Oscar friends

[Scott MacAdam]

I have an oscar and an irodescent shark that seem to get along fine but i want other fish as well. What can i put in my tank that will live along with my oscar (since he seems to be the agression in the tank) will another oscar cause any problems? because i love those guys! although they are tempermental and teritorial now and then. can i get any suggestions ??

 

[Synirr]

Tank size?

 

[Scott MacAdam]

10 gal now , there new! there under or just 1 inch long. i'll be upgrading later when i move out

 

[itZme]

This is one of those situations where we all read this reply and then laugh for a minute... then think ... wait a minute I think he was serious

Just in case you were serious about your 10 gal and didn't accidentally leave a zero off your 100gal tank. Here are some links to look at. The oscar will grow to over a foot long and pretty quickly. The shark will grow at least that big also. Please research any new fish before actually bringing them home. If you were advised that these would be fine I would take them back ASAP and demand a FULL refund since you were misinformed. If you bought them without advice I would take them back and give them to the shop and call it a learning experience.

We all start out as newbies and I am not exactly a "pro" so please don't take this as an insult. I am just informing you of the facts.

Have fun and don't be discouraged.

-- itZme

 

[OohFeeshy]

If I remember rightly, the shark will get to several feet long. Not just 12''.

 

[freddyk]

The Iridescent shark can reach up to 4 feet in the wild. You'll never see them nearly this big in aquariums, of course, because not very many people can actually provide a suitable home for them - it's a shame they even make these fish commonly for sale.

Your Oscar will outgrow the 10 gallon in about two months, if you don't overfeed him too much. You're looking at a 50 gallon replacement tank for a minimum sized home and a 75 gallon for a more ideal home for him. A 250 gallon or larger would be a nice place for the shark long term.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

yeah guys i am serious! 10 gal.... lol ! and i am up grading soon! no worries. i'm in for the biggest tank i can get my hands on!!!

 

[Scott MacAdam]

but will oscars live together ? or am i in for a blood fest?

 

[freddyk]

It depends on the size of the tank, but for most people it's best to keep two of them only if the fish are a pair, otherwise it does usually end up messy. Sometimes people get lucky and obtain two random Oscars that get along, but it's a risk. In anything less then a 75 gallon, 4 foot tank there is only room for a single specimen. Two pairs would work out in a 6 foot 125 gallon, and once you get up to 180 gallons or more and you can start looking at keeping them in colonies.

 

[MXPX4318]

why is it that people don't have the self control to buy fish that FIT their tank, and then wait until you DO upgrade to get bigger fish... I just don't understand it!

Whatever though hope your fish make it and I hope they find a better home asap

 

[Scott MacAdam]

yeah i had no idea about these fish sizes, walmart sucks! they had the shark rated for 6 inches and told me it would grow to 4-5 on average!!! and i think the oscar was the same....... thanks for the heads up.. i know this upsets people, but i was horribly uninformed and when i had them i started researching them and well here we are........

 

[itZme]

but will oscars live together ? or am i in for a blood fest?

I rescued a tankfull of fish a couple of months ago and it had two 7" albino oscars, one 7" tiger oscar, one 6" flower horn, one 5" jack demsey and 1 6" common pleco all jammed into a 29gal tank.
It was disgusting how dirty the water and gravel were. The fish didn't fight because they could barely turn around without bumping into eachother. I seperated them out with the flowerhorn, jack dempsey, and pleco in the 29gal and the flowerhorn immediately started to beat the crap out of the jack dempsey and pleco until I removed them. The local pet shop took the oscars in for me and sold them for $10 each. The flowerhorn can only live by itself but when crammed together in an overcrowded tank it was not as aggressive.

If someone told you that the fish wouldn't outgrow their tank then they lied. It's a common misconception. I have seen people here compare it to a man living in a prison camp in a 4 foot box for years. They can SURVIVE but that is not really LIVING... just existing.

If I remember rightly, the shark will get to several feet long. Not just 12''

The first link I provided says :
Origin:......................Fast flowing open waters of Thailand
Max size:..................40"
Min tank size:..........135 gallons
Its name of "shark" encourages aquarists to keep them but not more than 85% of them get bigger than 8" long in aquariums before they die. This is not a recommended aquarium fish.

I would at least give the shark back before you get attached to it so it doesn't have to suffer in your care (they will probably re-sell it to another unsuspecting person but maybe it will go into a 125gal or larger and you won't have to be the one to end it's life early)

PS. Have you read about cycling a tank yet? You may lose them both in a week or two when you get an ammonia spike if the tank hasn't been cycled properly anyway.

Just my two cents

-- itZme

 

[OohFeeshy]

Oops, didn't notice you put the link in Just saw you say 'the oscar will get to 12'' and the shark at least that big also' or something like that.... Anyway, I. sharks are best for a heated pond, not a tank.

 

[Kajuki18]

Jw what size tank you plan on upgrading too?

 

[Chaz]

why is it that people don't have the self control to buy fish that FIT their tank, and then wait until you DO upgrade to get bigger fish... I just don't understand it!

You know what, i really agree with this, it is soooooooo important to READ and LOOK THINGs UP about knew fish, not just pop along to the lfs find any random fish you like and buy it the amount of fish that die this way