Inherited Tank with Oscar

[orionzbelt1]

I have just recieved a 200 litre tank of my dad and it came with 1 oscar fish who is about 6 inch's long and a catfish thats about the same length. I really would like to put more fish in my tank but hear that the oscar fish can be aggresive and wont like being with any other fish.

I am prepared to get rid of the oscar as the tank would be a waste with only 2 fish in it but he is such a beautiful fish i wanted to know if there was any way of introducing him to other species


Please help

 

[bluefire]

you would easily be able to add another oscar, posssibly 2.

 

[tttnjfttt]

you would easily be able to add another oscar, posssibly 2.

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An Oscar will grow to approximately 12". The standard 55 gallon tank is only 12" wide, so in all honesty, the tank you have is too small for one fish. He won't be able to turn around in his own tank Therefore, I would say no more fish should be added to that tank.

 

[gadazobe]

200 litres is not really big enough for 1 oscar, let alone 2. If you want to keep the oscar, then you really need a bigger tank - 400 litres is much better. You can keep other fish with oscars, but they have to be big enough not to fit in the oscar's mouth - and believe me, they have big mouths.

 

[orionzbelt1]

The tank is 48 long x 16 wide x 30 deep is this still to small for the oscar he is about 8 - 9 inches mouth to end of fins.

 

[tttnjfttt]

With those dimensions, the tank is almost 100 US gal, or 390 Liters.

I used this Volume Calculator.

So the tank is definately big enough for your oscar, but i'm not sure how much extra space there is for others, hopefuly someone else can chime in.

 

[orionzbelt1]

I thought he looked ok in the tank, as i said i have a catfish aswell who is quite active might i add but i would still like to put other species in with him preferabaly not another oscar.

Has anyone got a oscar that happy with another fish to give me a idea on what to get?

 

[gadazobe]

I don't know about in the states, but over here in the UK your tank measurements are not standard size. Is this a specially built tank?

 

[freddyk]

The tank is very tall, which doesn't benefit cichlids - so essentally the 48x16 foot print is what counts - As far as room goes I'd consider this a 70 gallon. A grown Oscar will fill this up. A compatible pair of them would work out, as long as you're on top of the water changes.

 

[gadazobe]

Given that the tank is only 16" wide and an adult oscar will reach over 12" -I still don't think that there's enough room for 2. One will just about be about to run round and if there's 2 playing around, well I don't think that it'll work.

 

[freddyk]

The thing is a pair (not just two randomly selected Oscars) will hang out together, and swim together, and in the end use the same space together, which is why two would work in the same tank. There is not room, however, for two competing cichlids.

 

[orionzbelt1]

so is there anyother smaller fish that i would be able to put with him???

 

[CFC]

There is another worry other than the oscar and that is the catfish as you havent mentioned which species it is. Many catfishes are predatory and will quickly make meals of any fish up to half their own size and sometimes bigger than that, it would be best to find out what kind of catfish it is before even thinking of any tankmates.
In large enough aquariums oscars can usually be safely kept with fish over 4 inches provided they are not very slim in profile, slim fish should be over 6 inches.

 

[freddyk]

You can go with a school of silver dollars. They reach a size that, with the laterally compressed body shape, could not be eaten and will in turn be ignored by your Oscar - they'll fill up some of that space without causing heightend aggression in the tank.