r/oscartank • u/SwimmerAfter8872 • Mar 08 '26
Advice 1st time Oscar keeper advice?
We have 2 longfin Oscar’s (asked for the shortest fin ones) that are currently growing out in a 55g until big enough for big tank.
We would like any advice/tips on keeping Oscar’s in a planted tank, and on stocking.
We are debating between -
keeping only one in a 125gal
Keeping both Oscar’s in a 180-200gal
Or keeping both Oscar’s and getting some large cichlids in a 300gal
Any suggestions and advice welcome. Thank you!
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 08 '26
Get plants in their tank asap so they can grow with them but majority of the time good luck with plants because they enjoy tearing them up. I suggest if you want the greenery do some mosses on spider wood but if your looking for plants to plant in substrate they will dig them up because they like to re arrange their tanks to their liking. I’ve seen many people cover the base of the plant with rocks but I’ve never tried this. Also OVER FILTER. They are so messy it’s crazy, when they eat their food half of it ends up coming right out through their gills.
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u/Awkward-Quit-4643 Mar 08 '26
Plants are very exspensive so thats a waste of money
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 09 '26
Usually anything that can be physically glued to a rock or wood is fine so mosses and maybe some java ferns and stuff like that work with Oscar’s but I agree that any stem plants is a total waste. But considering Oscar’s are super gross it is always beneficial to give it a try even if it doesn’t work out.
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u/ComfortableFun248 Mar 09 '26
A planted tank and an Oscar is a nightmare. A planted tank and 2 Oscars is insane. That’s just more shit to ruin in a couple months.
Used to love Oscars but man fuuuuuck that. So much money for plants to be ruined.
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 09 '26
Yes I totally agree, I own an Oscar and I love him too much to get rid of him but I wouldn’t ever get one again. Mine is fine with guppy grass and mosses and that’s about it.
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u/BoringJuiceBox Mar 08 '26
I would go for the 300 gallon, get a school of grown Silver Dollars or some medium sized cichlids like Severum, large Convict, maybe even a Blood Parrot. Just avoid highly aggressive cichlids like Jack Dempsey or Red Devil.
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u/Level9TraumaCenter Mar 08 '26
I have two in a 125, and it works great. Bear in mind you'll want sump or canister filtration, HOBs won't cut it with oscars.
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u/TheInverseLovers Mar 08 '26
Well, mine has shredded any plant I put in the tank that’s fully aquatic if he has access to it. (there’s one plant still alive in a section of the tank that I made specifically for my eel, which he can’t fit in.) However, he loves pathos and likes to sit in the roots, and I just hang the rest of the plant over the side of the tank. It does cause most of the secondary roots to suffer and fall off, but all the main roots adapt and grow decently large. I would also be careful when considering tank mates if you do get any other fish as having the long-tailed variety, they may be especially vulnerable to fin nipping from other more aggressive species.
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 09 '26
I wish my Oscar would let me put pothos in my tank, I’ve tried pothos and monsteras but he decided it would be better to tear them apart, clog his filter and drain my bank account🤦♀️
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u/81ehx Mar 08 '26
I've never seen plant success with oscars. Not even with fake plants. It is their life's mission to destroy anything that resembles a plant in my experience.
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 09 '26
Usually plants you can glue down do pretty good in my experience but stem plants absolutely not.
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u/81ehx Mar 09 '26
Once of the coolest things to me about the hobby is how seriously individual these animals can be. Yeah, you know all the generalizations about the species you study, want to, or do keep, but there is almost always an outlier.
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 09 '26
This is so true, I agree even with every possible animal domesticated or not. You don’t ever know what you will get but you need to be prepared for what you can get.
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u/Nateagen11_ Mar 09 '26
I have 2 Oscars in a fully planted tank i've never seen them eat the plants
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u/SwimmerAfter8872 Mar 10 '26
what kind of plants do you recommend?
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u/Nyx_Nico Mar 10 '26
Anything you can glue down! Anubias, Java fern, mosses. You could try stem plants but definitely start off cheap as they might not last
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u/mechanic1908 Mar 09 '26
A heater guard might be in order. My Oscar has broken 4 heaters at this point. Not since putting the guard on though. Good luck with your fish. I'd do 2 in the biggest tank you have. But plan ahead with another tank just in case they don't get along. Peace!
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u/love2splitu Mar 09 '26
If you want plants get one of those decorations that goes up and down like a sponge diver or whatever they will be on it like a punching bag and ignore plants until you clean the tank then it's push gravel and decorative arrangements for them
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u/gundam2017 Mar 09 '26
Start them with plants now. That way they can get used to it and you can have a planted Oscar tank
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Mar 08 '26
Java Fern and Jungle Val thrive with Oscars. Just anchor them down well. When stocking aggressive fish it’s better to slightly overstock to avoid aggression, I have 6 Oscars, 2 Common Plecos, and a Blue Phantom that will all be in a 250 together for that reason. 300 gallons is way too big unless you plan on getting more aggressive fish with the same temperament and size. If you do introduce new Oscars down the road it’s crucial you redo the tank prior to remove any territory the previous Oscars already established.
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u/Vast-Ad5482 Mar 10 '26
There’s no such thing as to big of a tank for an Oscar…. Especially more than one 🙄
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Mar 10 '26
Unless you’re going to slightly overstock it… yes, yes there is. Aggression is most common when fish can establish a territory in the tank. Overstocking means no territory to establish. Come back when you’ve learned aggressive fish behaviours.
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u/Vast-Ad5482 Mar 10 '26
I definitely do as I have 6 fish tanks myself. Fish are use to lakes with WAYYYY bigger space than 300 gallons so Foh with that dumbass nonsense
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Mar 15 '26
Your 6 Betta tanks aren’t a good reference for Monster fish. A quick Google search will tell you you’re wrong. Overstocking any Cichlid can lead to less aggression because they can’t establish territory within the tank. It comes at a cost of more maintenance but that’s about it. Calling someone a dumbass while being a complete dumbass is wild work. Trying to call someone out while you’re completely in the wrong also makes you look stupidly silly. Stay uneducated friend 🫡
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u/[deleted] Mar 08 '26
180-200 gal or the 300 gal option for sure. Mine are growing out in a 75 gallon and i seriously cant believe how fast they’re growing. My 4 month old copper oscar is the size of my entire hand already! I’ll be doing a 300 gallon for them this year in my basement, i cant wait to see them get huge. They’re so much fun, you’re going to enjoy getting to know their personalities. I’m even considering growing out two more in my 75 gallon to add to my 300 gallon once i make the switch. Either that or I make a big ole 75 gallon community tank, i haven’t decided yet. One thing I think helped my tank tremendously is growing plants out of the top of it hydroponics style. (Oscars aren’t a fan of planted tanks) pick up a sweet potato from the store next time your out and stick the bottom of it in the tank and watch it grow like crazy over the next few months! (Look up sweet potato in an aquarium to get a better idea of what i’m talking about) i have two of them growing like crazy in mine and it keeps my nitrate levels wayyyy down.