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I have a two 4" oscars in a 55 for now and I'm going away for 6 months and my family are'nt really ready to clean that tank every week, so i was wondering what would be a good bottom feeder for the tank to keep th esand clean, I have cories in there now but they are starting ot get biten.

I don't think that you should be adding any fish at the moment. Oscars reach about a foot in length, and 55 gallons is not enough for two oscars. They may be only four inches now, but they'll be much larger after six months. In addition to their size, they also produce large amounts of waste. I suggest that you give these fish more space soon, or give one away. 55 gallons isn't even enough for only one oscar, so I'd try to upgrade that tank, and fast. Unless you already have plans to...

In which case, you could probably go with some pictus catfish. I don't think that they would bother the oscars much, and vice-versa. Those cories will eventually get eaten or killed by the oscars, though.

Last edited by sirbooks at 01-Jan-2005 11:20

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Yes i plan to get a 120 gallon for the both of them.

A pictus cat would do well in the oscar tank..
I added one and it's working out great !

The Amazon Nut...

i believe pictus cats are schooling fish. I would reomend maybe a raphael catfish, they aren't the most active at day but they will clean the floor at night when they get hungry.

You could get a few bristlenose plecos as in the tank size that you will need they should not fight and will have there own territory and may even breed.



good luck,
fish1

A pictus cat will do fine on it's own, mine is doing well.

The Amazon Nut...

Yes but which one will clean the bottom best?

I use a combo of Emerald green cats (larger than cories), a 12" pleco, and a few BN's. My oscars grew from 3" to 8" in about 4 months. My tank is a 90g. Rather than adding more fish id add another filter (unless you already have 2) and have one of them with the intake tube a bit lower.

As far as the cories go .. they will probably be gone by the time you get back. Mine have started trying to eat the emerald greens, they get them in their mouth ... cant chomp on em cause they are armored, and then spit them out dead a few hours later. They just took out my smallest one last week. The rest are large enough they wont be able to eat em til they are over 12".

In any tank over 90g the oscars will get over 12". Ive seen some that are over 16".

Bdadawg

OK... maybe I’ve missed something, but what goes in... must come out.

If you use a bottom feeder to clean the tank, where does it put the waste? It excretes it back into the tank. I don’t think this is a solution to keeping your tank healthy because you can’t find someone to clean it regularly and properly. Perhaps it would be a better option to find a good home for your fish while you are away, and get some new fish when you return home. I mean, as already suggested, these fish will be 8”+ in the next 6-8months and making a large amount of waste. Enough waste to justify 2 * cleans a week, IMHO.

You need to look after them properly, and if you wont be there for 6months and no-one else is willing to do it, I think it might be best to wait and get some more when you return. Find a good home for your Oscar’s. It’s not fair they get punished because you’re not there to care for them.
To bottom feeders Vs Cleaning properly.

they best thing i had to eat the $h!t and such off the top of the sand was bleive it or not, an apple snail. none of the fysh bothered it and he ate a lot and kept it clean. just make sure to get the right kind of snail otherwise they reproduce like rabbits.

I agree with Jester.
I think you're going to need to find a new home for them if you're unable to look after them.

IMO Certain bottom feeders produce more waste that they clean.