Oscar tank buddies

Agent_Scully

Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
243
0
0
Georgia
I have a 6-7 inch aggressive oscar who seems to be a little lonely (or the tank just looks a little empty). He used to have another oscar tank mate, but he beat him up so badly I had to take the injured one back. It's a 55 gallon tank and I know most of you will say a 55 is only big enough for 1 oscar, but i do twice weekly water changes and feed varied diets for a stress free environment. So I'm just curious what I could put in the tank, if anybody even thinks its big enough,

Ideas:
Large plecostamus (big enough so Mulder (the oscar) can't eat him
or
A bala shark (random idea)
or
any suggestions about non-aggressive but fast-enough-to swim-away fish

Please go easy on me! I'm a newbie on this site!
 
I would leave the oscar alone for now. A 55 is only set for an oscar. Try to upgrade him. If you can give him a 75 i say he could live with a pleco, and some silverdollars or tinfoil barbs.
 
yeah, sorry. a 55g is "okay" for an oscar, but just barely - and most will not agree. with an known aggressive fish. . . . that makes it even harder. really all i can say is pretend you have an aquatic puppy, and leave it by itself. the problem isn't with the oscar - most of them are either territorial or aggressive - but with the tank. there is simply not enough room for another fish to escape.
 
Ok! Thanks so much guys! He is still growing so I'm sure he will soon look too big for that tank!
 
wataugachicken said:
yeah, sorry. a 55g is "okay" for an oscar, but just barely - and most will not agree. with an known aggressive fish. . . . that makes it even harder. really all i can say is pretend you have an aquatic puppy, and leave it by itself. the problem isn't with the oscar - most of them are either territorial or aggressive - but with the tank. there is simply not enough room for another fish to escape.
Click to expand...

Yeah, i don't agree a 55g is suitable for a fully grown oscar. Oscars grow to 14-16" and a 55g tank is only 12" wide.
 
I'd say the tank will look considerably less empty when he puts on a few more inches !
 
o.o Looks like I will have to start looking for a bigger apartment for my fishies.

I have one Jack dempsey, 2 african cichlids one blue one and one orange one, 2 tin foil barbs both of them are bigger than my Jack Dempsey a pleco and a shark. They all respect each other or at least when I watching.

The only thing I see ..closely resembling aggression is when the tin foils school they play bumper with each other.

I do vacuuming and test level. I guess I'm lucky.
 
I have 2 oscars, and obviously, they go well with another tankmate BUT only if they've grown up together (mine are siblings).

A good fish to be with them are plecos, although my oscars gave it a really hard time before (now the pleco has outgrown the oscars, so no more teasing!)
 
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