I just bought two 180 gallon tanks and want to start up one tank with oscars. I have always admired them but have never owned one. With this tank size will I be able to have two oscars in it? And if so how do I go about getting a mated pair? Should I buy like 3 or 4 young oscars and see if two pair off? And also I am wondering with the size of this tank if I have a breeding pair will there be enough room for any other type of fish such as a catfish? Any help will be appreciated. I still have yet to get the filteration for this tank so starting slow and working up to a fully running tank.

Thanks,
Michelle

P.S. The pic shows both tanks. The one on the bottom has my red eared sliders and the tank on top will be for the oscars.

hi 180g is a great size for 2 oscars,someone with more experience will tell you about getting a mating pair,and if you can have more tankmates, but two oscars would be fine in there xxx

Ok awesome. These tanks were a really good deal and I couldnt pass them up. My only concern for buying more than 2 O's is that the tank can only handle just the 2 probably so in finding a pair I would end up giving away the ones that did not pair. I hate doing that. Maybe I should buy an already mated pair. But I really want to grow my oscars from youngin's. But like I said I'm starting out slow and doing things in pieces. Got the tank and now for the filtration. lol

Hello and welcome to our community forum Michelle.

Now, are you sure you're not confusing 180 gallons with 180 L? The photos you have included certainly don't look like a big 180 gallon tank, unless I am mistaken and they are five or 6 feet wide.

Now, you can certainly have two Oscars in a 180 gallon tank. Are you in the US? You could probably have two or three tank mates as well but be careful with catfish, some of them get very big.

You have got to remember that if you start breeding Oscars, you are going to need another tank for the babies. Have a look on the forum, Sharyn has been posting various messages and including some photos and video of her breeding Oscars, you can see that there is quite a lot involved. It would be very unadvisable for you to get numerous Oscars to try and find a pair, you will have to wait until they are sexually mature which will be over a year, by this time, they will be quite big and you won't have enough room in your tank.

Ok awesome. These tanks were a really good deal and I couldnt pass them up. My only concern for buying more than 2 O's is that the tank can only handle just the 2 probably so in finding a pair I would end up giving away the ones that did not pair. I hate doing that. Maybe I should buy an already mated pair. But I really want to grow my oscars from youngin's. But like I said I'm starting out slow and doing things in pieces. Got the tank and now for the filtration. lol

Yea you are probably right on there and I should only get two. If they mate then they mate. I am not looking into breading at this time but it would be something I am interested in. For the babies I have a 55 gallon acrylic I would use. And yes this tank is 6x2x2 and is acrylic. My phone doesnt take very good pics..lol Do you guys prefer gravel or sand? I am afraid sand will get sucked up the cleaning tube and gravel always traps debris.

hi i have a mix of gravel and sand, im okay because i use buckets, so i just put my sand back after my water change, but then my tank isint as big as yours, so depends on how you do your water changes

Oh my goodness. It would take me days to empty my tank and fill it up with a bucket..lol I use a python hooked to the sink. I guess that brings up another question. Can I use the same python hose for the tetras I have and use it on the Oscar tank? I also use it for my turtles. Now I was told between my tetras and the turtles it would be fine to use the same hose. Want to be sure it is ok with the oscars otherwise I need to go buy another one.

I much prefer sand, I believe that it's much easier to clean, the debris doesn't get embedded under like it does with gravel.

As for sucking the sand up with your vac, that won't happen if you just hover above the sand and let the suction lift the debris. You clean the sand in a completely different way than you do gravel, with gravel, you have to push the vac into the gravel, if you do this with Sand, you will suck some of it up because the particles are much smaller and lighter.

Sweet that makes total sense. I think I will go with sand. Now that being said, am I right in getting enough sand to cover up to an inch? Or should there be more or less?

good luck on your tank i hope it will be a good one.. iwish to have someday as big as your aquarium..

OFL wrote:


X2 spot on... I do exactly the same thing.
Sand all the way.