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Oscars

Discussion in 'Cichlids' started by Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Anyone have any Oscars? I never thought I would love these huge water puppies, but I am hopelessly devoted. I have 2 in with my Jack, Barb, and 2 Green Sevs. They are all a happy lil community now. I am trying to get a new tank arrangement for them that would free up some room and not look so man made. Alas, the stupid quarry was not willing to allow me to buy rocks today. Yeah, they turned down my money for no reason. Lazy people. I will have to wait a few weeks. In the mean time anyone have any great rock and rock gravel ideas/pics they would love to inspire me with?
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  2. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    I used to keep them and YES they are just like puppies!

    I tried breeding them too.... unfortunately it was so bad (lost 2 fish) that I quite keeping them. Oddly enough I ALMOST had them spawning (they were doing dry runs after moving around sand to expose the bottom of the tank)
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    We started with an Oscar and he lost an eye and become mean. For over a year only him and Jack co-existed in their tank together, anything else was killed. I had to return so many nice fish....sigh. We then got Barb (9 in tinfoil barb) to keep the aggression down. Worked a bit as he really could not catch him to do any real damage. Then I got 2 about 7 in Green Sevs (gorgeous!!!) and things got a bit worse as now he felt threatened. You get sick of only 2-3 fish in a 90 gallon tank. Well we got lucky and got a 10 inch Oscar friend. They had a tussle and now are best friends.

    I really hope they are not more than friends...LOL!! I never even thought about it.
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  4. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    I had 3 in a 125 (2 Oscars, 1 male and 1 female with a 14" or so Pleco)

    First the male got stuck in a piece of driftwood and died.. then I replaced him with another and that male spooked the female out of the tank after about 4 months.... female died.... I got rid of the male, took the tank down and turned it into my Discus tank...

    I could not even keep fake plants or driftwood in the tank... the Oscars were 12" and 14" long and they would move even the driftwood.... 125 gallons of nothing!

    I love Oscars but I dont think I will do them again :confused:
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    My tank is VERY plain as well. That is the one thing I cannot stand, but it has to be that way. A few rock and that is all she wrote. I do have under gravel PVC piping for tunnels, which they love. I could not imagine 125 gal of nothing but 3 fish and water. I too would have converted.
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  6. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    I had them years ago! They we're constantly rearranging the tank/substrate to their liking (which was horrible mind you)...food wise they would only eat the feeders bodies and leave the heads floating *Yuck* and waterwise it was nearly impossible to keep the water crystal clear. Highly active though and defin. provided entertainment at feeding time!
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 26, 2009
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  7. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    You should not have fed them feeders Dawn... not good for them.... yes, they are HORRIBLE at aquascaping and the DO try ALL THE TIME!!

    Nitrates WERE almost impossible to even keep in the "safe" zone and more often than not were in the warning zone no matter how often you change the water!

    BUT they have GREAT personalities!
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Nice fishies leaving Mommy with feeder heads - bluck! Feeding time is very wet here...LOL! I dread opening the tank lids. I used to have plants and they just uprooted them all. We have a Rena which does a great job with the water if maintained regularly.
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  9. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    i have the xp4, great filter imo!
    And why not feed feeders? I believe they were rosy reds that I was using at the time?
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 26, 2009
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  10. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Little nutritional value and often carry illnesses that could affect the Oscars! Think about it... how well do the LFS take care of "Feeders" They are thrown into a tank, overcrowded with several dead ones in the tank at all times.... they are cheap so nobody cares!
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    We do feeders....they LOVE them. It takes no time for them to get 'em all ...LOL!
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  12. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    not my lfs (they take excellent care of them)...or did at the time when I had them. I didn't feed ONLY rosy reds...they got flake food and other stuff too.
    Mind you this was years ago. I eventually sold them to my lfs for their show tank.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 26, 2009
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  13. Angus

    Angus New Member

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    :D

    I have 2 knees
     
    Angus, Feb 26, 2009
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  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Read about this disease.... Hole in the Head, Head and Lateral Line Erosion, Hexamita

    They are ALL the same disease! Cause: Feeders and Poor Water Quality

    I lost 1 Oscar to this disease in ignorance to the dangers of feeders (in total I have had 8 Oscars through out my life)
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  15. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    sorry to hear that, I never experienced that (had oscars and jacks years back) and always did feeders. Guess it depends on the source of where you get the feeders and what condition they are in when they come to your tank.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 26, 2009
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  16. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    True... but I asked myself "Why risk it?" and quit doing it.... I fed them crickets, worms (nightcrawlers), insects I would catch in the house and outside instead later... my pair LOVED crickets!
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    We have been very lucky (knocks on wood) that we have not gotten hole in the head in all these years. We are VERY careful. We know how awful the disease is. Just awful!

    Hubby, behave as you got out of diaper poop duty!!!
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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  18. Angus

    Angus New Member

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    Pfft! :D
     
    Angus, Feb 26, 2009
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  19. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Sorry but I am an advocate against feeder "fish".... live foods should be given but I dont believe in feeder fish now. That is why I switched to crickets!

    It is entertaining to watch them eat the feeder fish... but again, HITH is a NASTY disease...
     
    LemonDiscus, Feb 26, 2009
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  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Yeah, we are thinking of going to night crawlers as the stalk lately from hte LFS has been poo. They mostly get flakes, pellets, and peas. They all loveeeeeeeee the peas.


    ai18.photobucket.com_albums_b134_kimmie_n_angus_Smilies_razz.gif
     
    Anonymous, Feb 26, 2009
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