Pleco with Oscar?

twb716

Infamous Butcher, Angel of Death
Sep 19, 2004
68
0
0
What would be a good Pleco to get that could share a tank with an Oscar? The Oscar is still a babe- only 4 inches or so at the moment.

Tank:

South American 75gal.
Sand Substrate

Thanks in advance for any info.

TB
 
In a 75 gallon you could easily go with a common pleco. They will get big enough to not be threatened by a full grown oscar.
 
I haven't had many, but the oscar that I have now is very picky about his tankmates. It's just him and a common Pl*co(12"+) in a 90, they've been together since the start, and that's the only other fish my oscar(12"+) will allow to be in "his" tank. Everything else the oscar tormented until they were dead or I pulled them out and returned them, including some cichlids that are supposed to be more aggresive than an oscar. For some reason he lets the pl*co stay. I'm not sure if this is common, but its what I have experienced.
 
twb716 said:
What would be a good Pleco to get that could share a tank with an Oscar? The Oscar is still a babe- only 4 inches or so at the moment.

Tank:

South American 75gal.
Sand Substrate

Thanks in advance for any info.

TB

A common pleco or sailfin pleco is good. I had a common pleco with 4 ocars together in a 46 gallons tank before. The oscars were around 10 inches and the pleco were 17" long. I had them since they were 2 inches long. Right now I have a 2 sailfin pleco(10" and 4") and 2 common pleco(7", 4") with my 4 frontoas(3") and arowanas(6").
 
I inherited a jewel cichlid that was roughly 5-6 inches in length, and purchased a young 4 inch Oscar along with a 3-5 inch Rhino Pl*co to be placed with the jewel. After many bouts with illness with the oscar he finally got sick of being picked on by the jewel (not to mention grew quite a bit) and killed him one night while I was sleeping. He has yet to even so much as raise a dorsal to the pl*co and have never had any problems with the 2 of them in the tank, although this is probably all I will ever attempt to keep together as I am afraid the Oscar will destroy anything else I put in there with them in HIS tank.
 
I have two pl*co cats in with my juvenile Oscar and a baby marble oscar. Currently, the Pl*cos are longer than the two Oscars. Since day one, there hasn't been a single instance of fighting between them. The Pl*cos go about their business and the Oscars do the same.
 
Be careful in the futre as both of those fish become highly aggressive and territorial as they age. In the end a single pleco and oscar is all that can and should be held in a larger tank.
 
AquariaCentral.com