I had been thinking about getting back into the aquarium hobby, after a 30 year hiatus. Well my daughter made the decision for me by presenting me with a 55 gal. aquarium for Christmas 06.

Just before I got out of the hobby I had a 55 gal. aquarium with two Oscars and a Pleco the Oscars were about 6" long and doing quite well. I also had a 20 gal. community tank. I've bread live bearers and tried desperatly to raise an Arowana but didn't have much luck with them.

I think that Oscars are a wonderful fish their personality is incredible and they are very intelligent. So here we go again it's Oscars for me.

I'm going to start with the 55 gal. and a pair of Oscars. I will be investing in a larger tank in about a year. Oscars grow rather quickly and will be cramped in the 55. Did I mention an Oscar can get to be 12" to 16" long.

I've begun to do a fishless cycle on my tank this is pretty new to me. When I was in the hobby before we would set up the tank let it run for a couple of days and add fish apparently this was a little rough on the fish thus the fishless cycle.

This involves adding amonia to the tank until it reaches a centain level and then monitoring the water to watch for nitrite once the amonia and nitrite levels are at 0 your ready for fish.

03/02/07
The cycling of my 55 gal seems to have gone well.

03/03/07
I've added two very small Oscars and a small Pleco to the tank. They were a little shy at first but it didn't take them long to start exploring their new home.

03/05/07
So far everything is going great. My O's are settling in and starting to respond to feedings boy they sure learn quick.

04/15/07
I've had my O's for about six weeks now and they are doing very well they have learned their feeding times and not much goes to waste. I lost the Pleco at the end of March don't know what happened but it doesn't seem to have affected my O's at all. I don't think I'm going to replace the Pleco just yet going to wait until I move them to a larger tank then may be I'll get another.

05/19/07
Well there have been quite a few changes over the past month. Fred and Ethel started picking on each other something fierce. I let this go on until Fred actually did some damage to ethel she had a chunk taken out of her back and a flap on skin hanging above her eye. I decided at that point to seperate them with a divider. Even with the divider they were still trying to get at one another so I decided to put Ethel up for adoption. I listed the O on CraigsList and got a couple of answers. So to make a long story short Ethel is now living in CT. So now it's just me and Fred and we're both doing fine. Fred is now about 3" long he has just about doubled his size in 2 months. I posted some pics in my photo album.

06/03/07
I've added some tank mates for Fred he seemed lonely. I purchased 3 Silver Dollars and a Synodontis Ocellifer Catfish. At first Fred thought the SD's were food but he has given up that idea for the most part he still chases them but not with the same enthusiasm. Fred and the catfish have developed a rather curious relationship. When Fred eats the catfish sort of cleans him but Fred doesn't put up with this for long and pushes the cat away. They all know who's king of the tank.

08/26/07
I've set up a 10 gallon quarantine tank and moved the Silver Dollars to it. I also purchased some new fish a Bushnose Pleco, a Peppered Cory and a Bronze Cory they were put in the quarantine tank for now but the Pleco is going to go in with Fredo. I added a couple of pics to the photo gallery and three new fish profiles

01/27/08
Well all is going well Fredo is doing great he's about 9" long now and eating like a teenager. I bought another Pleco on impulse it's a Snow King and will attain a length of 17". He's going to be Fredo's tank mate when I get the 125 set up. I'm building a stand and a wet/dry filter for it. Can't wait to get it set up.

01/27/08
Well all is going well Fredo is doing great he's about 9" long now and eating like a teenager. I bought another Pleco on impulse it's a Snow King and will attain a length of 17". He's going to be Fredo's tank mate when I get the 125 set up. I'm building a stand and a wet/dry filter for it. Can't wait to get it set up.

03/29/08
My new 125 is set up. I moved Fredo into it boy what an experience. Started by doing a gravel vac in the 55 emptying about half the water. Removed a HOB (hang on back filter), canister filter and heaters. By this time Fredo was pretty upset with me. I had purchased a clear plastic container with lid that had a handle and snapped on. Figuring I would just kind of scoot him into it turn it up and place the lid on it so I could move him (sounds pretty easy). I proceeded to put the container in the tank on it's side and moved it ever closer to Fredo. Well every time I would get within striking distance Fredo would somehow force his way around or under the container. I tried four times till I finally got him in it. As I raised the container my wife was there to place the cover on top. Well I got to tell you Fredo was pissed. He tried his best to jump out of that container. If my wife hadn't been there holding the cover on, Fredo would have ended up on the floor. We got the cover snapped on the container and moved over to the new tank. I set him down on the floor and with a sigh of relief tried to relax. I was shaking like a leaf. After a short break in the action my wife removed the lid and in he went. He immediately began investigating his new home. But every time we would get near the tank he would play dead fish. What a ham. He has a few scrapes but nothing major so I think we're both going to make it.

03/30/08
Fredo is enjoying his new home and he's eating which is a real plus. He seem to be very happy and doing well.

05/12/08
Got my 55 gal up and running again. Built a new stand for it. Going to use it for a community tank.

05/17/08
Well I was in PetSmart the other day and I saw a beautiful Lutino Oscar and you guessed it I brought it home. He's about 3" long and living in my 55 for now. Once he grows a little I'm going to try and put him in the 125 with Fredo. Oh his name is Eduardo.

10/04/08
Allot has happened over the past 5 months. I put Eduardo in with Fredo they are living happily but Fredo is still the boss and he lets Edo know it every once in a while.

I've started a community tank in the 55 and have a nice variety of fish in it. I also built a new stand for it.

I got a pair of Black Convict Cichlids and they spawned so now I have a bunch more.

I've purchased a used 75gal which is going to replace the 55 as my community tank and I'm going to set the 55 up for a Jack Dempsey Cichlid if I can talk my wife into it.

I've added a new page with info on my tanks and I've also added a video page.