Wal Mart 55 Gallon

[SouthernJustice]

Well, I've been looking to upgrade my tank but price has been a problem. But just like a sighn from God, while at Walmart I found an entire 55 gallon (my perfect size) set up including a filter, a light, a top, a heater and some other crap for 150 dollars!! Do you think this is worth it or is it junk? I thought it was a great deal for the money but I forgot to look at what type of filter and stuff it was, I think it was the same brand that made the tank, which on the box claimed to be "America's best selling aqaurium brand". I would much like to purchase this tank setup and use it for my 'Sick'-lid / Tiger Oscar setup (by the way, will they co-exist?) but I dont want crap falling apart and not working right. Know what I mean? What do you guys think? Would it be worth buying? Also, would the Chiclid/Tiger Oscar set up work? Thanks

[Vivid-Dawn]

I dunno about the Oscar and Cichlid situation.
But I think that deal is pretty good. Usually 55 gallon tanks alone are about $200, plus filters are about $25-50, and heaters are a good $30.
I probably should've gotten that, but I saw a 60 gallon at Petsmart for $120, and bought it instead. Then I got about $90 worth of extra stuff to go with/in it...so yeah, if money is really low for you, the 55 kit would be good.

[SouthernJustice]

Ok, sweet. Im thinking about going with a slate rock/white sand set up. And I want some aggressive fish, which of the two I was talking about would you prefer? Or do you know of some other aggresive fish I can keep. This sounds sadistic I know, but I want a bunch of fish that can either coexist or are the same species that I can feed feeders to.
I kind of want my tank to look like this: http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/images...g/400/96_1.jpg
But with flatter slate, but stacked like that. And with some more plants and obviously a few more fish.

[shev]

Walmart has a good deal on their 55 gallons, I got the same setup there.

when you say oscar set up, what do you mean? more than one?

"my 'Sick'-lid / Tiger Oscar setup (by the way, will they co-exist?)"

oscars are cichlids, but in a 55 gallon one would be pretty territorial to any other fish. some people say 55 gallons is too small since when full grown they cant turn around in it. what kind of cichlids were you thinking of other than the oscar? and you couldnt fit more than one in there, without one killing the other.

[SouthernJustice]

Well, the colorful ones, I think they are the African cichlids. So your saying I might not even be able to have 1 Tiger Oscar?! Damn. I want both aggressive and colorful fish, I love Tiger Oscars and how they look. Or if the color/aggres. package can come in one fish all the better. Does anyone here keep a full grown tiger oscar? What alternatives do I have?

[blakeoe]

We have similar situations so this thread intrests me 2. I however already have my 55 gallon i bought out of the newspaper (classified ads) TRY THERE 1st!!!! Allot of people have nice setups that they are tired of or have been in there garage for a while they will sell for dirt cheap. I got a 55 gallon tank hood lights filter custom made wood stand, all gravel, decor, fish, food, meds, hoses, their whole setup which looked brand new for $100 I have had it for a few months as a community tank but am now changing it to a cichlid tank. I am looking for a really WHITE sand and have some "texas holey rocks" coming in (you should check them out, they'r great for cichlids b/c they raise your ph and are beautiful and come in all sort of shapes and sizes). As for the oscar and cichlids getting along it prolly depends on the temperment of the fish but i had two babies (they got up to 4 inches before i got rid of them) in my community at one time and they didn't bother any other fish. Ive been looking at some Yellow labs and peacocks that are pretty agressive and verry colorful. Hope this helps.

[Vivid-Dawn]

I've always liked the appearance of Electric Blue and Yellow cichlids... though I don't own any myself. So far, I've always had peaceful community fish, like Mollies and Guppies.
Boesemani Rainbows are pretty too (also blue and yellow... I love those colors, can you tell?). But they're relatively peacefull too...and only get about 4 inches at most. Everything I've read about them says 3, but the one in my doctor's office tank must be at least 4...maybe 5.

Or you could just Google "aggressive aquarium fish"?

[SouthernJustice]

Oscars get like what, a foot full grown? So is there anyway I could fit say 2 or 3 in a 55 gallon? blakeoe, what are you putting in your 55 gallon, how many? The rock looks good but I am looking for black rock (I love slate) and white sand combination.

[Fishfirst]

africans (electric yellow/blue ciclids, malawi cichlids etc) usually do not go well with south american ciclids (oscar, severtums, green terrors, convicts etc.) because of different water parameter needs. Holy rock and south american ciclids don't work well together either. A 55 gallon would work for a while (couple years) but not forever.

[SouthernJustice]

How big will the oscars get? Could I keep a few of them in a 55 gallon? *Also, would slate go well with the oscars?

[blakeoe]

a pet store here has a few in a 200 gallon that are about 10-11 inches i wouldn't keep more than two in a 55 gallon even those are prolly too much long term but im no expert. Im not reall sure what type of fish i will get i guess it will depend on availability. most of the pet stores here have limited cichlid selection but i do know i want at least 2 yellow labs and prolly a peacock or two

[Fishfirst]

oscars get around 13" long... the size of the tank isnt really an issue with the oscars... its the bioload. They are VERY messy fish.

[blakeoe]

check out www.cichlid-forum.com they have some nice tanks and allot of beautiful fish!

[SouthernJustice]

"Like many aggressive fish, Oscars do well in large groups in large aquariums, but they'll quarrel if there are just a few of them. So it's best to keep one Oscar or many Oscars, but not just a few. In other words do not keep 2, 3, 4, or 5 Oscars in the same aquarium. Keep 1 or keep 6 or more.

We get comments from time to time that say something like, "I've got 3 Oscars living together, and they seem to be getting along well." But we also get comments like, "I had 3 Oscars that got along well, but then one of them attacked the other two for no apparent reason.""
from http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_...cal/oscars.htm
Bummer.. Theres no way I can fit 6 in a 55. I may want to be able to keep them until they grow out. How long does it take for them to grow to maximum length? Who the hell keeps 6 of those things and in what size aquarium?!

[Fishfirst]

you can keep south american ciclids with oscars... you just need to see how things go with them... their won't be any immediate bullying to death.

[blakeoe]

well they are very cool fish and i know first hand how hard it is to accept that you have to get rid of them(especially b/c they are sold so often) seems like no one would be able to buy them if they knew how big they get but anyway i had mine for about 4 1/2 months and they went from about 1.5 inches to 4 inches so i'd say they grow pretty fast

[blakeoe]

hey fishfirst i see in your aviator you have some really white substrate what is that?

[SouthernJustice]

South American Chiclids are less aggressive right? So they are able to live with eachother much easier? But they still harvest a bit of aggression, is that correct? Such as attacking smaller fish or like eating feeder fish?

[shev]

"I may want to be able to keep them until they grow out."

probably npt a good idea.

I think oscars are south american cichlids.

[SouthernJustice]

Well thenI mean the African. What im trying to refer to are the very colorful ones. Whatever they are called (Neotropical). Ok, so lets say I get a 55 gallon and put 4 oscars in it, at what length is it time to sell them all? and i think the bigger problem is, where can I sell them?!