Oscar, Parrot And...?

[Raechal]

I have a 120 gallon tank with a tiger Oscar that is about 6 inches and a parrot that is about 4 inches. They mate and she lays eggs, even though they are infertile, she still gets very protective over them. I want to add something to my tank, but I don't have a clue as to what to add.

I love bichirs. They're adorable. Or maybe a small group of catfish? My Oscar is pretty layed back and has never shown any aggression, not even when my parrot lays eggs. But my parrot does show some aggression to newly introduced fish. I added a common pleco temporarily and she chases him around the tank, then gets bored and leaves him alone.

So I am not sure what to add. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? What do you keep with your oscars?

 

[LisaLQ]

Have you thought about getting some dither fish (ie. a shoal of fish that distract cichlids from one another)? A few clown loaches or silver dollars would be nice (although it depends on your cichlids, as my silver dollars scared my soft oscar at feeding time, as they were too quick/frenzied for him) I'd personally go for clown loaches, as they clean up your tank for you too, and are beautiful with it

Could prove handy when your parrot and oscar reach full size/hormones.

 

[Raechal]

Have you thought about getting some dither fish (ie. a shoal of fish that distract cichlids from one another)? A few clown loaches or silver dollars would be nice (although it depends on your cichlids, as my silver dollars scared my soft oscar at feeding time, as they were too quick/frenzied for him) I'd personally go for clown loaches, as they clean up your tank for you too, and are beautiful with it

Could prove handy when your parrot and oscar reach full size/hormones.

Yeah, I have had clown loaches before and they were amazing fish! But all the ones they sell here are SO tiny, I am scared if I add them into the tank my oscar will have a very expensive meal.

Silver dollars are pretty. I just want something that moves around the tank together.

 

[LisaLQ]

Yeah that's the problem with clown loaches, bigger ones are so expensive too! I got mine when my oscar was about 4", just a little 'un. I did get more afterwards but had to grow them on in my other tank. I still have three of them in my community tank now

 

[Raechal]

Yeah that's the problem with clown loaches, bigger ones are so expensive too! I got mine when my oscar was about 4", just a little 'un. I did get more afterwards but had to grow them on in my other tank. I still have three of them in my community tank now

My Oscar is about 6 inches right now. I am not worried about my parrot fish as her mouth is so tiny she couldn't possibly swallow a loach, but my Oscar stuffs whole shrimp/prawn in his mouth without a problem.


I found some loaches on aquabid.com and 4 of them at 4 inches each for like $40 with shipping. Not that bad, but that's the cheapest I have seen in awhile.

Once I get my paycheck I will start looking around. I miss my loaches.

 

[Gankutsuou]

why not temporarily let them in your 55? just do water changes more often?

 

[furryrabbit]

why not temporarily let them in your 55? just do water changes more often?

im presuming that the 55g is coldwater , or at least subtropical , as it houses goldies and koi. i dont think the clowns would like that.

 

[Raechal]

why not temporarily let them in your 55? just do water changes more often?

I am giving away my 55 gallon to my boyfriend so I won't have it soon. I will have a pond outside and a coldwater 55 gallon with goldies in it.

 

[SamUK]

plus clowns are some of the slowest growers around so they wouldnt catch up with the O for a good few years.



i wouldnt give up on them tho Raechel cos they are great fish! maybe someone here has some that are outgrowing there tank?

 

[Raechal]

plus clowns are some of the slowest growers around so they wouldnt catch up with the O for a good few years.



i wouldnt give up on them tho Raechel cos they are great fish! maybe someone here has some that are outgrowing there tank?

I was looking around on ebay and aquabid and although they are very expensive, they have a few larger ones at about 4 inches or so. Do you think buying them at 4 or 5 inches would be safe?

 

[SamUK]

yea that would be fine.


id say my 5 range from 3"-4" and i have to admit if one of there tails has been close to hercules's mouth then hes had a go but there way too fast and he trys to eat my 8" chalceus lol so that doesnt mreally mean anything.


think he jus sees anything as food, the only one totally safe is my sev and they have grown up together.


oh and hercs about 7" now.

 

[Somethings Fishy Here]

This may sound crazy but myself and one other person I know have had great success with blur and gold gouramis going with Oscars. I know it sounds crazy and it is obviously a risk (especially since we both raised the Oscars from adolescense with the gouramis to adulthood which makes a difference with all cichlids) but it makes for a nice varied tank if it works out!

 

[LisaLQ]

I dont know much about gouramis, but are they dwarf ones?

Mind you, my dwarf ones could probably take on an Oscar *lol* Not really, my oscar would have happily snacked on them

 

[SamUK]

blue and gold are normally a lil bigger than the dwarfs.


i still wouldnt try it.


my O is only about 7" and he already trys (altho not very hard) to eat everyone else.

 

[Raechal]

blue and gold are normally a lil bigger than the dwarfs.


i still wouldnt try it.


my O is only about 7" and he already trys (altho not very hard) to eat everyone else.

yeah I have a bumblebee catfish in my tank right now and he is not even 3 inches and my O sometimes tries to eat him. I am going to move him to another tank as soon as I can find and catch him. A nocturnal catfish that is barely 3 inches in a 120 gallon seems almost impossible to catch.

I'd be scared that my parrot would attack anything I add to the tank. She has quiite an attitude. I think my O would just attack something for the sake of eating it.