New 125 Gallon! I'm Back :]] Hello Oscar!

[Raechal]

I am pretty sure it is atleast 2 feet wide and so that should be fine for an oscar, right? I had an oscar before and kept him in a similar sized tank and he had plenty of room. He was about 8 inches.

I really think firemouths are pretty but i've never owned one. I was looking at firemouths and severums as far as tank mates go with an oscar.

I bought a jack dempsey before when I was trying to find a tank mate for my oscar. My oscar was about maybe 5 inches and the jack dempsey was about 4. He didn't let the oscar cross a certain line of the tank. He "owned" about 3/4 of the 125 gallon and gave the remaining 1/4 to my oscar. I thought this would get better after they figured out their territory and what not but it never did, it just got worse. He bullied my oscar to no end. He attacked him at any chance he got and there was plenty of cover as well as plants in between territories. I even tried moving certain decorations around so maybe they would establish new territories and the dempsey wouldn't be so hard on the oscar but it never happened. I ended up having to take the poor dempsey back to the lfs.

I never see rainbows at my lfs either. It's a shame they don't have much variety.

I am thinking maybe just two oscars, or an oscar and a severum/firemouth. I guess I will just have to shop around and see which cichlid i fall in love with. haha.

Oh! And I went to my lfs the other day to look at the oscars and they were covered in ick and fungus! It was so sad. I can't believe they could let their fish go like that and think they are going to sell them. There is also a large sized oscar there but he has a gigantic hole in his head and they are selling him for $35. It is insane.

They also had a "blueberry" oscar who I couldn't help but to feel sorry for and take home, but I don't want to contribute to that at all. Besides I read that they are very unhealthy and would have a shorter lifespan. Poor guy.

 

[foley69]

whats a blueberry oscar ? is it some kind of died oscar ? if so i think i have seen these are they the same body colour but rather than red patterns they are like a dark metallic blue

 

[shroob]

Blueberry oscars are dyed, so well done for not buying it.

 

[foley69]

thought they were dyed why ruin such a stunning animal by adding more colours and ruining its natural development

 

[Raechal]

I was reading about it and it said they are either injected with dye or grown in dyed water so the skin takes the color of the water. So sad. The oscar isn't even THAT blue. It is clearly an albino/white tiger oscar with a slight tint of blue to it's color. It's very sad. I get so angry when I see things like that.

 

[england]

oscar and a severum/firemouth -------- yes yes and yes try to get the biggest firemouth avalible as oscars grow at lightning speed, other fish could be bala sharks/plecs/birchirs/hoplo catfish/tinfoils/i say these as they all live in harmony with my oscars

cichlids ive had and rehomed because of trouble with oscars or the other fishes....

jaguar cichlid<no>
vieja bifa<no>
salvini<no>
midas/red devil mix<no>

severum/firemouth/yes

 

[Raechal]

jaguars are so pretty i would die to have one. i never see them locally around here for sale and i'd much rather have an oscar. i am in love with them haha. they are the best fish ever.

 

[england]

YES i think the same, my brutis the male jag was stunning as in but just couldnt bring myself to rehome the oscar's....Didnt have money or space at time for another tank so had to bite the bullet and swap him with a mate for three stunning snakeheads It certainly softened the blow
heres brutis.....a nostalgic look back at my boy.....

 

[Raechal]

he is beautiful!

 

[shroob]

Jag's are stunning fish, a shame they grow big and have attitude to match. Though I suppose thats one of the qualities some people like them. I've seen them housed with oscars, but alot depends on the tank size and even more on the individual fishes personality.

 

[Raechal]

Jag's are stunning fish, a shame they grow big and have attitude to match. Though I suppose thats one of the qualities some people like them. I've seen them housed with oscars, but alot depends on the tank size and even more on the individual fishes personality.

Yeah I wouldn't want to risk anything. I hate taking fish back, it breaks my heart.

I was looking at a bunch of fish stores the other day and I saw this rather large cichlid, probably about 5-6 inches long and he was all black with bright green/blue and greenish yellow spots all over his body. He was priced ar $130 and I think it had the scientific name on the tank but I can't remember at all what it was. Does anyone have an idea of what he might be? he was gorgeous!

 

[Raechal]

Nevermind I figured out what it was.

I guess it is called a starry night cichlid?

p. bleekeri was what was on the sticker in the store.

he was gorgeous!

130 is a lot for a fish but I am thinking about maybe purchasing him.

I just wonder if he will still be there after I get my tank cycled.

 

[Davo86]

Very nice!,

I'm sure both Angelmouse and Nelly have Paratilapia polleni which is very similar in size and temperament.

 

[england]

hes beautiful wow, probally priced like that because there quite hard to come by, But you will them probally have to find similar sized oscar's

 

[shroob]

Just a thought, if you liked jags but are put off by the size/attitude why not try other Parachromis fish (not dovii of course ). They stay smaller and on a whole I would say less aggressive than jags, but they still have attidude which may be too much for your oscars but I'd be willing to try it as I like the parachromis genus.