My oscars I got when they were about 2"-2.5", in March 08. Now they are both easy 6"-6.5". I have them in with a 7" pictus cat, a 7" green spotted pleco and 4" golden nugget pleco. I have a lot of driftwood, and rocks, for the plecos to go under and the pictus cat to hang out in. Some spots the oscars really can't get into. Even so, they are not agressive towards the other fish in the tank. They'll swim right by them.
BUT, the bigger oscar has always been more dominant, and does chase the smaller one around. Mind you, he is only bigger by maybe an inch at most. This is a constant on-going habit.
I have always fed them hikari gold, beefheart, freeze dried krill, and that's it. I will not give them live food. I don't believe it's a good habit to give live food, for parasites, and mainly for aggression towards tank mates.
They are in a 120g, 5x2x2. Filtration is Eheim 2260, and Eheim 2236 x 2. I just think it's a habit, and trait of the fish. Basic personality.
When it comes to food they are together going for the pellets, they both eat very well. I feed them well, and do water changes of 50-75% once a week, sometimes twice. Gravel vacs all the time.
I believe if you had more hiding spots for your plecos and more driftwood, it would be better for other fish, as I have yet to have them have aggression issues with any of my plecos, with an exception of a couple small commons I put in a few months ago, and they become a meal that they spit out lol.
The way it LOOKS, is that it doesnt matter if I had a 180 g, they'd still find each other and chase each other around. One needs to hide out, and the other goes and chases.
Hey, if they kill each other, or one kills the other, what can I do. It's natural selection. heh
I'm sure this is them just being teens as I remember my breeding pair doing similar antics when they were about their size. Once they get about 8" they tend to calm down more.
I put my money on them growing out of it, as it's just a "teenage hormone phase".
The more rocks and caves and driftwood, are best for plecos. I have at least 6 pieces in there with shale, petrified wood, pagoda rock, and I recently put in some red shale and rainbow rock that I found from a old tank, which I have noticed really assist in bringing out the reds and oranges of the oscars.
Before they never really showed vivid colors as they do now.
I hope this helps you in some way! Good luck!
BUT, the bigger oscar has always been more dominant, and does chase the smaller one around. Mind you, he is only bigger by maybe an inch at most. This is a constant on-going habit.
I have always fed them hikari gold, beefheart, freeze dried krill, and that's it. I will not give them live food. I don't believe it's a good habit to give live food, for parasites, and mainly for aggression towards tank mates.
They are in a 120g, 5x2x2. Filtration is Eheim 2260, and Eheim 2236 x 2. I just think it's a habit, and trait of the fish. Basic personality.
When it comes to food they are together going for the pellets, they both eat very well. I feed them well, and do water changes of 50-75% once a week, sometimes twice. Gravel vacs all the time.
I believe if you had more hiding spots for your plecos and more driftwood, it would be better for other fish, as I have yet to have them have aggression issues with any of my plecos, with an exception of a couple small commons I put in a few months ago, and they become a meal that they spit out lol.
The way it LOOKS, is that it doesnt matter if I had a 180 g, they'd still find each other and chase each other around. One needs to hide out, and the other goes and chases.
Hey, if they kill each other, or one kills the other, what can I do. It's natural selection. heh
I'm sure this is them just being teens as I remember my breeding pair doing similar antics when they were about their size. Once they get about 8" they tend to calm down more.
I put my money on them growing out of it, as it's just a "teenage hormone phase".
The more rocks and caves and driftwood, are best for plecos. I have at least 6 pieces in there with shale, petrified wood, pagoda rock, and I recently put in some red shale and rainbow rock that I found from a old tank, which I have noticed really assist in bringing out the reds and oranges of the oscars.
Before they never really showed vivid colors as they do now.
I hope this helps you in some way! Good luck!
