He Says Oscars Are Fine In A 20 Gallon Aquarium

[@KGTropicals]

🛒*Check out our website and shop LIVE BETTAS and all of your aquarium supplies!* keepfishkeeping.com

[@josshenry1195]

i have a crown tail female betta and we put her in a 1 gallon(it has a fillter and heater/she was in a 20 long before) we just wanted to keep a better eye on her. she is not eating and she seems to be blind.(this blindness is new/we think we has not eaten in like 1 week!)her eyes re bolding.she wont eat.i dont know what to do.if we have to put her to sleep how should we do it.we dont have clove oil.

[@apss5736]

Maybe she is not eating because she can't see watch pharmaquatics video on feeding blind bettas

[@lucmeyer2733]

Please use liters

[@10323023]

What's your opinion on a 90 gallon for two adult oscars but with a grid divider in the middle because they keep fighting? @kgtropicals

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

My first biggest tank was a 22 gallon, I looked at Oscars, told him about my skill level (10 years old) and he said 4 Oscars wilol thrive in ttat tank. And this was the best aquarium shop in Sweden. I have gotten huge discounts and tanks delivired within an hour to my door since. So he is much nicer now. But Iam 34, and when he was, he just didi not care... And he is really really good. Just as my memory ;-) So know we are buddies. True story

[@wakkawakka7624]

We need a "you know what grinds my gears" series with you.

[@cameroncarter1739]

That's from family guy ain't it lol😂😂

[@debatingaftershock6816]

😂

[@PULAG]

It's actually from Home Improvement

[@davidmunoz1481]

I totally agree with you in everything you say about these wonderful animals... I currently have 7 baby Oscars in a kind of prefabricated pond 2.60 meters long by 0.80 meters high by 0.84 meters wide. They are the Oscar red tiger variety, which is my favorite variety... mine eat special pellets for cichlids, homemade porridge made with many ingredients, and I am very fond of them. I hope that when they grow up they get along well. I send you a big hug, I love that there are people as aware as you about the well-being of animals... I hope to see many of your videos

[@TorontoJon]

15:40 "Surviving" is not the same as "thriving" or "being happy" and sensible fish keepers want their fish to be happy and healthy, so Oscars are happiest in larger aquariums. It should be common sense and I've never even owned any Oscars. :)

[@gasp5027]

Meanwhile a petsmart employee is saying an Oscar can live in somones mouth

[@audrameyer9558]

Hi John! Excellent info. If I was ever able to have a tank large enough, I would love an Oscar. My dad had one when I was young. It truly was like a puppy in water. I really enjoy this format. It's real chill and fun, and it comes thru that you are liking it too 😊

[@rayquatics23]

I love the passion behind this! I totally understand being that I work at a pet store and Oscars are near and dear to me. People always use the "Ive been in the hobby for longer than u were alive" thing but as you have shown the information then differs greatly from the ones of now and most of the information 20 years ago is irrelevant as our knowledge about the species and their enviroment deepens.

[@louiegroenewald]

Your honesty and straight forwardness to help us is great and funny and lots of fun.

[@heather6534]

You are a great fish parent. Great to hear and see your videos

[@sergeiz.5815]

That's what my grandma used to tell us when we were kids. "You have a hole in your head? I told you 3 times to clean up" hahaha 😂

[@DrSleep-ep6cw]

I got a hole in my head and I'm also 2 cans short of a six pack...LOL!

[@aquaticsinasl]

I had that exact same book back in the day. The first time I had oscars, my mom brought home two oscars in a 29 gallon tank. That was because we believed the inch per gallon rule - two adult oscars totals about 24 inches, which means they would have enough room in a 29. They did do well and lived in that tank for a number of years without any major health issues, but we know better now.

[@patrickholack8536]

I still have that same book somewhere, but haven't looked at it in over 25 years. But I have never kept a Oscar in anything less than a 50 gallon, and even then it is only good for a couple of very young fish.

[@Cryptid_Renfri]

The one gallon per inch rule still roughly applies with small fish like tetras and barbs and stuff. We all know 10 inches of oscar is way more bioload than 10 inches of danios or something

[@agomodern]

"They did do well for a number of years." If it was fine then, why is it bad now?

[@N0EASYDAYS]

I like how at 1:04 that long fish just rams the black tiger oscar out of his way in the background lol. Fish are funny creatures

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

I have one giant goldfish that just noses everyone out of the way, like they’re not even there😂

[@beccagabaldon6429]

I have a pretty big Oscar who's in my 250 gallon I have had him since he was A baby and now he's just a giant I love him he's got such a amazing personality thumbs up on your awesome video

[@masteraquaticsjustcallmeed5115]

John, First off, this is your BEST video EVER! And here's why... Yes, you are a very passionate speaker, but in this video we witnessed the true genuine PASSION you have toward OSCARS! It was clearly obvious that Oscars are your favorite Aquarium species. They are not my kind of fish to have, but you certainly brought out some FACTS that needed to be stated! And your delivery of those facts are superbly compelling! Thank you for allowing us mere mortal viewers to see such PASSION! GREAT VIDEO!

[@HAMBURGER-s1l]

This is fantastic a fantastic video......I actually agree with the Book that you can have 1 Oscar in a 20 Gallon (LONG not TALL) aquarium with no substrates and an efficient Filters. I also feed my Oscar Pellets with blood worms as treats.....Keep rockin.

[@keeganmory9097]

I love how he says the red oscar is the most peaceful of them all while in the background the red oscar chases around all the severums hahahahaha

[@tylerbaker9308]

Love this laid back style of video. Do more videos like this, dude!

[@JusticeX17]

Your videos inspired me to get a black tiger oscar and albino tiger oscar a few months ago. I'm in process of upgrading to a 125 gallon tank this week. I have the tank moved in, just waiting for the water to cycle before moving my boys over.

[@BlackKoiRecords]

Mine sadly passed away 2 days ago 😔. Oscar's are incredible pets.

[@alfiecackett4287]

Oh no! I am so sorry for your loss.x

[@fictionaltalesbymm3905]

Im so sorry to hear that

[@BlackKoiRecords]

Thank you all for your generosity. I explain what happened on my latest video. I truly looked forward to seeing my Oscar afterwork every day. 😞

[@jezedwards190]

They are real characters... I have a pair of tigers. Sorry for your loss 😥

[@stephengonsalves9705]

Sorry for your loss. I currently have a tiger oscar and an albino red oscar, and I enjoy their company so much! They're funny and inquisitive, and they love to get pet which is awesome! I can't imagine losing them, so as I said already, I'm genuinely sorry for the loss.

[@davidstuckey695]

My Oscar is 13 years old he used to eat anything and then stopped eating, so I tried everything but one day I threw in some frozen bloodworms and he ate it, now he will only eat frozen food, he won’t eat it thawed just still frozen and his big appetite is back.

[@fishypetkeeping]

I don't have Oscars, but man, I love them. Definitely do more like these!

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

I really like this format - Please, go on with it.

[@evan_rifkind]

For the first couple seconds I was thinking "John what are you saying!?"

[@lindaoconnor4293]

Right? Same here. I was about to say, "for someone that loves the water puppies, are you looking to kill them? They will be stressed out, more susceptible to diseases, and not be able to grow properly." 😭

[@clintonbottoms9882]

Would love to see a episode like this on Flowerhorns🤔

[@fictionaltalesbymm3905]

Yes, I would to

[@manandhishobby3593]

Yesss me too

[@clintonbottoms9882]

Would also like Your opinion on feeding Ghost & Brim Shrimp

[@TheOfficialSteelReign]

When I was a senior in high school, there weren't a lot of places to get info and the info you did find was often wrong. That's how I ended up with TWO oscars in a 30g long. I had them for a long time. They even survived me going to college in the fall for 9 months without food or water change (back then I didn't even know what a water change was). I lost one shortly before I went back to school and I upgraded the survived to a HUMONGOUS 45g High. That dude lived for something like 12 years. Talk about bad water conditions. I'm sure the nitrates were in the 1000s.

[@michaelhaines3451]

I had that book back in the day. Read it cover to cover many times.

[@RodsStrengthTraining]

Coming back to this because I originally watched it before getting my oscar. Had to make a 75g tank work as we were in a small apartment for 2 years and hea very happy, but fhis week Im finally getting to set up a 125 for him in our new house! Thanks for setting the blueprint haha

[@musician200X]

Back in the 80s, my dad had a couple of Oscars but went by the inch per gallon rule, so he kept 2 in a 20 gal. We dont do that anymore lol. He also gave me a book on tropical fish from the 80s, and man the info in there is way wrong lol. Times have changed.

[@Kay13Jay]

I prefer this laid back format. It's much like listening to a podcast or a friend talk about fish. I enjoy your videos because they are fun and I laugh at your jokes. Your personality and passion is what stands out over other aquatic information videos. The scripted videos are good for simple and direct information. I like this natural format because you show your passion and humorous side more and because the personal experiences and tangents you go on have key info which is what lacks in scripted aquarium information videos.

[@notsoamazingdave]

One of the first thing I learned after getting into this hobby is that you can not control what other people do with their tanks. This notion was emphasized when I worked at a large(>500 tank) fish store. Even offering opinions has led to threat of physical harm by customers who did not like what was stated to myself and co-workers. Along with the not so carefully chosen words by the customers. If someone wants to feed their Oscars feeder fish, hot dogs, or in one case pinky mice then it is none of my business. Likewise, if someone wants to house their Oscar in a 20 gallon bowl then it is also none of my business. While I do not want to see animals mistreated I also did not want to deal with an irate aquarist that seemingly has only got worse with the internet and social media. That said, Oscars along with some other species are so common place in the hobby that it is inconceivable to think that the majority are not abused in some way.

[@chandrajahnke9540]

I've never had Oscar's. I have mostly had other cichlids. Right now I have 5 blue convict parrots I rescued. They are currently smaller than my thumb nail

[@BlueLighteningGojo]

A twenty gallon….. That just boils my blood….!

[@derpyturtle927]

Exactly that's literally torture not only for Oscar's but many other fish too

[@vg7985]

Hey, it's fine for my neon tetras.

[@derpyturtle927]

@@vg7985 teen tetras are small fish. We are talking about large fish

[@Bdawg._.]

​@derpyturtle927 is a 55-gallon too small I wanna get 2 baby oscars

[@magdalenagaton2737]

I was fascinated listening/ watching you talking with since of humour. Watching you from Australia 🇦🇺

[@butterflycolors2916]

I like this type of videos, + i love seeing fishes clips in the videos, You should put more clips of your beautiful fishes in videos and i love videos like this long discussion on a topic where you educate and share your opinions

[@AzulaisQueen743]

My juvenile moped hard core for several days when I moved him to the heated pond with his severum tank mate. They just finally started eating again and becoming less mopey. I think they realized they have a lot of room now and that the move was a good thing

[@constantinoramos5906]

True about there personalities my Oscar would swim very slowly at the bottom of my aquarium when i am not infront of the tank. But when he sees me my oscar make splash of water and very energetic and happy... 😂😂

[@lotheronprime]

"I'm not an expert, you are, you wrote a book, but you're wrong"... time to write a book.

[@mateo85tx]

In my experience with Oscar’s (17yrs now) they’re much less aggressive with other fish if they grow up with them. For instance one of my favorite tanks I have is an Oscar with guppies and Corey’s. He’s never eaten or even chased one that I’ve seen. But he was about an inch long when I added him and now it’s about 12-12.5” and loves his tank mates. If you have an Oscar I’m not recommending adding guppies!!! Lol that’ll be expensive fish food.

[@Cryptid_Renfri]

I sometimes like to add small barbs or tetras in with young cichlids as dithers. I kind of expect them to end up getting eaten as the cichlid grows but they seem to like the extra activity and it helps small, timid young cichlids act more confidently in a large tank

[@AmongRevenants]

Live feeder fish also means a cleanup..... I had two Oscars... they loved snails. Or the taste of snails... crunch crunch crunch and spit it into the filter for me to clean. Nutritional non-living food was perfectly fine with the Oscars I rescued 2 Oscars from Wal-Mart back in the day, they didn't look well but I brought em home and they lived about 6 or 7 years. The tiny tank cleaner, Pleico, they gave me went in a different tank and kept my tank walls clean as a whistle for 16 years. I had 2 Oscars.... the best I could do with the space I hade was 1 by itself each in a 59 gallon. They were like puppies...loved those fish.

[@Cgraseck]

The oscars shown around the 10 min mark have ick. I realize that some of this was pet shop footage. Just thought I'd point that out. Cheers, Chris

[@yashbhoir2087]

if oscars had a brand ambassador it would be kg

[@nathanwebb4253]

This is great information for having Oscars. I've had a 37 gallon tank for 3 years. I started out with about 10 cichlids they all killed each other of course. So I bought two tiger Oscar's they have lived in this tank for about a year-and-a-half now they have grown to a pretty good-sized and seemed to be okay except for the fact that I had to separate them at first they were okay together but cannot be around each other now so the tank is divided. So so far so good but I do want a bigger tank just need a bigger house

[@skulkqueen]

I did really enjoy this style of video. I I wish I could go back and rescue the Oscar I had when I was 16..

[@Tren365Rage]

I had an Oscar for 14 years, he was like a dog, he liked having his head rubbed.

[@nlsoundwave5656]

That is one impressive bichir in that tank...

[@CooperAudio409]

Love this. Make some more! Maybe other big cichlids, or Bichirs?

[@Flippersflops]

My first zoo job was at SeaWorld and I had to dive/clean the manatee exbhibit multiple times per week. There were lots of Oscars in there. They would attack their reflection in our masks (very alarming), take lettuce and carrots right out of the manatees' mouths, and even attack the vacuum hose nozzle. Several on exhibit had squished faces from attacking the hose nozzle and getting stuck. I had to pull a few out of the hose on my dives, and they swam away like nothing happened. They're very tough, very opinionated fish for sure!

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

wow, cool first job!❤

[@laurendoerr]

I have a 75g for my Oscar and I run a Polar Aurora 525 canister filter. My Oscar has grown at least 1 inch each month that I have had him. I got him when he was 3" and now 6 months later is 9". I also have a couple of smaller tank mates in the tank with him. I love doing water changes so do at least a 50% water change each week. More if need be.

[@princesquizon1211]

Is it easier to cchange water like that? My brother also taught me the same way..

[@laurendoerr]

@@princesquizon1211 I use a Python water changing system for water changes on my bigger tanks. With the python I can do a 45g water change on my 75g in about 40 minutes. It takes way longer and way more effort to do the same with the bucket method.

[@flamgoalbert6150]

Oscars are one of my favorite cichlids

[@bonnieghezzi9562]

I'm learning just about everything aquariums and fish from y'all. I've saved fish from your advice. Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge with us. I love ALL animals and y'all are awesome! Thanks again ❤️

[@nickburnett501]

I just got 2 Oscar’s and I got them pellets and they won’t eat yet I’m glad to know they will when there ready thank you!

[@erinmccaffrey]

I just rescued 2 baby Oscar’s from petco (super skinny, ragged fins, one with an eye injury). Unfortunately one passed away but the other seems to be healing. Do you suggest I get him a friend for a 125gal tank? Or will he be ok alone in something smaller?

[@nikolasansell8128]

Dude I love your attitude and just your general friendly vibe! New favorite KZbinr

[@nikolasansell8128]

Noooo I messed up his like 😭😭😭

[@davidolsen3209]

Great video. Great tank. Love Oscar. Got three in 180 gal. They are my puppy dogs

[@ricardocaliman2830]

One of my favorite T&F's by far!! Thank you

[@lucyswankson2970]

Those books were part of my childhood! Especially the piranha one

[@Jane_Dow]

I'd seen Oscars at a few places, but I'd never owned one until... I used to clean & repair rental properties, one day one of them was partially burned in a fire. The fire dept. did their job, but the whole house was now water damaged & blackened with suet. Needless to say I now had a bigger mess to clean. I found a fish tank in the mess but figured the fish where all dead, the tank was only 1/2 full & the water looked like a thick black mess. I'd been working on the house a few days with out any electricity, in the Texas heat. One day I was near the tank & reached above it. Something jumped up out of that black mess towards my hand, I thought NO WAY ! I found some fish food, held it over the 15 gal tank & the fish jumped up & took the food. Needless to say I then owned an Oscar for about 6 yrs. He was the sweetest thing you ever wanted to meet. I heard the other owner had him for a couple of years before this. My Question is... How long do these fish live ??? PS. I did bump him up to a 55 gal. tank, he seamed happy & the fish guy said that was an OK size.

[@bobbysauer7826]

omg the childhood story of just workin on a huge mouthfull of food LOL my sister use to do that and my dad would always get mad and threaten pushin it down her throat lol

[@MichaelClark-uw7ex]

Every Oscar I've had loved Cichlid pellets.

[@Michaelplays53]

My betta loves the products I received from your website John thank you.I hope I get some Oscars in the future.

[@bern585]

Great video, I don't have Oscars or will in the near future but I liked the format, very chill and informative thanks John

[@MarkMcLenaghan]

I love the format it gives lots of insight and is enjoyable with your humour!

[@shelbyduheme4031]

My neighbour gave me almost the whole collection of these books and I love them too

[@ericmoreno5719]

"I'm gonna be mad at you" Enough for me to keep up with my Oscars.

[@Shortichick43]

How cool would it be if the lady that told you about the hot dogs popped up in here and was like “that was me!!!!” Would be amazing

[@shawnamartins7203]

John I agree with you so much on this one. I hear this almost on a daily from alot of my clients at the aquatics specialty shop I work for. They all say the same that it's the only way they can get their fish to eat because it wont touch anything else. Which alot of people dont understand is that feeding their prized fish feeders on a regular basis or if at all can eventually cause said fish to become sick and contract all sorts of illnesses from the feeders they're eating. Bottom line is yes almost any predatory fish will eat other fish if given the opportunity. I spend alot of time at work converting most of our predatory and highly aggressive fish from live to frozen or freeze dried and various pellet foods because not alot of people are willing to feed live foods. If you take the time and have the patience to work at it it is completely possible to convert from live to any other food. The one thing that most people dont realise about feeding feeder fish is that they hold absolutely no nutritional value for the fish that they are feeding. It's like allowing a child to eat nothing but French fries their entire life and expecting them to grow and thrive like other children who are getting a variety of a broad spectrum diet. There will always be a major difference between thriving and surviving and the fish living it's best life.

[@raclark2730]

My Oscar lives in a IBC cube, enough room to swing a catfish.

[@anns5979]

This was a great video. Like the style best editing. Great information and got some laughs as well. Would love to see more videos like this in the future.

[@salehnikpour427]

That Bicher is amazing.

[@RockosFishRoom]

If an Oscar is more than say 8 inches put em in a 75 minimum. Shoot even 6 inches. They need the room to grow n Stretch out. I mean a human can live in 8x8x8 box but it wouldnt be a good life would it. Lesson is dont cramp up your fish. John and Miss Lisa Keep up the great work you guys are awesome.

[@shaylynwasylik7125]

I really like this freeflow feel of the video!

[@freddysfish2424]

I do enjoy these types of videos. I also like your early videos.

[@robertcalifornia3267]

I have an albino tiger, and a silver Oscar. Both about 6” long in a 75 gallon and they’re already about to get a 125. Considering a 220 down the road once they’re fully grown

[@BeckyStahl_by_grace]

I love this type of content! Lots of info, good info, given quickly and in an easily understood format!!

[@MrngstrAngelo]

I'm watching this while doing a maintenance on my oscar tank

[@ianstjohn4072]

I love this format. Easy to understand and very informative!

[@noboshow]

You know i heard someone say they took out the carbon from the filter and it helped w/ Hole in the head. So i did that for 1 month and i have to say it did work. I did not change my routine however of feeding and cleaning.

[@jomaru4025]

My Oscars eat everything too :D they even try to eat me when i Clean the Tank xD

[@tianarhastings8372]

I really want a tank just as large as the one behind you with bichirs in it 😍

[@catesherman5116]

We just bought a tiger Oscar and we currently have a 60 gal with two other cichlids with him at what size do you suggest we move to a bigger tank so I know how much time we have to prepare. I plan on buying a 125 or bigger and moving all 3 to it with some future additions.

[@adkgaladkgal1799]

Great video thanks!

[@louiegroenewald]

Love your videos, it sounds like you and your wife really do care about fish and the hobby. Your videos help me a lot as someone new to the hobby to do it right as mostly possibly I can do. And if I cant do it right I rather look at other fish. Thanks.

[@wiggitywak2050]

Believe it or not...we have an almost full grown oscar in a tank with 2 full grown blood parrots AND..a rescued angel fish 3 yrs ago...they all get along!

[@ChaosMagnet]

When I was a kid in the 80s, there was a Woolco department store in my town that had a pet department. This department had a huge Oscar. It was well over a foot long. The store had it in a 20 gallon aquarium, and the fish couldn’t even turn around. It was just stuck in one spot, listlessly floating. I felt so bad for it that I asked the staff if I could buy the oscar, despite my being only 5. They said no, of course. The store closed when I was six and I have no idea what happened to that poor fish. Heartbreaking 💔.

[@touchthesun2448]

I have an Oscar with Mollies and Silver dollars in a 75 gallon tank... they are so happy together!

[@leonardopavia3635]

Wonderful teaching.thanks

[@eltonjohntributedeantorkin197]

Thanks for the advice

[@hooskins9804]

Thank you for the video. I’m planning on getting an Oscar for the first time and it sure is hard to parse through all the opinions and misinformation on the internet. Your information has kept from giving up on it. Thanks!

[@hooskins9804]

Maybe we could get a “how to set up a 125 Oscar tank” video so I don’t have to do any work 😂

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

I stand by what I use to say, if you have not kept Oscars. You are not allowed to have an opinion on them.

[@juliakozbial9635]

Could you do a video about the Managuense Cichlid (Jaguar Cichlid) care? Thank you!

[@ascorbic123]

Bettas are another good example of a fish that eats themselves to death. It gets worse and worse because they end up really constipated and it goes downhill very quickly if you can't get them freed up. Luckily my Koi Betta came back from it, with epsom salt treatment. All of mine steal bottomfeeder food and it's just far too bulky for them!

[@dashoverton1963]

True. I find that especially true if you feed them dry food and the water temperature is not warm enough. They get constipated and often succumb to it. Just three to four tiny pellets is good enough for a betta per meal, and the water temperature at least 78…better at 80 F.

[@thomasmcdaniels6957]

I k ow how u feel about live feeding. If I purchased feeders to help start my cycle in my 125, and my oscars won't be big enough to eat them for a few months will they be ok to leave in the aquarium to be snacks later on down the road? Will all possible bad stuff bebout of them by then

[@josshenry1195]

i have a crown tail female betta and we put her in a 1 gallon(it has a fillter and heater/she was in a 20 long before) we just wanted to keep a better eye on her. she is not eating and she seems to be blind.(this blindness is new/we think we has not eaten in like 1 week!)her eyes re bolding.she wont eat.i dont know what to do.if we have to put her to sleep how should we do it.we dont have clove oil.

[@BigBoyz_Tankz]

Haha interesting I just saw another video of someone’s oscar fish swimming around with a huge hot dog in its mouth lol 🤣🤦‍♂️

[@molemolemole]

Definitely gonna try the hotdog method

[@freddievara8117]

Very cool your 100% correct Nathan’s Coney Island the good old days Bronx Boy👍👍👌🏻😎

[@jasonjordan3916]

Same book I read before my 55 gal with 3 Oscars was set up in the early 90s.

[@joikrause5927]

So did you see my questions in last Thursdays live stream? Thanks for making this Oscar video.

[@brandondicenso318]

I just got a 3" albino oscar growing up in a 125g

[@danielgregory1362]

I love this style of video!

[@PaulZyCZ]

2:00 - That surprised me. I thought most authors back then (1970's - 1980's ) would recommend all kinds of treatment, often with simple chemicals like Malachite Green or kitchen salt, but no euthanasia except some diseases (infectious "bloating"). But again, situation might have been different in the US back then. One thing common were tank sizes, with lot of the fish they were not sufficient.