4 Oscars in stock tank

Question
QUESTION: Hi Brian, can I keep 4 Oscars in a 150 gal. stock tank?
Its 54" long x 37" wide and 22" deep.

Thanks,

ANSWER: Hello Paula:

It can be hard at times to say what the minimum sized tank should be for a given type of fish.  There are many factors that can be just as important as total gallons such as the "footprint" of the tank and individual differences between fish of a given species.  Normally I would say that a 150 gallon would be on the small side.  In your case I think that you should be ok - though larger is of course better.  I believe this because your tank has a footprint of 54" X 37" or 1,998 square inches.  For comparison a "larger" standard 180 gallon tank is about 72" X 24" or 1,728 square inches.  Just keep up on the water quality and in my opinion you should be fine.

Hope I could help,


Brian.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much Brian because I just was berated on some forum for Oscars and I almost got them all out of the tank today to sell to someone else.  I put them all back because it made me upset as I really didn't want to give them up, they were given to me as a rescue.

I figure I'm doing at least better for them than what 'could've' happened.  I quit that forum because I'm tired of the 'extremist' attitudes of some of these people saying you shouldn't do this and shouldn't do that.

I realize it's probably on the small side but I don't know what else to do?  You at least gave me some hope after I made up my own mind too to give them a chance.  I don't think the person I was going to sell them to could've done much better actually.

As a sideline question Brian, I also inherited a 6" Common Pleco.  Now of course I realize that this fish is definitely going to cause extra problems with waste but since all of these fish are on the small side right now in the stock tank, is it possible to put the Pleco into a 75 gallon aquarium that I'm going to be buying very soon, or will it also be too big for that size?

Thanks so much!!

Paula

Answer
Hello again Paula:

I agree that some people, while probably meaning well, can certainly be considered extremists.  I personally knew someone who stated that it would be cruel to keep a single Oscar in anything less than 300 gallons.  The thing is that in my opinion we can never provide a fish with what they would have in the wild.  Even a small school of neon tetras in a 100 gallon aquarium does not experience seasonal changes, does not have the food variety they would have in the wild, and can not move more than a few feet in one direction.  Cruel?  I don't think so.  I personally believe that if our fish get quality food, good quality water, and have space to move and grow up healthy and in good shape then it is not a bad life for them at all.  

Your Common Pleco (which can grow to 1 or 2 feet) may not be able to stay in the 75 gallon for ever, but most likely it would be comfortable for a couple of years at least.  This is hard to say exactly as their growth rate can vary quite a bit in my experience.



Best of luck with your fish,

Brian.