With an Oscar: Severums or Geophagus?

[Cksnffr]

I've got a 180g tank that currently has only a small leopard cactus pleco, three silver dollars, six pictus cats, and two nocturnal bumblebee jelly cats. Pretty much empty for a 180.

I'd like to keep a tiger oscar in there, starting out young. Wondering if a couple of severums or a few Geophagus would make better tankmates. I'm new to cichlids but not to freshwater. Thoughts?


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[FreshyFresh]

I'm not familiar with the catfish and pleco you have, but 12 other fish and one oscar would probably be close to max for a 180g.

Maybe a single O and one Sev max on top of what you've got.

 

[jasonfishaddict]

Silver Dollars should be kept in a school of 5 or more.
I too am unfamiliar with the catfish and pleco, well all but the Pictus cats. They should be fine in a group.
Either Severums or Geophagus sp. would be fine but the number of fish you'd have would overstock your 180g once they reach maturity.


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[Cksnffr]

Ok--let's say I move the SDs and the pictus to my big community tank. Pleco too. Then it's just an Oscar and a couple of 4" catfishes.

Any reasons to choose between a pair of severums or say four or five geos? I try not to go by looks alone.


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[FreshyFresh]

I'm not a huge silver dollar fan, but O keepers like them as a 'clean-up' crew, given how messy O's tend to eat. IMO, a group of SD's, a severum and an O would be great for a 180g.

 

[jasonfishaddict]

Agreed.


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[kyhokie]

Id go with severums bc of their size and activity level, but either would be ok. Also, the geos will tear up the substrate.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I love my severum as much as my oscar. Lots of personality, plus tough and feisty enough to live with an O, which isn't an easy task.

Thinking about the Silver dollar thing for the 180g... A group of them should tame some of the aggression the O will have towards the Sev. The O will get pooped just monitoring the cloud of SDs.

 

[Cksnffr]

Cool. There is a very nice 4" red-spotted severum at my LFS. Just one, though. Along with the group of SDs and the juvie oscar, does it make sense to do one severum or two?

 

[FreshyFresh]

The single Sev along with the O and SD group sounds IDEAL to me.