last night one of my oscars attacked the other and put a split in the tail of the other they have gone back to normal but do you think i should consider getting rid of one or both (my plan from the start as i am just keeping them in a 40 gallon until they get to big)

Yeah. I think they're telling you that they want more space.

I would get rid of the one with the split tail.

i think i am going to keep him if i have to get rid of one he is far better looking and hopefully his tail will heal :)

lol a 40- is too small for one..

i know that but think about the bioload of two 4" oscars to one 12" at least 3 times more then add in that the 12" oscar will be around 3 or 4 times wider and that makes a massive difference for now and i do plan to remove both in the future

you are going to need way more space if you plan to keep those 2 together. Youu are lucky it was just some tail. If you leave them you might wake up and find just a head. LOL

they are making heaps of waste these days as well i am thinking about getting rid of them all together

Oscars are great creatures. While I think for the moment that as far as bioload goes, they are perfectly fine in the 40 gallon. They are more than likely fighting due to aggression problems. I'd say you could keep the one oscar in a 40 for quite some time. At least 6-7 months before he would definitely need to be moved into at least a 55 gallon, preferably a 75 since it is 18" wide. The oscar will have more room to turn around. You might even go bigger than that. Sergeant Major found a 150 gallon at Petsmart for $300 dollars. Considering that the 90 gallon was more than it was! Talk about a deal! You could have 2 oscars and some tank mates in a tank that big. Something to look forward to I suppose.

Are there any other fish that you like Bartier? I just got my 40 gallon too. I've had alot of recommendations on good fish for a 40 gallon.

You can always try a cichlid specific tank, such as a tang. or malawi tank. Angelfish are always a good choice, and that would leave you room for lots of smaller fish. You can always go with gouramis or smaller catfish. I always love blood parrots. Right now I've got some rummynose tetras and zebra danios in my 40. I'd love to lower the pH and get a whole school of the rummynose. They are really great looking fish. My rummynose came in as a stragler with the zebra danios. He's doing great, but I think he's an exception. I don't think other fish like him could live for long in my water.

Whatever you do though, do what makes you happy. Theres one thing about the fish keeping business, and that is what works for one person PROBABLY won't work for anyone else. So, if it's working for you, and the fish are happy, which you can judge, believe me, then go for it! There's no 'exact' science to it. More like guidelines than anything. Be sure to let us know what you choose, Bartier! And send some pictures, too! ;)

From people I know who have kept oscars, I've learned that 2 growing oscars in a tank of that size would have no room to have their own territoies and would probably tear each other up.

In my opinion, you are going to definitely need to give one away or something because they may attack and kill or seriously wound each other.

What kind of filtration do you have and how high do your nitrates get?

I guess you could keep one in there for a while and he may not get too big, but you would have to worry about all that waste in such a small area. High wastes and nitrates could severely stunt his growth and he may never reach a healthy size.

Of course, whether or not you risk his growth being stunted is your decision not ours.
Obviously, thats just my opinion from what I've seen and read.

I knew a guy who kept an oscar in a 55 gallon for many years and he never exceeded 7 inches. The oscar, not the guy I knew. :D

Of course, thats just one instance. They say that a full grown pair of oscars needs at least 100 gallons to thrive- ideally more.

But, its your decision. There are lots of cool fish that could live and thrive in a 40 gallon.

The differences between a 40g and a 55g arn't so much that it's worth upgrading to... so I'd say if you're going to do an upgrade as opposed to a trade in when they outgrow the current tank, then go with something larger.

i think i am going to get rid of them they are already requiring biweekly water changes and they are only 4" imagine when they are 6 or 8

My parents have a 50 gallon with 3 oscars in it and a HUGE pleco and they all act just fine. Their oscars are about anywhere from 5-7'' long, maybe even bigger than that. I am not sure, but I know they are big. :) :)

Haha! He was a short, short man....