oscars and Green Terror

[andrewturk1970]

Hi All, this is my very first post and I am happy to have a great forum to bounce idea and issue off of !!

I bought a 75 gal tank and after cycling, have bought a few fish to put in there.

I bought a albino Oscar, 2 small plecos, 2 (male and female i think) Green Terrors, and a pike of some sort.. i should have written the name down.. i think ill go back to the store and find the proper name for the pike. also a dozen small feeder goldfish, which has already be reduced to 10...

After reading several posts on this forum, I fear that my 75 gal tank wont be large enough for the2 cichlids and the oscar together....

the sales guy said it should be ok, however the Green Terrors MAY be agressive towards the Oscar... i hope not.

What is your opinon on this mix and the chance that the oscar may be beaten to death by the cichlds..??? if this turn out to be the case i will have to return either the oscar or the cichlids..... although i like them all.

thanks guys and gals!

Andrew

[user_name]

sorry dude. thats waaaay overstocked, the two plecs and oscar alone will be too much for most filters anyways. There will definitely be agression sooner than latter

[andrewturk1970]

I though the plecos were tank cleaners... are they that heavy on the filter?

I have an ultra 160 eheim

[jpappy789]

Theres really no such thing as a "tank cleaner" in terms of fish...anything they eat (algea, etc.) is going to eventually become more waste. More waster can sometimes then lead to more algae. You are better off stocking the tank adequately and doing regular water changes.

An oscar can stock a 75 gallons tank by itself. Most likely you have one of the "common pleco" species which can range anywhere from 8-12" to well over a foot. And a pair of GT's isn't going to mix well with an oscar as far as I know. At this point I'd stop listening to the person at the store as they obviously aren't very knowledgeable. You should really decide on whether upgrading is an option (you're going to need at least 180 gallons, most likely but depends on the pleco species) and if not you need to decide whether the GT's or oscar are more important to you.

[67chevelle]

Common plecos will eventually stop eating algae,and start eating the fish food. They get huge,and poop a lot. Those I would definitely take back.

The Oscar and Green Terror may get along.If they grow up together,the chances are better. You will need a much larger filter,to go with the one you already have,to handle the bio load of these 2 fish in a 75.

The pike should be OK with the Oscar or the Green Terror. But keeping all 3 in a 75 is too much.You really need a positive ID on it. There are lots of different species.

Also,stop giving them feeders. They have a hormone that will inhibit growth,they are notorious for being sick,and introducing disease into your tank,have little nutritional value,and are know to cause Hole In The Head,(HITH) in oscars and other cichlids. Get them on a good pellet as a staple.And give krill and frozen blood worms as treats. They will also eat crickets if you want to give live food.

Edit:
Re-read and saw you have 2 green terror. I would keep one,or let them have the tank to themselves if they are male and female.

[jpappy789]

And I forgot about the pike...

Is it like the pike found in the northern hemisphere (E. lucius) or a pike cichlid (Crenicichla spp.)?

[andrewturk1970]

they guy actually said that the pike is a close relative of the molly ?

[jpappy789]

Ah, pike livebearer.

Belonesox belizanus...not a good tankmate for the oscars and GTs no matter the size of the tank.

[andrewturk1970]

Ah, pike livebearer.

Belonesox belizanus...not a good tankmate for the oscars and GTs no matter the size of the tank.


why? do they fight or compete for food?

[excuzzzeme]

The pike, and feeders don't belong. As far as a growth inhibitor I find that to be suspicious and have never heard of it.

Pleco, if what is referred as a common could be a pardalis and can get to 20". You will need to count the rays on the dorsal to make sure. Saying pleco is like saying "fish".

GT with an O might work. It really depends on their temperament.

A single GT and a single O will need heavy filtration. Not so much for poo but because Oscars can be notoriously sloppy eaters. Plecos and Oscars in a single tank will need double the normal filtration.

I have 1 Oscar 15", 1 pardalis (common) Pleco 15.25" and a 4.5" pink convict in a 90 gallon tank (same footprint of a 75, just taller) filtered by 2 Emperor 400's. That is max the tank and the filters can handle. I have 2 more in a 6' 100 gallon tank with a 1000gph wet/dry filtration.

I have never heard of a feeder having a growth inhibitor but the fact that too little room will cause a fish to release a growth inhibitor hormone is accurate. Yes, feeders are often known to carry disease and are not verified as to cause HITH/HLLE (Hole In The Head/Lateral Line Erosion). At present it is thought that the Hexamita bacteria is the cause but that too is subject to argument. The fact is, poor water quality will allow HITH/HLLE to surface.

Live food of any type is thought to increase aggression and does not provide proper nutrients unless a large selection is offered. It is easier and less costly to have a main diet of quality pellets supplanted by live food as an occasional treat. (About 1-2x a month).

Please research more carefully and don't rely on the LFS to know accurate information.

[jpappy789]

why? do they fight or compete for food?

They will be food ;)

[excuzzzeme]

Correction: I said I had a pardalis but it is actually a P. disjunctivus. Sorry for the error.

[dempsey6]

if you have the money, spend it on some extra filtration and you should be more than fine IMO.

[jpappy789]

if you have the money, spend it on some extra filtration and you should be more than fine IMO.

:headshake2:

An oscar, 2 GT's, a pike livebearer, and two unknown plecs are not going to be fine in a 75 gallon no matter the filtration.

Spend any money on a larger tank unless you are going to return some of these fish.

[ChrisK]

Return the plecos, the pike, and one of the GT's is what I would do. An oscar and green terror should do just fine together, they are both cichlids though, and some territorial agression is to be expected.

[67chevelle]

As far as a growth inhibitor I find that to be suspicious and have never heard of it.


I have never heard of a feeder having a growth inhibitor

Live fish need to be quarantained first, so they are safe to feed (containing no disases or parasites). Goldfish, minnows and other members of the Cyprinid family (Carp-like fish) should be avoided, as these fish contain growth-inhibiting hormones (Thiaminase/Vitamine B1 inhibitors) that could negatively affect the fish's health and development.
http://www.piranha-info.com/default.php?la...p;id=s_rhombeus (http://www.piranha-info.com/default.php?lang=en&id=s_rhombeus)

Quote from Frank Magellenes (head of OPEFE) "Fact: Cyprinids as a general species produce thiaminese, a growth inhibitor that effects bones and can have serious consequences for your fish."


HITH is known to be connected to goldfish as well.

[andrewturk1970]

if you have the money, spend it on some extra filtration and you should be more than fine IMO.


Hey there,

Well I bought the largest filter I could find at the time. Its a Eheim Ultra G160 that filters 340 gallon/Hr... the tank is 75 gal.

[67chevelle]

I would add a HOB to that if you are going to be keeping to large cichlids.
A Emperor 400 or a Aquaclear 110 would do the trick.

[BettaFishMommy]

always over filter the heck out of any tank that has an oscar in it. this i know! lol. my oscar is still maturing and hasn't outgrown his 55 gallon yet, but in order to keep the tank from becoming a cesspool i am running two canister filters, a Rena xp2 and a xp4. each filter gets cleaned once a month minimum and they sure need the cleaning when i crack 'em open!

i highly suggest adding another filter to the tank, regardless of which fish you return to the store/rehome.

[CornBreadjiffy]

Definely get rid of the plecs and I think you should be ok for awhile but just make sure you keep your maintence on point. So go for it and you should make it work

[andrewturk1970]

Hey,

thanks... The 2 filters you recommended are both "hang-on" types...

why would someone choose that style over a camister ?

just asking cuz i am new and dont know....

please explain.

[ianab]

HOB filters are generally cheaper and simpler, so you can get better filtering on a budget. More bang for the buck.

But personally I don't think there is a problem with your current Eheim, it should support any sensible number of fish that you could keep in that tank.

But I agree with the others, that as adults, you will have too many fish, and extra filtering isn't going to be enough to make up for that.

Right now you don't have a problem as the fish are only babies. Next year when they start to mature.. not so good. Aggression, problems with water quality etc. So there is no need to panic, but you do need to plan ahead.

Remember we are planning on you keeping BIG healthy fish that might live for 10 years or more, not just keeping them alive till next year.

I'm planning to move my Oscar and Pleco to an 85gal soon, and I can only get away with that because the pleco is a rescue and a little stunted, like 12" after 10 years, so is not growing much more. But thats just 2 fish, and the tank will be fully stocked.

Ian

[andrewturk1970]

ok thanks for the help... i got rid of the feeders...well almost all of them... i cant catch 6 of them! :) im sure the oscar of get to them sooner or later anyways.

I will also get rid of the plecos, when i can catch them also...they are small and hide alot.

I will look into getting an additional filter in 6-8 moths then, as they get larger, and I see that the water is going south faster then before.

[BettaFishMommy]

i'd be getting that extra filter now. oscars grow fast. mine isn't 2 years old yet and is pushing 11 inches. in the first 6 months of an oscar's life, they do the most growing, at least an inch per month if they are cared for properly.

[andrewturk1970]

ok, so what im thinking is that i can get the hang on type, and clean more often than the cannister? but will it really matter if i just wash it out with little concern for the bacteria in it, as the canister already has the bacteria culture? or are they both important?

[BettaFishMommy]

keep your bacteria count up and good in both filters. with messy fish like O's you want as much bacteria as possible in case there should be an ammonia spike. rinse the media from both filters in old tank water.

[67chevelle]

Hang on back filters will help with the mechanical filtration in a tank with large fish.Plus they will help with the biological filtration as well. If you ever find the need to use chemical filtration,it is easier to add to them.

If a HOB does not interest you,a Magnum 350 canister would be a good filter to add to your system. You can add the micron cartridge for water polishing,which may be something you want when keeping larger fish.