# check out my monster Oscar



## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

got this bad boy today!

I dont realy know much about oscars...

Is this good? I know its pretty big, around 11", but is this a good variety or just something generic?


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

he looks like a wild oscar, good pick-up


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## icedizzle (Feb 3, 2005)

Looks like a tiger oscar to me... looks good


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

That's a big O


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## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

I always have a weak spot for these eating machines, nice pick up









Are you planning to keep his tank bare?

* Topic moved to non-piranha picture forum


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## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

Its just one Oscar.

Yes the tank will be bare. I am not planning on keeping him. He is just in there to make ammonia for my tank. Once its cycled i will be putting some Pygos in there.

I have no idea what to do with him when the time comes to get rid of him. I suppose I will take him back to the lake and set him free.


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## timmy (Mar 29, 2004)

steve1337 said:


> Its just one Oscar.
> 
> Yes the tank will be bare. I am not planning on keeping him. He is just in there to make ammonia for my tank. Once its cycled i will be putting some Pygos in there.
> 
> I have no idea what to do with him when the time comes to get rid of him. I suppose I will take him back to the lake and set him free.


??


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## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

what dont you understand...?


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## theanimedude (Jun 4, 2005)

what??? cycling with him in thre??? jsut throw some dirty water from your other tank and then it'll be good in a few days!!!! atleast do that for that lil guy. i used to have an oscar and he was great! what a personality he had.


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## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

oops, sorry I guess hearing that will make you Oscar keepers a lil upset. Sorry bout that. However i will add some of my other tank water in there as you suggested.


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## Devon Amazon (Apr 3, 2005)

cycling a tank with an oscar















If your not going to look after him give him too someone that will!!!


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

oscars left in dirty tanks are prone to hole in the head. they're beautiful intelligent fish. if you want to use something to cycle your tank grab a few goldfish or something, but not an oscar.

and where do you live that it is (or at least you think it is) okay to turn an oscar loose in a lake????


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## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

Tinkerbelle said:


> oscars left in dirty tanks are prone to hole in the head. they're beautiful intelligent fish. if you want to use something to cycle your tank grab a few goldfish or something, but not an oscar.


Just want to know: what exactly is the difference between a few goldfish or an oscar? Only because you like oscars it is wrong to cycle a tank with this specie? And what if someone actually like goldfish? Personally I don't see the difference


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## furious piranha (Mar 22, 2005)

jan said:


> oscars left in dirty tanks are prone to hole in the head. they're beautiful intelligent fish. if you want to use something to cycle your tank grab a few goldfish or something, but not an oscar.


Just want to know: what exactly is the difference between a few goldfish or an oscar? Only because you like oscars it is wrong to cycle a tabk with this specie? And what if someone actually like goldfish? Personally I don't see the difference








[/quote]
good point...i always get mad wen ppl flip ot at ppl over stuvff like this


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## SregoR (Aug 7, 2005)

jan said:


> oscars left in dirty tanks are prone to hole in the head. they're beautiful intelligent fish. if you want to use something to cycle your tank grab a few goldfish or something, but not an oscar.


Just want to know: what exactly is the difference between a few goldfish or an oscar? Only because you like oscars it is wrong to cycle a tabk with this specie? And what if someone actually like goldfish? Personally I don't see the difference








[/quote]
I agree with you, but hey thats P-Fury some fish should be treated right while others shouldn't and also where tanks are always to small. I love it.


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## sneepizzle (Oct 21, 2005)

i love oscars, but its just as mean to cycle a tank with with goldies. I dont know why anyone would ever cycle a tank with fish, if you do it the right way, by adding pure ammonia, its faster, easier, makes a 8976234671264371263470123647810999982`378264672356462546241 times more bacteria than some goldfish, and its not abusing some poor fish


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## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

OK you guys made me feel bad now =(

I went fishing with my friends at a Lake by my house and I caught him. People on here talk about cycling tanks with fish in them all the time... I figured why couldnt I keep him for a while untill my tank is ready for my new P's. I am not keeping him just because I want it to help cycle my tank. I also wanted to enjoy having him as a pet for a little while. I will find him a new home when the time comes or return him from the same lake that I got him from...

i realy wouldnt enjoy having a tank full of feeder fish. The oscar is much cooler and it was free. If anyone here wants to pay for shipping and tell me how to ship such a big fish safely I will gladly give him away for free...


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## mbierzyc (May 10, 2005)

do you live in florida?

I think that'd be the only place I could imagine catching an oscar.


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

cycling a tank with an oscar is not cool. pygos are hardier than them for f*ck sake. and that oscar is sick, atleast be a halfass descent hobbiest and try to heal him up.


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## sicklid-holic (Mar 25, 2005)

IMO it looks like you've got that Oscar free from a LFS, most LFS just giving them away bec. nobody wants big O's.
BTW, that O's looks ill.

Just my 2c


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

my comment about the goldfish has to do with the relative intelligence of your average goldfish. when comparing a goldie to an oscar there seems to be a vast gap in intelligence.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

that oscar is in bad condition....

your only going to make it worse if the tank isn't cycled


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## JuN_SpeK (Oct 6, 2005)

sicklid-holic said:


> IMO it looks like you've got that Oscar free from a LFS, most LFS just giving them away bec. nobody wants big O's.
> BTW, that O's looks ill.
> 
> Just my 2c


your opinion does'nt make sense!


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

steve1337 said:


> oops, sorry I guess hearing that will make you Oscar keepers a lil upset. Sorry bout that. However i will add some of my other tank water in there as you suggested.


By the way - adding water from your other tank won't do much. The bacteria colonize on the surface area of things in the tank like the substrate and filter media. If you want to speed up the cycle add a filter from an established tank to your new tank.


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## furious piranha (Mar 22, 2005)

wehre do u loive that u caught an oscar in a lake


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## Serygo (May 17, 2004)

No offence, but it has no body structure, either hasnt been fed for awhile or it was born like that.
I like the natural fatness of the oscar...
Also that oscar is just plain and simple for the coloration and look.


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## Silence (Sep 22, 2005)

jan said:


> oscars left in dirty tanks are prone to hole in the head. they're beautiful intelligent fish. if you want to use something to cycle your tank grab a few goldfish or something, but not an oscar.


Just want to know: what exactly is the difference between a few goldfish or an oscar? Only because you like oscars it is wrong to cycle a tank with this specie? And what if someone actually like goldfish? Personally I don't see the difference








[/quote]

Exactly Jan!

Tinkerbelle Posted Nov 15 2005, 02:44 PM 
My comment about the goldfish has to do with the relative intelligence of your average goldfish. when comparing a goldie to an oscar there seems to be a vast gap in intelligence.

Doesn't make any difference nor does it mean a Goldfish should be put in there for tank cycling. Poor Goldfish,...it's like using an animal for something where this person says it isn't fair or right but then the other smaller animal could be used since it is not as intelligent as the big one, hey there is always an animal smarter than the other. How about a Betta?







Now that you wouldn't agree with would you?







Lol well everyone has their opinion, I understand Tinkerbelle...anyway if an Oscar eats a Goldfish, that's fine, that's nature, it is designed that way, it's about survival. I know there are people who would go against those who give feeders to their adopted fish, but then they just had chicken, beef, fish etc for lunch. "Oh but those were dead..." ah but your reason is the same reason of every non vegetarian's to why it is dead. You are also a reason to a death that occurs on this planet, just not in your house, and not done by you except for the feeding.

From one point of view, it is care and love, when you feed the one you love with these creatures, from the other point of view, it is cruelty, evil..well definitely in those animal's eyes, you are a monster. And the one that looked upon you as a monster, also killed or fed on another animal. Finally you begin to wonder if there is ever right and wrong when it comes to this, there isn't. But we humans are the one to make the difference, well animals make difference too, to cut it short I am not saying not to eat any of them or to become a vegetarian, even plants are living things. Some say it is to eat something that is less significant, for an example feeding feeders like Rosey Reds and tiny Goldfish which are seen as less significant to your monster fish. Just like plants eventhough they are living things, but what is less significant and what is not is depends on you, so I see the point Tinkerbell is making here so I don't go against your opinion actually. To me, I feel for all of them where I believe you all do as well, sometimes I wonder why we are created to feed upon another flesh but then something else is created within us that goes against it. Food is every living being's fuel, to take that energy into us and survive..to live. But a killing must not simply be done.

In this situation, Tinkerbell thinks the Goldfish is less significant and if it is to be done, then a Goldfish may be placed in that position. But then, why should there even be cycling? It is not necessary..but it's your choice..I have never performed it.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Silence said:


> In this situation, Tinkerbell thinks the Goldfish is less significant and if it is to be done, then a Goldfish may be placed in that position. But then, why should there even be cycling? It is not necessary..but it's your choice..I have never performed it.


you may have never proformed it but it is a natural action that occurs in most established tanks.


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## Silence (Sep 22, 2005)

Certainly but my fish were fine, maybe I was too concerned in taking care of them. And to add on to this, I actually had no idea about tank cycling back then, I had them in my childhood..yes. But I had a good filtration and water changing whenever it was important to, plus I also used anti-chlorine. But my goldfish died though, wondered why. Well so I am wrong to say it is not necessary, it is a way of easy and safe fish keeping.









Edit 1:

So here it is:

Fish produce ammonia.

Ammonia consuming bacteria produce nitrItes. ( Ammonia + nitrItes is dangerous-causes desease and even death if it's too high )

NitrIte consuming bacteria produce nitrAtes. ( Harmless unless it's too high )

Plants consume nitrAtes ( as nitrogen food source ). ( So provide plants )

http://aquariumhobbyist.com/artoffishkeeping/cycle.html

Edit 2:

Instead of using a fish to produce ammonia, why not add ammonia itself?.

The basic ingredients for cycling a tank are a starter culture of nitrifying bacteria (innoculum), ammonia, water, oxygen, and a substrate for the bacteria. I am assuming that your aquarium has been setup competently, so that it has water, biofiltration media (substrate), and aeration (oxygen). This leaves the ammonia and the bacteria.

I use clear, unscented, no additives, 100% pure household ammonia from the supermarket. Alternatively, some aquarium stores have started to sell bottles of Ammonium Chloride for this purpose.

http://www.csupomona.edu/~jskoga/Aquariums/Ammonia.html

and another:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php


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## sicklid-holic (Mar 25, 2005)

JuN_SpeK said:


> IMO it looks like you've got that Oscar free from a LFS, most LFS just giving them away bec. nobody wants big O's.
> BTW, that O's looks ill.
> 
> Just my 2c


your opinion does'nt make sense!
[/quote]

What dont you understand?. I think he got the osacr from lfs, not catch from the lake. And he pretty much can do whatever he wants w/ it, he got it its his. Poor Oscar though.


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## JuN_SpeK (Oct 6, 2005)

what you are saying is not an opinion its an assumption.


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## freakgasolinefightaccident (Jan 3, 2005)

screw the pygos,why keep reds when you have a nice big tiger oscar on your hands! Add some decor,heal that guy up and keep him! Oscars are the best fish to keep (granted you have space) in my opinion. Check out Mayhem!









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