What To Add?

[george4]

HI, i currently have a 400 litre tank with two 6" oscars , three 4" clown loach , one 7"inch common plec and a tiny peppermint plec.

i am wondering if there are any fish options that i could add to this tank, to make it look more populated, since its only the oscars that are ever on show. i realise oscars get very large , however the tank is well filtered , with 2 externals and 2 internals... ideally i would like a small showling fish such as a group of neons , however i realise this is not possible as oscars would eat them.

does any1 have any suggestions of fish to brighten up my tank and make it look more lively?/

many thanks

 

[kizno1]

what are the dimentions of the tank
and im not sure if both the plecos will be ok commons get very agressive and teretorial when they get big

 

[Glenbo1981]

Red Spotted Severums!!!!!!!

 

[george4]

tank is 5 foot x 2 x 2 . thanks

 

[kizno1]

i think your fully stocked now and i would rehome on of the plecos or they will get teretorial

 

[Glenbo1981]

I disagree,I would say he was under stocked unless the Oscars become a pair.

You say Plecos become territorial but my Brother in law hads 4 in his 6ftx2ftx2ft fully grown (1 Gibbi and 3 commons) and they dont pay any attention to eachother.

I think he could easily add 2 Severums (maybe a gold and a red spotted to brighten the tank up)and some Silver Dollars as Dithers.

Maybe even a Convict or 2 or some Firemouths,

Minxy has a tank slightly smaller than that with a Oscar,2 Severums,Geophagus,Green Terror,Plec,Bircher etc.

I would personally rehome one Oscar just so i could put more stuff in,plus Oscars become much better characters on there own IMO.

If they Pair up they will decimate any tank mates you add.

 

[england]

5/2/2feet = 566 litre's

two oscars should be fine along with silver dollar's

i had two oscars along with three tinfoil barbs/1 gibbicep/1 senegal birchir<grown before adding>/1 chocolate cichlid/1 hoplo catfish<full grown before added>
3 silver sharks....

what about

2 oscars
6 silver dollars<redhook are pretty
1 gibbicep
1 peppermint plec
1 senegal or ornate birchir<beautiful odd fish....

 

[george4]

thanks for the advice guys i think i will be lookin into tinfoil barbs or severum. tho ive heard that severums are hard to get hold of?. tank is def 400 litres , it probably nearer 5 x 1.5 x 1.5 . so i only want to add 2 fish max. i may rehome the large common plec as he is messy but i have never noticed any aggression between the plecs.
would a couple of parrot fish also be an option? am not interested in silver dollars since they are very skitty in my experience. would a small showl of torpedo barb definitely be lunch for the oscars? oscars are not used to live food.
#
many thanks

 

[minxfishy]

Minxy has a tank slightly smaller than that with a Oscar,2 Severums,Geophagus,Green Terror,Plec,Bircher etc.

Whilst I may have the same size tank, I dont recommend my set up of fish. Mine were added young and are closely monitored and any sign of aggression, I am able to move fish around or rehome quickly. Also two of my three severums are now rehomed, so I only have one left, the remaining Severum already close to full grown size, my Oscar added 4 weeks ago at 1" is now 4", which shows you just how quickly they grow, I expect him to overtake the Severum's size within the next two months.

Personally I think two Oscars, plus the plec is more than stocked, each Oscar requiring 75g minimum, two are recommended 125g along with the plec and loaches, I think your fully stocked, at 6" they are approaching the stage they may turn on each other, which is not a pretty site and can result in the more dominant killing the other, they appear to get along for ages, then overnight trouble starts, several members here have had this happen.

Whilst your Oscars may not be used to live food, its in their genetics to eat anything small enough to fit in their mouths, they may not even eat small dithers, but they will attack them. Large sized tinfoils may work, but adding them young will result in them being considered food.

I certainly wouldnt recommend you now add a Severum to the mix, one because I dont think you have the room and also because the Oscars will see this tank as their territory (watch them as they mature, they may suddenley not tolerate each other) and adding another cichlid would 9/10 times result in the new addition being attacked. Severums are relatively placid large cichlids, they dont grow anywhere near as fast as Oscars and wouldnt have the space to avoid them.

Adding a birchir, either ornate or senegal again may work, but you need it to be large enough to not be seen as food and ensure you target feed it or food will be eaten by the Oscars not leaving enough for the Birchir.

 

[River Dog]

If your Oscars pair up, there is little point in adding tankmates. They will take over the whole tank and become very aggressive toward anything that invades their territory.