Made A Big Mistake, Today

[busdriver]

Went to SuperPet in Orleans, should never have gone there.
They have just the size and kind of fish I have been wanting to get, again.
Oscars, lots of oscars.
I'm thinking maybe I'll get six.
Yes I have a big tank, see below.
Maybe, I'll be luckier this time and get a pair instead of two males.
My wife thinks (knows) I'm nuts
If you want to see what 2 oscars look like in a 150 gal. aquarium check out my gallery.
The oscars are about 6-8 inches each.
The tank seems to shrink the bigger they get.

[squeeker]

IMO, a 150 gallon tank is STILL too small for 6 oscars, considering that the minimum recommended per fish is 50 gallons.

I have yet to visit the Orleans SuperPet, but this week I visited the new location in Windsor, and it was nice.

[Jesse]

Yea 150g is too small for 6 adult oscars. I had 2 oscars in a 95g a few years back (well it was my dads tank), and that was IMO too small.

[Adam]

I've heard of 2 in a 75.

Adam

[Adam]

That's a good idea.  But just make sure you have someone to take the oscars when you are ready...they can be hard to give away.

Adam

[Mettle]

Two oscars in a 150 gal tank will be fine. Six, as the others have said, is far too many. The maximum I would ever dream of in a 150 gal, and this depends on its footprint, is three... At the size you're talking about, for now, six will be fine. But I would look into rehousing the ones you don't want once they reach about 6" or so because after that the space will start to get cramped as they ease into sexual maturity and they will be very hard to unload. Don't wait til they're full grown - otherwise you're dooming them to die in a pet store.

Have you had the opportunity to breed oscars before? They're really interesting fish. And their mating behaviours can be off the wall. My advice, and this goes for any large SA/CA cichlids - keep a divider of some type around in case things get iffy between the two fish after they spawn. You'll be happy you did.

Good luck! And post pics!

I absolutely love oscars. My second favourite fish for personality that I've ever kept - the first being my flowerhorn. 

[busdriver]

Don't tell my wife I said this, but if I can't get rid of them, (like I really want to ) it would give me a really good excuse to get a much bigger tank, now wouldn't it.

[Jesse]

 You sly dog you  Thats a great idea!

[THEKINGCOBRA]

I read this quite carefully, and made me reconsider my own tank.  I originally started with a 75g with 4 oscars and a couple other cichlids...now I am into a 55 gal with 2 oscars (2-3in) and a 1/2 dosen other tank buddies, but I can see mine is soon to be over run. But I like your therory on how to get a bigger tank ...thats my plan too.

[PaleoFishGirl]

You sly dog you  Thats a great idea!

Wait until you get married, Jesse, you'll be thinking the same way

[beowulf]

Why all the deception I just make her think it's her idea 

[White Lightning]

I am glad to see that I am not the only one who gets flack for wanting to get a bigger tank.

[beowulf]

My fiancee is not worried about the size of the tank but more the number.  We have an agreement of no more then 4-5 tanks but she did agree that I could add the 210g in the 6 months to a year after we move into our new house.

[Jim]

Hey "busdriver" how much were the ~2'' Oscars at SP?

[busdriver]

I'm not sure, they didn't have a price on or near the tanks.
I'm going there some time this week to pick up two, I guess I'll find out then.

[Jim]

ok great thanks.

[Jesse]

Wait until you get married, Jesse, you'll be thinking the same way

I still have a while before then PFG! I think the oscars were $9.98-$16-98, something like that. Oscars arent generally a very expensive fish are they??

[cory]

I would say 4 would be fine! Just watch aggression.
General Rule with Oscars are...1 per 75g. and make sure you have AMAZING filters! FX5 +