Tiger Oscar Compatibility

kirkland14

I have a 40g tank with one Tiger Oscar in it. I have a 150g tank cycling right now for when he gets bigger. I was wondering in the mean time what I can put in there with him/her? I know Pleco's are ok. I was wondering about and eel or Bala Shark?

Thanks

small fry

Your Tiger Oscar will quickly outgrow the 40g tank. It may be best not to put other fish in there with it until the tank finishes.

Bala sharks need groups, and those things can get 8" long each. I can't think of any freshwater eels that don't exceed a foot, but I am thinking that there is a species or 2 (I am NOT an eel expert lol). Common plecos can easily exceed 2 feet in a 40g tank, so they really aren't a good choice, and dwarf plecos are probably too small to be housed with a fish that would eat anything that fits in its mouth.

How big is the Oscar? They grow rapidly, so I would imagine even if your was small now, it will outgrow that tank before you know it. So will all the other tankmates that you mention, if you had them in with an Oscar. Don't overstock the tank, even temporarily.

kirkland14

The Oscar is still relatively small. Maybe about 3.5-4 inches. I wasn't planning on filling up the tank with anything else yet. I was just thinking ahead for when I move him to the bigger one. Thanks for the info

ElectricBlueJackDempsey

other large CA/SA cichlids would work with your Oscar as long as you buy them around the same size as your Oscar; Jack Dempsey, Severums, Jaguars ect. Sailfin Plecos are a better choice then common plecos because they will not get as big but still big enough.
Bala sharks would do great in your 150, as long as you have 4-5.
Eel usually don't work with large cichlids because of there shape. I tryed putting a rope eel with my old Oscar and it ended up in the Oscars mouth for about a week. I would love to see some pictures of your Oscar and of your 150 when you finish setting it up

justinianobrenden

oscars only need 33-50 gallons each so you could get 1 more to move with him or just other sa cichlids that get kind a big but my cousin has 2 oscars and to pacu all 12 inches in a 40 with no fighting or health issues he just has to change the water more often but it deends on the dfish and how you raise them kinda

ElectricBlueJackDempsey

When you have large fish like that in a small tank (30-40 gallon) it stunts their growth and can cause serious health problems and can be very painful for the fish. I believe it is animal cruelty to make a fish that can get 12-18inches long live in only a 40 gallon tank.

justinianobrenden

the fish actualy getting to be 18 inches even 16 i actualy not rare but not like normal my dad had 1 Oscar in a 120 gallon and he only grew to be around 9-10 inches and he lived for about 9 years n it depends on the dementions really and how u care for the fish the real problem for the smaller tanks is the nitates and nitirites and ammonia content of the water because of how much waste the fish puts out but if you have a couple good filters and take good care of the water and fish then there shouldnt be problems 30-40 isnt bad but everyone has there own thought or beleifs on the correct size but obviously they shouldnt be kept in anything under a 30

kirkland14

I'm new at this but from everything I read, the rule of thumb is 1G(ish) per fish. So it seems to me that technically the fish could Oscar could be 40 inches long. while I would not do this it just seems that is the math. So I don't really understand why a 40G tank is too small if regular water changes are done. It doesn't really matter to me because I have the bigger tank cycling so size won't be an issue. I'm just trying to figure out why the big difference for this one fish ( besides waste issues)

Thanks

aunt kymmie

The one inch of fish per gallon "rule" is nothing more than a mere guideline, and a pretty crappy guideline, at best. As stated, a 10" fish in a 10 gl tank is a pathetic way for that 10" fish to live, it wouldn't even be able to turn around! The true guideline should be the of the particular fish itself, its swimming behaviors, tank mates, etc.

OscarLoverJim

And for someone new to this you are doing a great job pre-planning for the Oscar. A 150 gallon would be awesome, personally I'd just put more oscars in it but as others have suggested other larger new world cichlids would be good. I've gone off plecos due to how dirty they are and how they can damage an Oscar in a skirmish (they can rasp a big hole in the side of an Oscar that's quite nasty).

I have presently a single Oscar in a 55 gallon, the only reason I'm OK with the 55 is because I have major filtration plus I do 50% water changes every single week. I also have no gravel in the tank, I painted the bottom glass sand color, this affords more water space for the tank and also less areas for detris to accumulate. I'd rather have a 75 but since 'he' can still turn about in the tank without bending 'his' tail and maintains excellent health I'll save my money a while longer. I'd never ever put an Oscar in less than a 55 or even in a 55 without the provisions I've discribed.