Tiger barbs and oscars

[David]

Can tiger barbs go with small oscars? Or will they get eaten? I seem to remember someone talking about keeping an oscar with some tigers. You see, I'm planning on getting a 75 gallon tank with a baby oscar. This is all just speculation, i don't know what else to put in there yet. I'm thinking a pair of convicts, and my 3 clown loaches when they get big. My question is could I have a school of tigers in there also?

 

[Dwarfs]

When the oscar gets larger it would definately eat the barbs

 

[David]

Hmm. Ok then I won't get the barbs. I need something to cycle it though. Any suggestions? I want my final stock to be: 3 clown loaches (definite; I already ahve them) , 1 oscar (also definite; gotta have the oscar ) and a pair of convicts for a constant supply of feeders. Anything else I could put in there?

PS If convicts can't withstand the cycle, I might go with fishless cycling.

 

[LoveMyOscar]

...

 

[David]

Ok then. Just an oscar I guess. Oh wait... can jack dempseys go with oscars? I saw two beautiful electric blue JD at the LFS and I really want them.

 

[rvm]

One would probably be ok, but if it is a pair (breeding) you'll have an even worse problem than the Convicts!! JD's are aggressive fish!!

 

[parker313]

If you hang your new filter on an existing tank for a while then you can move it to your new tank. That will give it the chance to get the biological filter media established. Since you've got a big tank, you can also take several handfuls of gravel from your existing tank, put them in stockings and set them on the bottom of your new tank and they will seed the gravel in your new tank. That's how I was able to get my 10g up and running and put neons in almost immediately and didn't lose even one of them.

 

[David]

Good idea. I don't think the 2 JDs are a breeding pair, they are both juvies and probably same sex. They are so beautiful though. How big do they get and big is the minimum tank size for them?

 

[fufanu360]

tehy get to be 10 inches long!

 

[David]

So what would you say is the minimum tank size for them? I want to get 2 and also have with them a small plec (maybe bristlenose) and some kind of shark. What size do you suggest?

 

[Losi]

David, it sounds like you are much more interste in the other fish and not the Oscar, could you not get them and leave the Oscar out of the equation. I havean oscar and they will eat ANYTHING that they can fit in their mouths. The cichlids you mention sound beautiful and it would be a shame to see them with their fins shaggy from Oscar nippage!!

Also depending on how big the Clowns are if the Oscar outgrows them and tries to swallow one then the spike on the clown ould probably kill the Oscar.

Why not go for the cichlids and the clowns??

Glad to see you are putting lots of thought into it though!!

 

[David]

Yes I have decided to forget the oscar. My final decision is 1 jack dempsey and a smaller plec (not a common). Can you suggest a small plec other than a bristlenose that would go well? And what is the minimum tank size for this setup? I don't really want anything bigger than 30 gallons.

 

[Losi]

I think bristlenose plecs would be the best choice for the cleaning (you cant really beat them on that score), they would probably be the right size as common plecs would grow too big and other plecs are probably the same size as the bristlenose.

Maybe a Panaque???

 

[Ben]

the jds sound cool David

Losi, it seems like you're trying to make out that the oscar is very agreesive and dangeruous, well its not, its just relly relly relly relly relly greedy. lol

 

[willywonka099]

well depending on the tank/space u have could u keep a say......30 gal. with the victs. and another with the dempsey and a few other fish and then wait to decide what to do with the 55g ???