# I picked up an Oscar yesterday (1st one in 20 years)



## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

But, don't get excited yet.....I picked it up from a guy that had it (Approx. 8") in a TEN GALLON AQUARIUM!!!!!!

That isn't the worst part....He had a heater in there that could have heated my 135!!!! I swear the water was every bit of 100 degrees....He said it just got that hot overnight and that it hadn't been that hot before.....

Needless to say (Being an oscar and all) the oscar is still lying around on the bottom of my tank (Probably freezing, it's only 80 degrees in there)....

Any ideas on what kind of damage was done to the fish (If any)? I am hoping that it is just pouting like oscars do when they get pissed.....But I can't help but think that maybe she got cooked or something. If she survives, I'll post pics. She is just your average run of the mill lutino (I call her a she, but don't know).
MIKE


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

The oscar just ate a few floating Pellets....It's a start. Also, starting to swim and explore a little...Starting to swim upright I might add!
MIKE


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Increasing the temp into the low 80s might help... If he is healingn from anything you want to keep his metabolism up...

Besides that clean water and good food all I would do. Since he is accepting Pellets I would keep on pellets only until you get him settled. Tastier foods are a good way to get a starving fish to eat, but since he is accepting pellets I would avoid spoiling him from the start. He may stop taking the pellets...

It's good to hear a "rescue" story that is actually a rescue, not a purchase 

Best of Luck!


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

I was in the market for a smaller Oscar...I was actually hoping to find one in the four inch range. But I figured I'd roll the dice (I live close enough to Jonathan if it didn't work out!!!). I had to get this thing out of the 10 gallon that he was in. It is actually doing great right now. When I walk by the tank and raise my hands to the lid it comes to the top and looks for food....Good sign. Also, I just sold all my Clown Loaches (I had fourteen good sized ones). I was kinda worried about coming home and seeing an orange tail sticking out of the O's moouth. I'm probably going to pick up a few syno multis from a friend of mine that breeds them for a cleaning crew.
MIKE


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## abyss (Oct 15, 2008)

I found one of my male tigers in a tank that was sitting at 18c and he was just lying on the bottom, when he moved I asked the owner what happened to his face as it was all bent, he replied oh he broke the top lid and it fell ontop of him, but he's a happy boy now in a hugh tank with a girlfriend but he still has a bent face so we called him "Stroke Victim" or Stroke for short. :lol:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Hey Mike, I need some of those multis too!

Glad to hear the oscar's working out. Are the chocolates spooked by him at all or are they competing for food?


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Hey Jon, the chocolates are fine, they don't really pay any attention to the oscar...I have noticed a growth spurt in one of them....So far so good. Oh yeah, I did forget how much oscars poop!!! My God!
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Oh yeah, they're little poo factories that's for sure. I remember you saying the one chocolate is going through a growth spurt. Funny thing is I guess the guy that got your clown loaches must have liked your chocolates, or his wife did, because now that's what she wants :lol:


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## 2wheelsx2 (Dec 7, 2005)

Congrats on the rescue. I hadn't been here for a long time, but went through a similar experience over Xmas. A guy on our local (BCAquaria.com) forum was advertising a 6 inch tiger for free. The reason was that his featherfin catfish (sorry, don't know scientific name), was biting the Oscar so that there was a chunk missing out of his head.

I resisted in the beginnning, because I have already 2 chocolates, a GT and a JD in my 125, along with a 10 inch Gibby pleco, a bunch of BNP's and 4 6"+ silver dollars, and a bunch of miscellaneous Cories and wasn't sure how the O would fit in.

When I got to the owner's place, it was a sad case. The O had a deep hole on the side of the head, where I though I could see bone!  It was a 33 gallon tall which had the O, the featherfin, 3 blood parents, and a 4 inch Gibby pleco (but onlyabout 5 inches). No wonder there was fighting.

I got the poor guy home and the Chocolates pushed him around some for a day, but now the O pretty much runs the tank. He has driven back the GT and the JD, and goes anywhere he wants. He didn't eat for the first day, but now eats NLS pellets like it was going outta style! 

Anyway, just wanted to share my story and add a attaboy to your rescue story.


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Nice to hear that oscar got saved!

Jonathan, it has been kinda weird....The last three or four people who have been over to buy HRPs have all commented on the chocolates, saying that they haven't seen them that large and how nice they were.....Thanks for telling me about them, they are very cool, laid back fish.
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm growing out six in a fifty breeder, I'm going to try and breed them


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Update on my Oscar:

It has been about 7 weeks or so since I picked him up. Doing great, and growing rapidly. I would estimate this fish as grown 2" in the past six or seven weeks.....Not to mention the growth spurt that my chocolate cichlids have gone through. Anyways, this oscar is still very mellow. I have about 12 Con/HRP fry in the 135 gallon tank with it.....Some of my fry are only an inch long....The oscar doesn't even look twice at them (Yet). I try to keep them fat and sassy...It seems to keep him happy. Anyways, just an update. I'm glad I switched the tank over.

MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Mike, excellent to hear you're happy with your choice! Now we just need some pictures to go along with it! LOL


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Hey Jon, it looks like my two chocolates have paired up!!!!! They were shaking and dancing like crazy tonight.....The female is trying to clean rocks and driftwood. I am leaving in the morning for the next four days, so I won't be able to keep an eye on them.....I'll keep you posted when I return.
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

SWEET!


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Good for you! I rescued two large angels (and one little cory) from a 10 gallon tall that was at my neighbor's house. I didn't really want them, but I was setting up a planted 33 gallon tall and while not a perfect set-up for them, it was better than what they had. They are stunted with large bodies and not very tall fins, but they are quite happy. I got the cory some friends and he's doing well, too. I also had the neighbor test her nitrates and I swear they test tube was black! I had her do daily water changes until it got somewhere normal, so they wouldn't immediately die when they got into the new tank.


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## StillaZilla (Aug 22, 2008)

Can I see a pic of a chocolate, please? TY


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

I can't seem to master posting pics here...PM me your email address and I will email you a pic of my male. He is the size of my hand, the female is slightly smaller.
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Mike,

1. Sign up for a free account with a one of these web sites: 
www.freewebspace.net 
www.photobucket.com

2. Upload the pictures from your PC to that online site. Pictures will be stored on their server and then accessible anywhere on the WWW.

3. After the upload is complete, view the photo you wish to post here. Right-click on the picture and then select Properties. Copy the Address (URL).

4. On this forum, Write in your post the following:

Code: 









5. THEN, before you SUBMIT your post, be sure to PREVIEW it first. You should see the image. If not, double check your code.


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Well, I just found a home for this oscar.....I gave it to some really nice folks from the westside of Cleveland....They are taking it and placing it in a 300 gallon......I feel like I did this oscar right.....I rescued it from a 10 gallon, put it in my 135 for several months, and just moved it on up to the big time!!!!!
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Mike, did you forget about me? I like oscars you know.... LOL


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

Hey Jon, I just didn't want to bother you.....I know how much you like oscars....You need to stop by and check out my chocolates...Looks like a spawn is coming any day.
MIKE


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Will do 

By the way to the rest of the folks watching... They did spawn... on his sponge filter LOL


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