Veil Tail Oscar

[AbovetheStorm]

We are now the proud owners of a baby veil tail red oscar.

Jesse and I went to petco yesterday with the intent of picking up some molly fry. I am still on my quest to raise a colony of healthy feeder fish for my oscars. Thus far my live bearers wont bear. ANYWAY when I got there they had no fry but had just stocked the tanks with new stock. So I HAD to check out the fish. When I glanced in the oscar tank there was a veil tail oscar in the mix. I have never seen one in person before. The other tiger oscars were beating the crap out of it and chewing up its fins.

I pointed it out to Jesse and he said "they are picking on him because hes different, I hate that, thats what they did to us when we were kids." Then a minute later he said "were gettin him" and stormed off to get the fish person. I was litterally in shock because this is the man who doesnt like fish and always says "How many tanks do you plan on having?" :confuzeld: Aparently now it will be 7 when all is said and done. lol :rolleyes:

The fish guy I think was the store manager. He told us that this little guy wasnt even supposed to be in the order and he had no where to put him to keep him safe. He charged us the same price as a regular red oscar, which by the way I think is over priced for a 2 inch baby. But anyway he is now safe and sound and hiding from us at the bottom of my 10g tank. Yes 10g.. its the only thing I had open at the moment. He will be getting his own large tank after I finish my 150g project for the other oscars.

We chose the name Devan as in a form of different because he was different from the rest of them and that kinda fits our family. I have a picture but my camera really is a POS and also he is doing the oscar sulk at the moment so its not the greatest. Anyway I will be in the market for a 55-75g tank so let me know if you intend to sell one in a couple of months. First I have to finish the 150.

[Haiven]

I love this story!!!!

[bra8ndy8]

Awwwwww how neat!!! Can't wait for him to perk up and show his beauty!

[OOwl]

Congratulations on your new VT Oscar. Those are my favorite! They grow REALLY fast, so I think I'd be finishing that larger tank for him pretty quickly. My two tiny 2.5" babies (both VTs) grew to 7" and 8" in just six months. They don't need live food by the way (there is some talk in oscar circles that it contributes to hole-in-the-head disease). They do just fine on cichlid large-fish pellets (I feed Cichlid Bio-Gold that I soak in Garlic juice and Vita-Chem vitamins). A couple days a week, I feed them whole krill, mysis, or frozen prepared foods, and I TRY to make them eat some veggie-based food, which they're supposed to enjoy (however, mine don't and make the biggest possible mess, so we experiment with new foods right before a water change). Take lots of pictures. It's fun to compare how much they grow in a short period of time. And, yes, other fish seem to always pick on VT oscars' long fins, including other oscars. That's why you very seldom see a full-grown one. Most people don't want to dedicate a 100-gallon-plus tank to a single fish. I got lucky (I THINK!) and got a pair of VTs. They grew up together and are starting to perform pre-mating behaviors. We'll see. Hoping for the best. Good luck with your fish!

[AbovetheStorm]

Congratulations on your new VT Oscar. Those are my favorite! They grow REALLY fast, so I think I'd be finishing that larger tank for him pretty quickly. My two tiny 2.5" babies (both VTs) grew to 7" and 8" in just six months. They don't need live food by the way (there is some talk in oscar circles that it contributes to hole-in-the-head disease). They do just fine on cichlid large-fish pellets (I feed Cichlid Bio-Gold that I soak in Garlic juice and Vita-Chem vitamins). A couple days a week, I feed them whole krill, mysis, or frozen prepared foods, and I TRY to make them eat some veggie-based food, which they're supposed to enjoy (however, mine don't and make the biggest possible mess, so we experiment with new foods right before a water change). Take lots of pictures. It's fun to compare how much they grow in a short period of time. And, yes, other fish seem to always pick on VT oscars' long fins, including other oscars. That's why you very seldom see a full-grown one. Most people don't want to dedicate a 100-gallon-plus tank to a single fish. I got lucky (I THINK!) and got a pair of VTs. They grew up together and are starting to perform pre-mating behaviors. We'll see. Hoping for the best. Good luck with your fish!

Thanks that is really cool that you have a pair. I hope they do completely pair up for you.

Garlic juice huh? Does that do anything special for them, it sounds interesting? Do they eat the food when it is soaked in garlic juice? I already feed Hikari Cichlid Gold to my other pair of oscars. I am loving the way that food works for them. It has brought out their color as they have grown. My other two love peas and get at least one or two every day along with pellets. I also give them salad shrimp and then occasionally a feeder when I have one thats been QT'd. That is why I am trying to raise my own. I know what some folks say about feeders and I agree about the feeders from the stores but I am a believer that a fish should be just what it is, and oscars will eat smaller fish.

The 10g is just a very temp solution. I wouldnt be quite that evil to let him grow in there. People who do that should be forced to live in their bathroom. lol As soon as I get the plumbing worked out for my 150g Mace and Fender will be moving from their tank to it. Then this little guy will move to their old one until we buy him his own. I am wondering how one would go about transporting him without tearing fins. Especially as he grows... something to think on.

[biggin]

Garlic does a few things,

1 it is a flavor that fish like so they are more likely to eat the food....at least that is what I do with fish who do not want to eat...
<O:p</O:p

2. It helps the digestive system. <O:p</O:p

Thanks that is really cool that you have a pair. I hope they do completely pair up for you.

Garlic juice huh? Does that do anything special for them, it sounds interesting? Do they eat the food when it is soaked in garlic juice? I already feed Hikari Cichlid Gold to my other pair of oscars. I am loving the way that food works for them. It has brought out their color as they have grown. My other two love peas and get at least one or two every day along with pellets. I also give them salad shrimp and then occasionally a feeder when I have one thats been QT'd. That is why I am trying to raise my own. I know what some folks say about feeders and I agree about the feeders from the stores but I am a believer that a fish should be just what it is, and oscars will eat smaller fish.

The 10g is just a very temp solution. I wouldnt be quite that evil to let him grow in there. People who do that should be forced to live in their bathroom. lol As soon as I get the plumbing worked out for my 150g Mace and Fender will be moving from their tank to it. Then this little guy will move to their old one until we buy him his own. I am wondering how one would go about transporting him without tearing fins. Especially as he grows... something to think on.

[OOwl]

I'm glad your oscars found their way into such a conscientious home. Not everyone that purchases an oscar is that type, so they're very lucky indeed. Sounds like you're making a great environment for your fish. I think you'll love the way those fins look on the veiltail as it grows out (mine have gotten a lot longer as they've grown bigger). It does weight them down and make them a LOT slower than normal oscars, which is why they never mix well with regular oscars (as you've already seen, they get picked on for being different, and they can't compete with their tankmates for food). People either love the trait or hate it. I saw my first one over ten years ago and fell in love. I still am crazy about it. (You'd think I'd like goldfish with the long, flowing fins, huh? But I don't).

I'm not sure what the difference is between the Cichlid Gold and the Cichlid Bio-Gold, other than price. My oscars know though! They will eat the Bio-Gold but spit out the Gold. Go figure. I need to get a current picture of them up. I'll try tonight.

Can't get mine to eat frozen/defrosted peas, although I keep trying.

Garlic juice: well, I couldn't figure that one out myself but I had purchased a bottle for a finicky fish and was amazed and how it DID seem to start eating with gusto once I soaked its food in it, so I just kept using it. The oscars really do eat better (like they need any encouragement :) ) when I use it than when I neglect to soak it, so there must be something to it. They've never been sick but they are the only fish in the tank and don't get live food, so not sure that has anything to do with the garlic. So, I could just be wasting my money. However, I've seen far too many oscar pictures and trade-in oscars in stores with HITH disease and I wanted to avoid that with my own fish, so I just add the garlic (because they like the taste and for whatever extra health benefit it can impart) and the vitamins (for peace of mind).

I'm keeping lots of notes on the growth stages and pairing of my possible pair. Should be fun and interesting.

[AbovetheStorm]

This is interesting. I am thinking I might like to try the garlic thing. My oscars are hungry boogers but if it would help them out in the long run I am all for it. Maybe they would actually try other veggies too. They arnt much for anything but peas. lol They will eat it but they have no Oscar passion if you know what I mean lol. So is it a special kind of garlic juice made for fish or just something I could find in the grocery store. Sorry for all the questions, this is just the first I have heard about it. :)

I'm glad your oscars found their way into such a conscientious home. Not everyone that purchases an oscar is that type, so they're very lucky indeed. Sounds like you're making a great environment for your fish. I think you'll love the way those fins look on the veiltail as it grows out (mine have gotten a lot longer as they've grown bigger). It does weight them down and make them a LOT slower than normal oscars, which is why they never mix well with regular oscars (as you've already seen, they get picked on for being different, and they can't compete with their tankmates for food). People either love the trait or hate it. I saw my first one over ten years ago and fell in love. I still am crazy about it. (You'd think I'd like goldfish with the long, flowing fins, huh? But I don't).

I'm not sure what the difference is between the Cichlid Gold and the Cichlid Bio-Gold, other than price. My oscars know though! They will eat the Bio-Gold but spit out the Gold. Go figure. I need to get a current picture of them up. I'll try tonight.

Can't get mine to eat frozen/defrosted peas, although I keep trying.

Garlic juice: well, I couldn't figure that one out myself but I had purchased a bottle for a finicky fish and was amazed and how it DID seem to start eating with gusto once I soaked its food in it, so I just kept using it. The oscars really do eat better (like they need any encouragement :) ) when I use it than when I neglect to soak it, so there must be something to it. They've never been sick but they are the only fish in the tank and don't get live food, so not sure that has anything to do with the garlic. So, I could just be wasting my money. However, I've seen far too many oscar pictures and trade-in oscars in stores with HITH disease and I wanted to avoid that with my own fish, so I just add the garlic (because they like the taste and for whatever extra health benefit it can impart) and the vitamins (for peace of mind).

I'm keeping lots of notes on the growth stages and pairing of my possible pair. Should be fun and interesting.

[OOwl]

I use this one but there are others (more expensive):
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12022

Some people just use the people kind from the grocery store.

Good idea! I'll soak the veggies I want them to eat in the garlic juice that they already associate with their food! Why didn't I think of that?! :)

Good luck!

[cichlidkeeper]

i picked up an albino veiltail w/o knowing it was veiltail until i saw it had an amount of tail chewed off, the veil part now he looks regular:(

[tsunderl]

Congrats on your find! I recently rescued six red oscars that were brought to a LFS in pretty bad shape. Very skinny and weak. Two passed away, but the four that made it are showing their personality and eating everything that falls in the tank. They aren't quite ready to be adopted, if I can let them go, but I'm hoping in a month or so they will fatten up. These guys are a bit over two inches long and are water puppies! Love 'em!

Ok... Stupid question of the day... How can I tell if a juvie oscar is VT or regular? The rescues have pretty long fins but this is my first round with oscar juvies so I have no idea what the fins should look like.

[alta678]

Ok, these are the ones you rescued when I met you at the "lfs" aren't they? :) I am amazed that any of them survived. Good Save!!

[AbovetheStorm]

He finally stopped laying on the bottom everytime we walked near the tank. :) I thought you might want to see a better pic of his fins.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/luvthatpup/devan1.jpg

And here is a pic of Fender for compairison of fins. He is the one of my other two who actually shows up in pics. lol He was the same size as Devan in december.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o33/luvthatpup/Fender1.jpg



Sorry about the pic quality. My camera is very old and crappy and only takes nice pics if we are outside and it feels like it. lol

[bra8ndy8]

WOW He has some nice long fins!