Oscar Tankmate

[cuticom]

I'm looking for a single tank mate for my O, Merlin's still a baby but is growing extraordinarily fast so want to settle him with a tank mate before he gets to aggressive. I'm picking up a 55g for him on Monday, and am doing an upgrade as I go version with him, as there are plenty of deals that come up on ebay, the aim is to have him in a 150g by the time he reaches 10 inches, if he reaches 10 inches and he hasn't got the tank, I'll bite the bullet and use the money I've saved up for him on a brand new tank. Before anyone says I should just the buy the tank, I'm really hoping to go on a holiday to Vietnam, so if I can get him a cheaper tank, it means I have more money to add to the Vietnam fund, but will use it if needed.

So back to what I was saying, I'm looking for a single tank mate for him, he's about 2 inches right now. I've looked at getting a Sev, but it seems pretty hit and miss unless I use dithers I do only want a single other fish. Convicts seem to be in the same boat. I have been looking at CAE's and redtail sharks as well, would a single one of either of those work? Any other suggestions?

Hmmm, have just been looking at sevs some more, and would it be possible to have a sev and an oscar? No dithers etc. I've always thought sevs were pretty, and if I could find someone who sells one then I'd love to get it. But would it co exist with my O?

Emma

 

[england]

ok emma
if you are sure its a temp arrangement how long before you think of getting another tank because i did same and HAD to get new tank within three months for more.....seriously they grow quick.....
sevs are great tank mates
jackdempseys......
green terrors...

could be double that next month in size

 

[Miss Wiggle]

IME a single tankmate is a bad idea. If your O gets aggressive or the other fish does there is no other outlet for aggression than this one fish. Can spell trouble pretty quickly.

your best bet is a shoal of dithers or a group of maybe 3 other cichlids (providing you have space obviously) to disspiate aggression.

alternativley something like a big plec/catfish should stay out of his way and therefore avoid any temper tantrums

 

[cuticom]

Plecs can cost more then $50 here, and honestly there big ugly fish that don't really do much, they've never really appealed to me.

The 55g will be his home until he reaches 8 inches, so he'd still be able to fit comfortably, then he'll be moved to hopefully a 150g plus tank.

So something like a sev would work, but if Merlin grows into an aggressive fish, he could attack the sev? No one seems to have a definite answer on sevs and oscars, their listed as compatible but nothings said about whether or not they need dithers.

I'd rather not get a school of dithers, I don't feel particularly fond of any of the usual dithers balas, silver dollars ($15 a pop) clown loaches etc.

So if I got a sev to go with him, I'd just need to watch for aggression from either party?

What about other non cichlid tank mates, CAE's seem to be able to hold their own pretty well, red tail sharks are often listed as compatible, I also read somewhere about tiger barbs, what about 10 of those? would they be too aggressive for Merlin? if I bought them smaller then he is (he's 2 inches at the mo)

I've also read on a few sites that oscars will often bond with tankmates as babies, and this can be used to settle them with some of the more abnormal tankmates, one person kept their O with a three spot gourami...

Does that actually work? sevs are pretty expensive but the gouramis are cheap, and at least if he kills it, it wont cost too much and I'll get a definite answer about whether or not he'll live with other fish, sorry that probably sounded a wee bit callous. Maybe a kissing gourami'd work? they'd grow up along with Merlin, and be too big for him to eat it.

Lol just throwing ideas out
Emma

 

[poopsydrew]

Plecs can cost more then $50 here, and honestly there big ugly fish that don't really do much, they've never really appealed to me.

The 55g will be his home until he reaches 8 inches, so he'd still be able to fit comfortably, then he'll be moved to hopefully a 150g plus tank.

So something like a sev would work, but if Merlin grows into an aggressive fish, he could attack the sev? No one seems to have a definite answer on sevs and oscars, their listed as compatible but nothings said about whether or not they need dithers.

I'd rather not get a school of dithers, I don't feel particularly fond of any of the usual dithers balas, silver dollars ($15 a pop) clown loaches etc.

So if I got a sev to go with him, I'd just need to watch for aggression from either party?

What about other non cichlid tank mates, CAE's seem to be able to hold their own pretty well, red tail sharks are often listed as compatible, I also read somewhere about tiger barbs, what about 10 of those? would they be too aggressive for Merlin? if I bought them smaller then he is (he's 2 inches at the mo)

I've also read on a few sites that oscars will often bond with tankmates as babies, and this can be used to settle them with some of the more abnormal tankmates, one person kept their O with a three spot gourami...

Does that actually work? sevs are pretty expensive but the gouramis are cheap, and at least if he kills it, it wont cost too much and I'll get a definite answer about whether or not he'll live with other fish, sorry that probably sounded a wee bit callous. Maybe a kissing gourami'd work? they'd grow up along with Merlin, and be too big for him to eat it.

Lol just throwing ideas out
Emma

First off, tread carefully with your comments about big ugly plecs, I and other happen to keep them and think otherwise. I keep mine with a sev and like yours mine is small. However, The sev will be eventually moved into another tank with other cichlids. Tiger barbs will eventually be eaten. I dont know much about CAE excpet that they get big and aggressive especially on slow moving fish so if you wanna risk it...How about some pictus catfish? Those generally make good oscar tankmates. There are other dither fish and if you are going to have tankmates you should have them to keep aggression low. I use silver dollars but those dont suit you. I dont know if I would consider clown loaches dither fish. How about some giant danios? Oscars get along ok with some fish when young but when they get big, they think the tank is theirs for the taking so dithers help a lot.

Drew

 

[cuticom]

Sorry, twas personal opinion thats all

I haven't actually ever seen a pictus cat, around here their even more expensive then plecs, and I've never seen a giant danio either. I so love living in the middle of nowhere, not.

Would a redtail shark work? they'd be fast enough to get out of Merlins way, and aggressive enough to stand up to him if he decides he dosnt like them.

 

[cuticom]

Was just thinking, what about a CAE and a red tail shark with him? Our pet store is always trying to find someone to grow out CAE's for them (apparently people'll pay a lot of money for 10 inch CAE's, dunno why) so it can be returned if needed. The red tail shark would be harder, but could always stick it into a rubbermaid until I found a new home. So then I could try them, and if it dosnt work its no biggy, whereas a sev would cost quite a bit and seems to be a much more hit and miss match.

 

[backley420]

I've had a great tiome with My convict and Oscar.Had them for about 3 mounths and the Convict is the O's best friend

 

[cuticom]

Lol got another question, I just found an advertisement for a red forest jewel cichlid for free, would that be compatible with an O?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

cuticom, the problem really is that oscar vary massivley from one fish to the next, while some will happily tolerate any tankmates, some will harass anything put into the tank and have to be kept insolitary confinement for the rest of their days. until he gets to about 2 years old you won't really know how he is going to be. the best asnwer any of us can give you is to try it but have a plan B prepared. if you put tankmates together when they are younger is is supposed to reduce the changes of aggression, but it doesn't always work like that, oscar and polly (my oscar and parrot fish) were inseperable until he hit 18 months at which point they fought constantly and i had to re-home pol.

 

[cuticom]

Yah I do understand these arent definite yes's, but their are some that are just incompatible, so it never hurts to double cehck.

I'm very interested in taking the jewel cichlid, except its 7 cm and I just measured my lil O and he's only 6 cm, and I read somewhere about Jewels bing able to beat up O's twice their size...

Lol, the jewel is just a jewel cichlid, tisnt a red forest, but still very pretty. The guy also has a rusty cichlid, they seem to stay fairly small as well, and websites only list them as being mildly aggresive...

 

[cuticom]

Hmmm well we stopped by one of the better LFS's today to see whats available and heres the choices I ended up with

Texas Cichlid (mixed opinion on this, could be a best buddy, but may also end up fighting, if I got one much smaller then Merlin it might work though)
Blue Acara (is often listed as an oscar tankmate, dosnt get too big)
Firemouth (dont really know much about them)
Red Forest Jewel (could end up beiong too aggresive, for all its a fairly small fish)
Bala Shark (gets rather big, needs a school)
Rainbow Shark (should be okay, unless Merlin decides to eat it of course)
Clown loach (kinda expensive)
Chinese Algae Eater (could become aggresive)

They had just had a delivery of Pictus cats, gorgeous fish though very expensive they were $25 each.

Of he above choices any advice? Not too keen on the balas or clown loaches, but like the rest

Edit- Hmmm interesting, after having to fight tooth and nail with my Mum over getting a tank larger then 2 ft, I was just telling her about trying to find a tankmate for Merlin and trying finding a store that takes fish back if it dosnt work out. She thinks I should get the Texas, and if it dosnt work stick it in one of my rubbermaid growouts (55g) until I could get it its own 4 footer. Crazy mother LOL