Oscar tank mates

[rlamot0024]

I currently have a 4 inch oscar with a 4 inch flagtail prochilodus in a 140 gal tank. They get along fine. I want to add another fish and was thinking of adding a 2 and a half inch flowerhorn. Anyone tried this with success?

 

[Guyb93]

My Oscar is a big puppy and wouldn’t try it myself but who knows somebody has gotta have made it work

 

[rlamot0024]

Yea mine is too

 

[DomTay94]

Nice fish I’ve heard good and bad news with flower horns most people I know keep them solo due to having anger issues lol. What about A Green terror beautiful fish once they colour up. Silver dollar nice schooling fish if you fancy a more placid tank.

 

[itiwhetu]

By the time these guys grow up you will have enough going on

 

[rlamot0024]

Thanks don. Yea im probably just gonna go with a jack dempsey. Was just curious about this. But yea im def not leaving a 140 with 2 fish.

 

[itiwhetu]

Thanks don. Yea im probably just gonna go with a jack dempsey. Was just curious about this. But yea im def not leaving a 140 with 2 fish.

Sorry my mistake thought you had 4 oscars

 

[itiwhetu]

Tinfiol barbs would be great and would make a great school

 

[HoldenOn]

Don't put a flowerhorn in a tank with any other fish. Same with the jack dempsey. Very aggressive. I agree with @itiwhetu tinfoil barbs would work as long as your water is the right hardness. They will also provide nice distractions for the oscar when it grows up and gets hungry.

 

[Metalhead88]

Yeah.... don't do the flowerhorn. He will kill your oscar.

Jack dempsys can also be very aggressive. I have had bad luck with that match. All went well for a long time until the Jack hit around a foot long and they had to be separated. The jack is so much stronger than an oscar.

Oscars really arn't that aggressive nor do they have a lot of jaw strength compared to other similar sized cichlids.

You wan't to add large and equally as aggressive fish, large non aggressive fish, or smaller fish that can still hold their own. Anything that can fit in their mouth is food.

Some good tankmates are...... paratilapia bleekeri, severum, electric blue acara, convicts (smaller than oscar), silver dollars, geophagus species, firemouths, blood parrot, and many other south american cichlids. You want to stay away from a lot of the central american cichlids as they tent to be more aggressive than oscars.

Severum are 100% the best oscar tankmate.

 

[Wills]

Not sure I agree on the Tinfoil Barb suggestion these are massive very active fish that really need to be in the monster category rather than 100-150g tanks.

I like some of the suggestions here though - Severums are always a classic pairing and some Geophagus look good too. There is a tank I've seen on social that has Zebrina Pikes in with some Oscars and they look really good together.

Wills

 

[rlamot0024]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think im gonna end up going geophagus, severum, or blood parrots. Thanks for the suggestion I appreciate them

 

[HoldenOn]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think im gonna end up going geophagus, severum, or blood parrots. Thanks for the suggestion I appreciate them

Good luck. Nice oscar btw.

 

[Metalhead88]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think im gonna end up going geophagus, severum, or blood parrots. Thanks for the suggestion I appreciate them

And just to throw it out there Red Severum are the best looking in my opionion.

 

[itiwhetu]

What I love about fish keeping is that everyone has different experiences. I wouldn't put Severums with Oscars because when I did that, the Severums got beaten up. But Wills has done this with no problem. Jack dempseys are great with Oscars on the other hand much more able to stand their ground from my observations. I agree that tinfoil barbs can get huge, but most fish only grow to the space you provide them and if in say 4-5 years time they are to big you can always move them on. I find Tinfoil barbs are very good companions with Oscars.