing to remember about Oscars is that they Sulk and pout when things around them change. Usually a Big worm will bring them right out of hiding! LOL

Good luck, I am sure this site will and all these great people will answer any question you have!