oscars and Green Terror

A

andrewturk1970

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Aug 17, 2010
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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
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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