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oscar and cichild?

2K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  Alf 
#1 ·
can you put an oscar and an african cichild together? I just got a tank and put them together and the cichild keeps messing with the oscar and hitting his tail n stuff
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't mix them. If the African cichlid keeps it up, it could kill the oscar by over-stressing it. If the oscar survives, it will likely get big enough to eat your African cichlid (unless it's something that gets really big like a frontosa). Plus, the two fish are from completely different parts of the world and have preferences for much different water parameters.
 
#4 ·
I used to ask the same questions about my Red Bellied Piranhas. I wanted to mix them with atleast SOMETHING. The end result was basically always nothing.

I actually had a pleco in there with them for 3 months, only to find his head one morning.
Also one time I put 3 zebra danios in. One got eaten within one minute, and 2 lasted about 2 months. Right now Im down to one. I guess they just choose to tolerate him for a while until they're fed up

Also, about 2 weeks ago my gf surprised me and bought a bunch of fish for my community tank. I recognized them all except one. The next day I had a dead tetra who looked like he had a bite out of him. I suddenly realized he was a cichlid. To this day Im not sure what kind, but im leaning towards a jack dempsey. Since I didn't have a receipt, I couldnt take him back. So it was either he eats all of my community fish, or I put him in with my Red Bellies. I did that, and he's still alive after 2 weeks. Im sure it's only a matter of time, but they seem to tolerate him a bit more since he also is an aggressive fish.
 
#6 ·
It really depends on how big your tank is. Oscars can mix well with many South American cichlids as long as you give them each there own space and neither of the fish are small enough to be eaten by the other. Oscars are IMO very mellow compared to other cichlids.
 
#7 ·
I agree with gump 100%. I have a Convict in with my two large oscars,they have plenty of room and the Convict has hidding areas so everything is hunky dory.I would never mix africans with south americans due to the different demand of ph and so on...
 
#8 ·
James said:
what would you suggest to mix with an oscar?
How big is your tank ? How much do you enjoy performing water changes (seriously) ?

If you've got a big tank, there are many many fish that do well with Oscars.
If you've got a somewhat smaller tank, but your idea of fun is changing water every few days - well the list of tankmates is smaller but still possible.

If this is the 10g tank listed in your tank list - the only thing I would "mix" with your oscar is a bigger tank.
Preferably at least a 75g tank.


I've got a large, 10+ year old, 12+ inch long, oscar in a 125g tank. Tankmates include loaches, catfishes, a gold gourami, siamese algae eaters, a flying fox, and green severums.
The Oscar doesn't bother anybody who isn't between him and his food(pellets, krill, worms, never ever feeder fish).
Water changes are 50%, weekly.
If I skip a week, my oscar starts showing signs of hole-in-the-head -- open sores on his forehead. Not pretty and not healthy.

In a smaller tank, or if I were less comfortable doing water changes, I'd have less fish in the tank.

I've kept smaller oscars in smaller tanks - but a "smaller oscar" doesn't last for long, mine have usually grown about 6-8 inches in 9 months. At that size its hard to keep the healthy small tanks...
 
#9 ·
i have pacu, various catfish, and clown loaches in with my oscars.
oscars are definately the most peaceful cichlid. they dont really mess with anything unless it fits in their mouth
 
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