Can Oscars and Jack Dempsy's Live Togther???

[pistonville]

Right now I have 2 Oscars, 1 Jack Dempsy, 1 Clown Knife Fish and 1 Silver Dollar in a 55 gallon tank. They are all pretty small and they were all put into the tank at the same time, so they are growing up togther. Right now, nobody is picking on anybody.

As the fish get bigger, I know I will need to upgrade or do something. What I'm thinking about doing is putting the Clown Knife and Silver Dollar in another tank and leaving the 2 Oscars and Jack in the 55 gallon.

My questions are:

Can 2 Oscars and Jack that have been togther since they were small all live togther in a 55 gallon tank? I have heard the Jack could go after the Oscars & I have heard the Oscars could go after the Jack.

Is there anyways all the fish I have right now could stay in the 55 gallon tank for a year or so?

Thank!

J-Ville

 

[Spyderdf]

I would not recommend keeping the even 2 oscars in a 55 gallon, they quickly grow, and produce alot of waste. Plus, oscars reach can reach 12 inches long, which is just as wide as ur tank(well a standard 55 gal.), so 2 oscars would have a hard time getting around I cant say i kno much at all on the other fish.

Josh

edit...man i cant spell good

 

[pistonville]

The absolute longest they would be in the tank is one to one and half years. When you say they grow fast, will they be too big for a 55 gallon tank by then?

Also, does anyone know if the Oscars and Jack will fight or will they be fine?

Thanks
Joffrey

 

[Spyderdf]

Well, here is something for you to read about oscars...

Oscar Info

Hope this helps


Josh

 

[Sky042]

in one year each of your oscars should be about 7-8 inches.
It will be mayhem in your tank.

Either start rehoming your fish or start shopping for a new tank.

Otherwise you can expect them to start killing each other off.

In a big tank you can house a jack and an oscar I have each in my 125.

 

[Angel Lady]

I tried keeping my Jacks' in with my oscar and that is all they done was fight. I finally had to seperate them. Now I have my oscars in my 180 gallon tank. and the jacks in the 55 gallon tank with a divider to seperate them. Now I have to purchase another 55 gallon tank for my other Dempey. This is sad because both of these fish loves people very much they bond with their owners. And it is a shame that they cant be kept together.

 

[pistonville]

Could I keep just 2 of them togther in a 55 gallon?

Maybe both the Oscars or 1 Oscar & 1 Jack?

Thanks for all the help guys!


Joffrey

 

[Isis_Nebthet]

Clown knives can get three feet (usually closer to two and a half in captivity). I've got two that are a foot long in a 150 galllon tank until I get their permanent home done (8x4x2; 480 gallons). And no there is no way you'll be able to jam that poor clown in a 55 for long.

 

[pistonville]

OK, I'm prob gonna be gettin rid of all my fish except 1 Jack and 1 Oscar.

Can 1 Jack & 1 Oscar live togther for about a year or so in a 55 gallon tank togther?

Thanks
Joffrey

 

[freddyk]

Pistonville, the thing you have to keep in mind is that cichlids are natural enemies -they're competitors and threats to each other, and mixing them in undersized tanks is stressful for them, and will only cause problems.

Go to the betta forum and tell them you're going to mix two male betta's together and see what happens. For some reason it's acceptable with these types of cichlids, and some people even thing it's pretty cool when their new world cichlids start ripping each other apart.

In a 55 gallon you have room for a single Oscar. That's it. If you want two fish, try a pair of Jack Dempsey, they don't get nearly as big as the Oscars. Just remember that you need a proper monogomous pair or even two JD's will kill each other eventually.

 

[pistonville]

If I had 1 Jack & 1 Oscar in a 55 gallon, how long until they got too big to the point where they would fight eachother.

Right now they are both small

The tank will be upgraded in a little over a year. Will they be ok till then???

Thanks for the helpJoffrey

 

[Undawada]

The question you asked was "Can oscars and Jack Dempsy's Live Together" and the answer is "no".

If you want to tempt fate by keeping them together against good advice, that's your decision. We can't tell you exactly when they'll kill each other.

 

[pistonville]

An Oscar & a Jack can't live togther even if they been togther their whole life?

I was just at the fish store and they said yes. Is it sometimes yes and sometimes no?

Thanks
Joffrey

 

[Undawada]

no

 

[freddyk]

It's difficult to judge a time when things go wrong. Usually it tends to be when they mature -that is, reach an age when they can breed. They may or may not be ok until you get the bigger tank, all you can do is wait and hope they hold out. Sometimes you even end up with a male and female of different species that couple together, given no other choice, but don't expect this - the odds are slim.

If you're determined to keep them both, and know for a fact you will be getting a suitable size tank, then try it - just keep an eye on their behavior, and intervene before somebody gets hurt instead of after. If they start to liplock, or one or the other begins to get chased around, it's not cute - it's very stressful to both fish. especially the subdominent one.

An Oscar & a Jack can't live togther even if they been togther their whole life?

These are fish. They don't rely on brother sister bonds. When they get territorial they don't appreciate any cichlid in their vicinity except their mate, unless they're forced into it by means of the traditional 'overstocked tank' - the fish store style tank where people stuff all sorts of incompatible cichlids together so they have no room to get aggressive - or do much of anything.

Either way, we're looking at a 55 gallon tank here. If you were asking about a 125 gallon the responses would likely be much different. I consider what's going on now, not what might happen in the future.