Suitable Tank Mates For Oscar

[snake007]

Make sure you get a young fish the same age as you oscar.
They primary diet should be pellets.

 

[dbanner]

Yep will do and ok, thanks

 

[ultimatebob]

3 big cichlids in the same tank, good luck. though oscars i have to say are not as tough as most cichlids. sure they possess all the cichlid traits and they get big fast, but compared to other cichlids of the same size, they are the ones that are gonna get bullied. i would try to go with non-cichlid tankmates. maybe gar, arowanna, red-tail cat, datnoid, or large sleeper gobies- something that can hold their own, yet not so terribly aggressive that they will try to pick on the oscars.

 

[fishprotector]

I would feed them hikari cichlid gold pellets as a staple with bloodworm, krill, prawn, cockles and some veg. That is what all my central Americans have been fed. I would also say a JD over a green terror as they are slightly smaller and more manageable.

 

[snake007]

No Gar or Arowana or red tail cat will fit in 125G.
It depends on the temperament of the fish.

 

[dbanner]

Hmm... I thought oscars would be the 1 to watch. Oh well seems i was wrong think along with the oscars the fish you mentioned there will be too much for my tank... Although i love aro's. Shame

Thanks fishprotector

No Gar or Arowana or red tail cat will fit in 125G.
It depends on the temperament of the fish.

Was thinking the same here tbh...

 

[snake007]

If you read the thread that matlee made about keith, his oscar would not tolerate large tankmates and would only be happy with small ones.
It all depends on each individual.
You can have a mental JD who's a serial killer or you can have an oscar who will tolerate tankmates well.

 

[ultimatebob]

another idea, if you have immaculate filtration in play, and your heart is set on adding cichlids, is overstocking. a lot of aquarists who keep africans use this method. the idea is that no individual fish can bully another weaker fish, because it is always looking over its shoulder trying not to be bullied itself. this makes no individual fish a target.

 

[ultimatebob]

another idea, if you have immaculate filtration in play, and your heart is set on adding cichlids, is overstocking. a lot of aquarists who keep africans use this method. the idea is that no individual fish can bully another weaker fish, because it is always looking over its shoulder trying not to be bullied itself. this makes no individual fish a target.

 

[snake007]

I dont think you can do the same as NWC.

 

[ultimatebob]

and the other guys are right, it really does depend on the personality of the individuals. some fish are passive, and some are seriously bipolar. either way, a 10 inch green terror will definately murder a 10 inch oscar. very big difference there in fairness.

 

[lloyd]

if you ask me it is irrisponsable to squeeze lots of large territorial cichlids in one tank. the only time you should mix them is when the fish in question are natural shoaling. im certain respects oscars can work well but they need to be mixed with calm grouping cichlids like severums or blood parrots but tbh if you dont have to there is no need to mix them, there are so many other fish that work like big tetra's and barbs

 

[snake007]

Who's shoving loads of cichlids in to one tank?
Oscars can be with aggressive cichlid but like dempseys but not cichlids like umbee's and doviis.

Remember its all up to the cichlids, if they dont like a tankmates, they'll get rid of it.

 

[lloyd]

i no so if you keep one that is one potential threat from one cichlid in theory but if you add another or another then that is more risks being added. also it isnt natural for jds and green terrors to exist so closely with other similar fish..............i no it can often work but i just think its pointless and even when it does work the fish will not be as happy as if the other wasnt there

 

[snake007]

Well it all depends, I removed my breeding convicts from my tank, my oscar sulked for weeks, when I gave him a tankmate (firemouth) He perked up.