A quick question about small Oscars,...

[Papa Red]

Just how quickly would an Oscar that is currently only about 2½ to 3
inches in size, out grow a 30 gallon aquarium? I am thinking about
purchasing one, and placing him or her into an aquarium that is
currently equipped with both a Dolphin 200 and a Whisper power filter
20, to help keep it clean. I might also add a Pleco to the tank to help
keep it clean too,...Any help on this matter would be very much
appreciated. ~Dean.

[CanadianCray]

I would say about 1 1/2 - 2 years. If its the ONLY fish in there.

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
Just how quickly would an Oscar that is currently only about 2½ to 3
inches in size, out grow a 30 gallon aquarium? I am thinking about
purchasing one, and placing him or her into an aquarium that is
currently equipped with both a Dolphin 200 and a Whisper power filter
20, to help keep it clean. I might also add a Pleco to the tank to help
keep it clean too,...Any help on this matter would be very much
appreciated. ~Dean.

[~Roy~]

Depends on how much its fed and what you feed it.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:16:59 -0500, (Papa Red)
wrote:
>><>Just how quickly would an Oscar that is currently only about 2½ to 3
>><>inches in size, out grow a 30 gallon aquarium? I am thinking about
>><>purchasing one, and placing him or her into an aquarium that is
>><>currently equipped with both a Dolphin 200 and a Whisper power filter
>><>20, to help keep it clean. I might also add a Pleco to the tank to help
>><>keep it clean too,...Any help on this matter would be very much
>><>appreciated. ~Dean.

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Papa Red]

I am now seriously considering going over to my LFS sometime in the
next few days, and if the same Oscar that I saw there today is still
there, I am going to purchase it, unless you folks can convince me that
I shouldn't.
Like I posted earlier, I currently have a 30 gallon aquarium that the
Oscar can call it's home. The fish currently living in there, three
small Bala sharks and three small Gouramis will be traded in. I have a
ten gallon tank with a cracked glass that I could raise crickets in, to
feed the Oscar. And there is a petro station nearby that sells frozen
bait shrimp, as well as other frozen fishing bait, to also feed the
Oscar.
Of the Oscars that my local shop has, only the one that I want to
purchase is not an unattractive whitish flesh colour. The particular
Oscar that I want is one that is predominantly greenish-black in color.
And it seems far more alert and observant of the things that are going
on around it, than any of the others that are there for sale. Also, I
have no idea how to tell it's gender, but if I do purchase it, I think
that I will call it "Fred". Any help on the pros and cons of owning an
Oscar would be very much appreciated. Thanks.~Dean.

[Fishman]

You might want to check out the cichlid newgroup at
rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlid. They would be a good choice to pose
questions to regarding your future cichlid.

Not to say that there aren't a lot of experienced posters here. It's just
that the cichlid newsgroup would be more catered to your fish of choice.

Fishman

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
> I am now seriously considering going over to my LFS sometime in the
> next few days, and if the same Oscar that I saw there today is still
> there, I am going to purchase it, unless you folks can convince me that
> I shouldn't.
> Like I posted earlier, I currently have a 30 gallon aquarium that the
> Oscar can call it's home. The fish currently living in there, three
> small Bala sharks and three small Gouramis will be traded in. I have a
> ten gallon tank with a cracked glass that I could raise crickets in, to
> feed the Oscar. And there is a petro station nearby that sells frozen
> bait shrimp, as well as other frozen fishing bait, to also feed the
> Oscar.
> Of the Oscars that my local shop has, only the one that I want to
> purchase is not an unattractive whitish flesh colour. The particular
> Oscar that I want is one that is predominantly greenish-black in color.
> And it seems far more alert and observant of the things that are going
> on around it, than any of the others that are there for sale. Also, I
> have no idea how to tell it's gender, but if I do purchase it, I think
> that I will call it "Fred". Any help on the pros and cons of owning an
> Oscar would be very much appreciated. Thanks.~Dean.
>

[Beano]

Ok, here goes. Short story is, you can keep it in there a little while
but really seriously consider buying a much bigger tank. I'll tell you
why:

I have had 3 oscars since I started fishkeeping. The first one lived
in my 20gal, but died after 6 months. It was 5cm when I bought it and
about 8cm long when it died. The 2nd one, lived for about the same
amount of time in the same tank, but grew even slower.

My 3rd one, which is my current living oscar, started off for the first
2 weeks in the old 20gal then I bought a 65gal (4 foot long) tank. He
was the smallest of all the oscars when I purchased him, but in only 3
months is already much bigger than the other two were at 6 months!

So my point is, their growth will be stunted if the tank is too small
and the water is not pristine. I'm quite sure my first two died
because I could not keep the maintenance of their tank up - Oscars are
messy messy eaters and they spit out a lot of what they eat through
their gills (you'll see when you watch them eat). So a lot ends up
rotting on the bottom of the tank. You'll find pretty quickly in a
30gal tank that the water will start to smell really bad and the
buildup of toxins in the water will be enough to affect the fish within
a few months.

Experts recommend that a single oscar needs at least a 55gal tank. If
you want two then you need an even bigger one. Any smaller and you
risk your fish suffering stunted growth, and development of diseases
such as Hole in the head (HITH) also known as head and lateral line
erosion (HLLE) - there's some pics of this on google.

You can occasionally find really cheap tanks on ebay. That's where I
got mine from! And I live in a 1 bedroom granny flat, it's small, but
I managed to fit the tank into my combined bathroom laundry... :)

Good luck, I recommend buying an oscar, they are the coolest fish, but
you'll only be able to house it in the 30 gal for maybe 2 months if
your lucky.

[Sue]

I've had Oscars grow from that size to ten inches within a year - IMO you
shouldn't get one unless you'll be getting a 90g+ tank within the next 3/4
months - if well kept they grow fast. If you can't keep them well don't keep
them at all.

[Marco Schwarz]

Hi..

> Any help on the pros and cons
> of owning an Oscar would be very much appreciated.

Well, I remember someone who asked (me) on the pros and cons
of keeping fish and that I wasn't able to answer her
question in a way she finally accepted. ;-)

I'm with Sue..

cu
Marco

[Far Thunder]

"Sue" > wrote in message
...
> I've had Oscars grow from that size to ten inches within a year - IMO
> you
> shouldn't get one unless you'll be getting a 90g+ tank within the next
> 3/4
> months - if well kept they grow fast. If you can't keep them well don't
> keep
> them at all.
>


Agreed..also I think the OP has oft-stated that he is on a fixed
income..this may or
may not put the kibosh on purchasing
a large-ish tank to accommodate an Oscar. Let alone the upkeep and
associated costs.

JMO

lila pilamaya

PS Netmax..thanks for the heads-up on my syntax..working on trying to
figure out what changed..
not deliberate in any case. ;)

[~Roy~]

I think oscars are enat, but they do require a good filtratin system
as they can get messy, and they do relatively large so sufficieint
size is another concern. I had two small oscars one time that we used
to feed live minnows to. I had a creek in the back yard and used to
catch minnows all the time to feed them. Those two used to eat the
minnows out of yur hand and even jump to get the minnows if yu held
them up out of the water.They were pretty neat, but they soon outgrew
even the 55 gal tank they were in. As in your other post concerning
them and adding a pleco. Thats a good combo to have.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:00:55 -0500, (Papa Red)
wrote:
>><> I am now seriously considering going over to my LFS sometime in the
>><>next few days, and if the same Oscar that I saw there today is still
>><>there, I am going to purchase it, unless you folks can convince me that
>><>I shouldn't.
>><> Like I posted earlier, I currently have a 30 gallon aquarium that the
>><>Oscar can call it's home. The fish currently living in there, three
>><>small Bala sharks and three small Gouramis will be traded in. I have a
>><>ten gallon tank with a cracked glass that I could raise crickets in, to
>><>feed the Oscar. And there is a petro station nearby that sells frozen
>><>bait shrimp, as well as other frozen fishing bait, to also feed the
>><>Oscar.
>><>Of the Oscars that my local shop has, only the one that I want to
>><>purchase is not an unattractive whitish flesh colour. The particular
>><>Oscar that I want is one that is predominantly greenish-black in color.
>><>And it seems far more alert and observant of the things that are going
>><>on around it, than any of the others that are there for sale. Also, I
>><>have no idea how to tell it's gender, but if I do purchase it, I think
>><>that I will call it "Fred". Any help on the pros and cons of owning an
>><>Oscar would be very much appreciated. Thanks.~Dean.

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Rick]

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
Just how quickly would an Oscar that is currently only about 2½ to 3
inches in size, out grow a 30 gallon aquarium? I am thinking about
purchasing one, and placing him or her into an aquarium that is
currently equipped with both a Dolphin 200 and a Whisper power filter
20, to help keep it clean. I might also add a Pleco to the tank to help
keep it clean too,...Any help on this matter would be very much
appreciated. ~Dean.


Please don't buy an Oscar for a 30g tank, you need twice the size. Before
you know it, the poor Oscar won't even be able to turn around in the tank.
Then you will have to sell it, give it away (not likely), or get a new tank.
No offence meant, but I must surmise from you previous posts, that you are
not really in a position to purchase bigger tanks. I would urge you to not
buy the Oscar.
Rick

[Rick]

"Beano" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ok, here goes. Short story is, you can keep it in there a little while
> but really seriously consider buying a much bigger tank. I'll tell you
> why:
>
> I have had 3 oscars since I started fishkeeping. The first one lived
> in my 20gal, but died after 6 months. It was 5cm when I bought it and
> about 8cm long when it died. The 2nd one, lived for about the same
> amount of time in the same tank, but grew even slower.
>
> My 3rd one, which is my current living oscar, started off for the first
> 2 weeks in the old 20gal then I bought a 65gal (4 foot long) tank. He
> was the smallest of all the oscars when I purchased him, but in only 3
> months is already much bigger than the other two were at 6 months!
>
> So my point is, their growth will be stunted if the tank is too small
> and the water is not pristine. I'm quite sure my first two died
> because I could not keep the maintenance of their tank up - Oscars are
> messy messy eaters and they spit out a lot of what they eat through
> their gills (you'll see when you watch them eat). So a lot ends up
> rotting on the bottom of the tank. You'll find pretty quickly in a
> 30gal tank that the water will start to smell really bad and the
> buildup of toxins in the water will be enough to affect the fish within
> a few months.

I keep my 10in Oscar in a 60g tank, he lives with a large pleco and a small
(3 1/2in Jewel chiclid). The Jewel lives in a clay pot and he eats a good
bit of what the Oscar spills out of his gills. If it wasn't for him, my once
a week vacums wouldn't even be enough. I must tell you, it's very hard to
find a tank mate for an Oscar in a tank of that size.
>
> Experts recommend that a single oscar needs at least a 55gal tank. If
> you want two then you need an even bigger one. Any smaller and you
> risk your fish suffering stunted growth, and development of diseases
> such as Hole in the head (HITH) also known as head and lateral line
> erosion (HLLE) - there's some pics of this on google.
>
> You can occasionally find really cheap tanks on ebay. That's where I
> got mine from! And I live in a 1 bedroom granny flat, it's small, but
> I managed to fit the tank into my combined bathroom laundry... :)
>
> Good luck, I recommend buying an oscar, they are the coolest fish, but
> you'll only be able to house it in the 30 gal for maybe 2 months if
> your lucky.
>

[Beano]

I read on a few websites that pleco's are just as messy as oscars.
Aren't they a bad combination? I mean sure they eat the oscars left
over food, but then they go and produce their own waste - won't this
just put more ammonia in there?

Anyway, regardless of whether pleco's and oscars are a good combo, in
this case, there isn't enough room for either of these fish alone in a
30gal tank, let alone both at the same time!

Save up your money for a big tank, it's worth it!

[~Roy~]

I agree a bigger tank is needed, but "any" tank mate will add ammonia,
and the pleco does good in its size and hardiness and ability to live
wth the oscar and do a decent job of clean up and not get picked on
in the process.

On 15 Feb 2006 05:59:35 -0800, "Beano" >
wrote:
>><>I read on a few websites that pleco's are just as messy as oscars.
>><>Aren't they a bad combination? I mean sure they eat the oscars left
>><>over food, but then they go and produce their own waste - won't this
>><>just put more ammonia in there?
>><>
>><>Anyway, regardless of whether pleco's and oscars are a good combo, in
>><>this case, there isn't enough room for either of these fish alone in a
>><>30gal tank, let alone both at the same time!
>><>
>><>Save up your money for a big tank, it's worth it!

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Rick]

"Beano" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I read on a few websites that pleco's are just as messy as oscars.
> Aren't they a bad combination? I mean sure they eat the oscars left
> over food, but then they go and produce their own waste - won't this
> just put more ammonia in there?

25 to 30% water changes every week take care of the waste.
>
> Anyway, regardless of whether pleco's and oscars are a good combo, in
> this case, there isn't enough room for either of these fish alone in a
> 30gal tank, let alone both at the same time!
>
> Save up your money for a big tank, it's worth it!
>
You a absolutely correct (see my other response in this thread)

[Rick]

"~Roy~" > wrote in message
...
>I agree a bigger tank is needed, but "any" tank mate will add ammonia,
> and the pleco does good in its size and hardiness and ability to live
> wth the oscar and do a decent job of clean up and not get picked on
> in the process.
>

The Jewel that lives in the clay pot also helps out, at feed time he hangs
out under the Oscar and waits for the "crumbs" to fall. Not much makes it to
the "floor" :) I have found this to be a nice combo for my 60g. Clean and
healty.

> On 15 Feb 2006 05:59:35 -0800, "Beano" >
> wrote:
>>><>I read on a few websites that pleco's are just as messy as oscars.
>>><>Aren't they a bad combination? I mean sure they eat the oscars left
>>><>over food, but then they go and produce their own waste - won't this
>>><>just put more ammonia in there?
>>><>
>>><>Anyway, regardless of whether pleco's and oscars are a good combo, in
>>><>this case, there isn't enough room for either of these fish alone in a
>>><>30gal tank, let alone both at the same time!
>>><>
>>><>Save up your money for a big tank, it's worth it!
>
> --
> \\\|///
> ( @ @ )
> -----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------
>
>
> oooO
> ---------( )----Oooo----------------
> \ ( ( )
> \_) ) /
> (_/
> The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

[NetMax]

"Rick" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "Beano" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Ok, here goes. Short story is, you can keep it in there a little
>> while
>> but really seriously consider buying a much bigger tank. I'll tell
>> you
>> why:
>>
>> I have had 3 oscars since I started fishkeeping. The first one lived
>> in my 20gal, but died after 6 months. It was 5cm when I bought it and
>> about 8cm long when it died. The 2nd one, lived for about the same
>> amount of time in the same tank, but grew even slower.
>>
>> My 3rd one, which is my current living oscar, started off for the
>> first
>> 2 weeks in the old 20gal then I bought a 65gal (4 foot long) tank.
>> He
>> was the smallest of all the oscars when I purchased him, but in only 3
>> months is already much bigger than the other two were at 6 months!
>>
>> So my point is, their growth will be stunted if the tank is too small
>> and the water is not pristine. I'm quite sure my first two died
>> because I could not keep the maintenance of their tank up - Oscars are
>> messy messy eaters and they spit out a lot of what they eat through
>> their gills (you'll see when you watch them eat). So a lot ends up
>> rotting on the bottom of the tank. You'll find pretty quickly in a
>> 30gal tank that the water will start to smell really bad and the
>> buildup of toxins in the water will be enough to affect the fish
>> within
>> a few months.
>
> I keep my 10in Oscar in a 60g tank, he lives with a large pleco and a
> small (3 1/2in Jewel chiclid). The Jewel lives in a clay pot and he
> eats a good bit of what the Oscar spills out of his gills. If it wasn't
> for him, my once a week vacums wouldn't even be enough. I must tell
> you, it's very hard to find a tank mate for an Oscar in a tank of that
> size.

That's a good arrangement. Oscars are very messy eaters with dried
foods. They're much better with softer foods (fish, worms, mysis shrimp
etc). With dried foods, adding another fish to feed under the Oscar adds
more bio-load, but then all that rotting uneaten food is quite a heavy
bioload as well (probably worse). A pleco would not be so advantageous
though (imo), as it consumes algae, adding to the waste, and the algae
was helping to remove the waste. Also they can get huge, and the small
ones can get stuck in the Oscar's throat. Having said all that, big
plecos habitate well with Oscars, but you need serious filtration
systems.

I think you've gotten lots of good advice in this thread. All I can add
is that Oscars are more like pets than most fish (which gravitate towards
hobby), and that with an Oscar, you will become one with your gravel
vacuum ;~).

Do heed the advice on growth rates and tank size. Under good water &
food conditions (which I think you could provide), they grow *very*
quickly.
--
www.NetMax.tk

>> Experts recommend that a single oscar needs at least a 55gal tank. If
>> you want two then you need an even bigger one. Any smaller and you
>> risk your fish suffering stunted growth, and development of diseases
>> such as Hole in the head (HITH) also known as head and lateral line
>> erosion (HLLE) - there's some pics of this on google.
>>
>> You can occasionally find really cheap tanks on ebay. That's where I
>> got mine from! And I live in a 1 bedroom granny flat, it's small, but
>> I managed to fit the tank into my combined bathroom laundry... :)
>>
>> Good luck, I recommend buying an oscar, they are the coolest fish, but
>> you'll only be able to house it in the 30 gal for maybe 2 months if
>> your lucky.
>>
>
>

[Papa Red]

Ah,...Alas, I have decided to love them from afar,...C'est la vie, mon
ami,...And thanks folks,... If any of y'all ever get ta thinking about
purchasing an exotic, non-aquatic pet,...i.e., a snake, lizard,
tarantula, scorpion, et cetera, and have any questions, e-mail me. I
used to be a zoo keeper, way, way back in the stone ages<LOL> Pax
Vobiscum,...~Dean.

[CanadianCray]

CON: Much nicer fish avail. for a lot less work.

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
> Ah,...Alas, I have decided to love them from afar,...C'est la vie, mon
> ami,...And thanks folks,... If any of y'all ever get ta thinking about
> purchasing an exotic, non-aquatic pet,...i.e., a snake, lizard,
> tarantula, scorpion, et cetera, and have any questions, e-mail me. I
> used to be a zoo keeper, way, way back in the stone ages<LOL> Pax
> Vobiscum,...~Dean.
>

[Far Thunder]

the Oscar thanks you, no doubt :) but on a totally different subject,
what did you end up doing
with your gaggle of 10-gallon tanks??

lila pilamaya

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
> Ah,...Alas, I have decided to love them from afar,...C'est la vie, mon
> ami,...And thanks folks,... If any of y'all ever get ta thinking about
> purchasing an exotic, non-aquatic pet,...i.e., a snake, lizard,
> tarantula, scorpion, et cetera, and have any questions, e-mail me. I
> used to be a zoo keeper, way, way back in the stone ages<LOL> Pax
> Vobiscum,...~Dean.
>


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

[Papa Red]

Oh I'm still cleaning them,...Every time I can come up with a more
permanent place to put them, right-side-up, with water in them, I clean
them out, buy a power filter, and start cyclin' the water. But I still
have four, two-atop-two, in my kitchen, and also more stored in
different places all around my wee tiny studio apartment,...It's just
like that old chinese saying,... "E-poo-E-poo-Li", or 'one step at a
time',... I do what I can, when I can. The fella at my LFS is setting
aside all of the very pregnant Platys, Fancy Guppys, Mollys, Swordtails,
et cetera, he comes across, for when I come in [it's my second
home<LOL>], because he knows how I feel about raising alot of fry, and
with all of these ten gallon aquariums, I most certainly have enough
tank space, now all I have to do is find space for all of the
tanks<LOL>Pax Vobiscum,...~Dean.

[NetMax]

"Papa Red" > wrote in message
...
> Oh I'm still cleaning them,...Every time I can come up with a more
> permanent place to put them, right-side-up, with water in them, I clean
> them out, buy a power filter, and start cyclin' the water. But I still
> have four, two-atop-two, in my kitchen, and also more stored in
> different places all around my wee tiny studio apartment,...It's just
> like that old chinese saying,... "E-poo-E-poo-Li", or 'one step at a
> time',... I do what I can, when I can. The fella at my LFS is setting
> aside all of the very pregnant Platys, Fancy Guppys, Mollys, Swordtails,
> et cetera, he comes across, for when I come in [it's my second
> home<LOL>], because he knows how I feel about raising alot of fry, and
> with all of these ten gallon aquariums, I most certainly have enough
> tank space, now all I have to do is find space for all of the
> tanks<LOL>Pax Vobiscum,...~Dean.


I can think of a lot of fish you could put in your 'gaggle ;~) of 10gs,
which might even turn you a profit (or at least pay for the hobby). In
particular, Apistos seem to run a high price, and breeding them is really
not that difficult with a bit of patience, time and a lot of little tanks
:o). If your water conditions were cooperative, you could be selling
Agassiz's, Cacatoides, Nijsseni and others to your LFS, or at the very
least, trading for store credits in fish food, filter media and water
conditioners.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Papa Red]

What is an Apistos? I have never heard of them. Can they survive in ten
gallon, unplanted aquariums? And more importantly,...Can they survive an
old man's amateurish bumblings ? I've taken care of Bettas, and some of
them have actually survived. And heck, I've even managed to breed
live-bear`ers<LOL> So just how difficult is it to raise these fish that
you speak of? Thanks for any and all help.~Dean.
P.S.,...What do these fish cost in US$?

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Papa Red > wrote:
>What is an Apistos? I have never heard of them. Can they survive in ten
>gallon, unplanted aquariums? And more importantly,...Can they survive an
>old man's amateurish bumblings ? I've taken care of Bettas, and some of
>them have actually survived. And heck, I've even managed to breed
>live-bear`ers<LOL> So just how difficult is it to raise these fish that
>you speak of? Thanks for any and all help.~Dean.
>P.S.,...What do these fish cost in US$?
>

Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".

Not cheap.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Mr. Gardener]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:12:29 +0000 (UTC),
(Richard Sexton) wrote:


>Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
>slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".
>
>Not cheap.

That's what I was trying to remember. Dwarf Cichlids. Not cheap? Darn.

-- Mr Gardener

[default]

Mr. Gardener wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:12:29 +0000 (UTC),
> (Richard Sexton) wrote:
>
>
> >Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
> >slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".
> >
> >Not cheap.
>
> That's what I was trying to remember. Dwarf Cichlids. Not cheap? Darn.
>
> -- Mr Gardener

While "not cheap" like feeder fish, they're not expensive like discus
either. When I started up the hobby again a few years ago I bought two
pairs of Apistogramma Borellii dwarf cichlids for $5.95 per fish. Both
pairs laid eggs and I had several successfull batches of fry. There
are still some pictures and a bit of a story here;

http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/Borellii_Breeding.html

steve

[Mr. Gardener]

On 20 Feb 2006 07:07:08 -0800, "default" >
wrote:

>
>Mr. Gardener wrote:
>> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:12:29 +0000 (UTC),
>> (Richard Sexton) wrote:
>>
>>
>> >Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
>> >slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".
>> >
>> >Not cheap.
>>
>> That's what I was trying to remember. Dwarf Cichlids. Not cheap? Darn.
>>
>> -- Mr Gardener
>
>While "not cheap" like feeder fish, they're not expensive like discus
>either. When I started up the hobby again a few years ago I bought two
>pairs of Apistogramma Borellii dwarf cichlids for $5.95 per fish. Both
>pairs laid eggs and I had several successfull batches of fry. There
>are still some pictures and a bit of a story here;
>
>http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/Borellii_Breeding.html
>
>steve

Yes. Nice pic, good reading.

-- Mr Gardener

[NetMax]

"Mr. Gardener" > wrote in message
...
> On 20 Feb 2006 07:07:08 -0800, "default" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Mr. Gardener wrote:
>>> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:12:29 +0000 (UTC),
>>> (Richard Sexton) wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> >Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
>>> >slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".
>>> >
>>> >Not cheap.
>>>
>>> That's what I was trying to remember. Dwarf Cichlids. Not cheap? Darn.
>>>
>>> -- Mr Gardener
>>
>>While "not cheap" like feeder fish, they're not expensive like discus
>>either. When I started up the hobby again a few years ago I bought two
>>pairs of Apistogramma Borellii dwarf cichlids for $5.95 per fish. Both
>>pairs laid eggs and I had several successfull batches of fry. There
>>are still some pictures and a bit of a story here;
>>
>>http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/Borellii_Breeding.html
>>
>>steve
>
> Yes. Nice pic, good reading.
>
> -- Mr Gardener

If they were cheap, there wouldn't be any point in breeding them ;~). These
fish are kept in harems, 1M and 2 or 3F. Soft water, planted or not.
Having lots of aquariums lets you move the adults around, and the rest are
grow-out tanks. I think once you have the basics of aquarium management, it
is a very small leap to tweaking the tanks to a particular fish. 99% is the
basics.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Mr. Gardener > wrote:
>On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:12:29 +0000 (UTC),
>(Richard Sexton) wrote:
>
>
>>Dwaft cichlids of the genus Apistogramma. In terms of care they're
>>slightly easier than discus. Google "apistogramma".
>>
>>Not cheap.
>
>That's what I was trying to remember. Dwarf Cichlids. Not cheap? Darn.

Well, $15-$20/pr for the common ones, $30+ ea for more expotic ones
sems to be rthe standard price these days now that people know what
they are. I used to get them for $1-3 ea not that long ago before
they became popular, say earely 90s.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Richard Sexton]

>If they were cheap, there wouldn't be any point in breeding them ;~). These
>fish are kept in harems, 1M and 2 or 3F. Soft water, planted or not.
>Having lots of aquariums lets you move the adults around, and the rest are
>grow-out tanks. I think once you have the basics of aquarium management, it
>is a very small leap to tweaking the tanks to a particular fish. 99% is the
>basics.

Yeah; thye don't do well in colder tanks at all. The absoulely have to be bred
in soft water and can be quite psychotic about not eating (which can be cured
by dither fish). I love them to death but they're way more work than killies.

Despite the 30-40 species available not I still like agassizi, an old
standby from way back better than any of them.

I have to say I'm not sure how I feel about the line bred mutations such
as "orange flash" cacatoides.


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Papa Red]

[posted by:]
[Default]

While "not cheap" like feeder fish, they're not expensive like discus
either. When I started up the hobby again a few years ago I bought two
pairs of Apistogramma Borellii dwarf cichlids for $5.95 per fish. Both
pairs laid eggs and I had several successfull batches of fry. There are
still some pictures and a bit of a story here;
http://www.geocities.com/erviservy/Borellii_Breeding.html
steve