Putting A Green Terror In With A Tiger Oscar

[EgoFumPapa]

I currently have a semi-small tiger oscar in a 125 gallon. He is about 4-5 inches. I also have a green terror in a 55 gallon. He is a bit smaller at about 3.5-4 inches. Would it be a bad idea to put these two together as far as aggression goes? I love my oscar and my green terror, don't want anything bad to happen. My LFS just told me to try it out, see how it goes, keep an eye on it. Just curious if anyone else has had these two as tankmates. Thanks!

 

[creeker]

I have kept large ones together before in a large tank like that with no problems. I also had a large Pike Cichlid, a huge Texas Cichlid, a large Jack Dempsey, and a Jewel Cichlid in there. I agree with the LFS. Never know until you try. If it's not going to work, you'll know pretty quickly.

 

[star4]

I have fostered a green terror with an oscar before, the GT was much smaller than the oscar. There is no set guarantee they will or will not get on, it is a case of try it and see, but be prepared to move one quickly if need be.

 

[EgoFumPapa]

Tried and failed, the GT is just too aggressive, definitely lives up to his name. Instead, I put another tiger oscar in with my original tiger oscar and they get along just fine. They are happy as ever.

 

[GShorty1981]

I tried a 8" Green Terror with my 8" Red Severum, the GT nearly killed him in the space of half an hour so i had to sell the GT to my friend

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I guess it really does depend on the individual fish. I have 2 Green Terrors and 2 Severums together and they get on just fine. I have tried that same Green Terror with my Jack Dempsey and they wanted to eat each other. That same aggressive Jack Dempsey used to live with Tiger Oscars and that was fine. Fish are weird.

 

[GShorty1981]

Are they adult fish? i find GTs are soft until they get big.

 

[EgoFumPapa]

They are not adults, they are around 6 inches. He's been a mean one since he was a baby.

 

[Skal]

I personally don't think it would be a bad idea. I haven't had a green terror before but I have had two oscars, a red devil, and two jack dempseys in a 75 gallon. They got along fine you need lots of rock caves for them to hide in though. I would suggest lot of caves if you are going to put them together.

 

[dbanner]

It's always going to be tricky when adding bigger cichlids together unless you have a very large tank in the region of 200 gallon+. Sometimes people will get lucky and have a somewhat docile green terror, flowerhorn, Red Devil and so on and they may take well to tank mates. More often than not this isn't the case... Take my friends tank as an example. He has a 125 gallon tank with a 7 inch red dragon flowerhorn, 5 inch Texas, 8 inch red devil and 2 jewels. All added at different times... All get along fine...

On the other hand I have a 120 gal tank with a 6 inch blue thai silk flowerhorn and he won't tolerate any other fish in the tank apart from a larger (9-10 inch) pleco. I tried a 6 inch jack Dempsey and even a 7 inch buttikoferi but my flowerhorn killed them both overnight. There is plenty of hiding places in both these tanks so as you can see it is really down to the individual fish.

Iv owned piranhas, Red Devils, jags, dovii and numerous other aggressive fish but my flowerhorn has some serious anger issues lol

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I would nix putting large cichlids together until you have a 150-200g tank, especially with oscars in the equation. As an oscar gets older, it developes certain tastes. If you are stocking around the Oscars, make sure thta the oscar gets what it wants or it will kill potential tank mates.

 

[Skal]

Don't get all your advice from these posts is my recomendation. Go to a local fish store and see what they say.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

The local fish store just wants to sell you fish. I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw them.

 

[Tolak]

Don't get all your advice from these posts is my recomendation. Go to a local fish store and see what they say.

You'll find some of the people with these posts breed & sell to the retailer, otherwise known as the local fish store. You'll find most shops are strong on marketing, weak on care & long term keeping, as would be expected from that sort of business.

 

[dbanner]

At the end of the day your in the best hands here. If you need a question answered about your fish (fish keeping in general) then your in the right place. Local fish stores are there to make a sale, end of. It's sad to say but it's true. It's very unlikely (although not an impossibility) to get decent and correct advise on what fish to keep in certain tanks and what are and what are not compatible and so on from your local fish store. They will sell you a fish and usually just say "yes that fish will be fine in your tank". I once overheard an employee tell a customer that a Bala sharks are fine in singles and would be fine in a 55 gal tank most of us here know how untrue this is...

Although one of my LFS told me a pleco would be ok with my flowerhorn if the pleco was bigger than the flowerhorn and if the tank was big enough for the both of them at full size. Later that week I overheard another customer talking about the same 2 fish I asked about being in a tank together, the same employee said... "Yes iv have no doubts about it".... No questions about tank size, size of current fish, how long the tanks been set up, other tank mates... nothing. So they basically couldn't care less if it doesn't or doesn't work out and they just want your money.

My advise would always be, go to your LFS to look at what fish you like and then come on here for advise. That's by far your best bet of success