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[Synirr]

As detailed in another thread, my midas-thing, Antoine, did indeed develop an attitude, as several of you warned. He might have just been challenging my oscar for dominance, since he wasn't being too vicious or anything, and the problem might have eventually resolved itself, but the oscar is my baby and I just can't stand to see him getting picked at like that
I can't afford two new tanks right now (the oscar needs a bigger one as well,) so it looks like Antoine will be going back to the LFS.

Any suggestions for another cichlid I could house with my oscar? He seems like he gets kinda bored without company (but that's probably just me projecting )
I'd like something that can fend for itself, but that isn't so aggressive as to rip Aristotle to shreds. Preferably not a bloodparrot or a severum... Any ideas?

 

[FrAnK3333]

Why not save up for another tank, and save the midas.

 

[dragoon459]

exactly how aggressive are the fish towards eachother?

 

[FrAnK3333]

She had a thread earlier and they werent to agressive and the oscar taught the midas a lesson for messing with him. BTW how big is the tank.

 

[Synirr]

She had a thread earlier and they werent to agressive and the oscar taught the midas a lesson for messing with him. BTW how big is the tank.

Yes, and then I posted on that thread again to say that I spoke too soon and the midas faught with the oscar again. This time the oscar was hiding behind a rock with some scales missing and frayed fins.
I was told that I probably wouldn't be able to house them together in the long run, and honestly, with the way the midas is acting right now (trying to attack the oscar through the barrier,) I think that's true. The midas is becoming more and more aggressive, and my oscar is a pussycat

They're currently in a 29 gallon, but that's only until I find a 75 or 100 gallon (preferably 100) nearby. There's not a shop around here that carries tanks that large, and special ordering them in is expensive. The 29 gallon had been ok until this point because both fish are small, but now they're apparently fighting over territory.
The problem is that I have enough money for one new tank, but not two. I wasn't expecting the midas to get this aggressive until later on, when I would hopefully have had the means to buy it a new tank as well
Also, I don't feel it's fair to just leave them separated in the 29 gallon until I get the bigger tank, because it may be months until I find one...

Maybe I can get my LFS to house the midas until I can afford to get it back... I dunno. As much as I want to keep it, I want to do what's best for the fish.

 

[Synirr]

I took the divider out to give it another (supervised) chance, since my oscar seemed to have gathered his courage and was flaring at the midas through the divider. They're at a standoff right now.... both keeping their ground and flaring like mad. My poor oscar... I know he's not really hurt or anything, but I obsess over it if he even has one scale missing, like a mother whose toddler has a scraped knee. His sides are kinda scraped up from swimming away from the midas and bumping up against the rocks

 

[Synirr]

Well... for the moment, things appear to be ok. The oscar has figured out that if he immediately flares and edges forward when he sees the midas looking suspicious, the midas will leave him alone and hide in its cave. The problem is that the midas is spending a loooot of time in the cave

I'd still like some suggestions for other potential tankmates, so I'll know what to look for just incase. Any ideas? I'm thinking another oscar or maybe a jag?

Edit: Oh gosh, this is too funny. Whenever the midas comes out from hiding he's all puffed up and has his fins raised like he's king of the tank.... then when the oscar gives him "the look," he instantly pins his fins down and retreats to his cave like a whipped puppy
So much for bravery