I’m looking for experienced opinions on the long-term viability of keeping an Oscar (~5" right now) with an Indo Dat (~8–10" currently) in a 125-gallon (FX6 and AC110).
My LFS has an Indo Dat that has been there for several months. He is struggling. They currently have him in 55 with a ~18 inch Red Tail cat that is bullying the **** out of him. I really want to save him but I understand this might not work long term.
The tank has heavy rockwork, large artificial plants, and clear visual breaks, and I’m willing to fully rearrange décor and manage introductions carefully. My thought would be to let the datnoid establish first, then reintroduce the Oscar after a short separation to reset territory. I understand this pairing is controversial, so I’m not looking for guarantees, just real-world experiences. If you’ve tried this combo, how did it play out over time (months to years)? At what point did size, feeding competition, or aggression become an issue, if at all?
I just really want to save this guy but worried about creating more problems.
My LFS has an Indo Dat that has been there for several months. He is struggling. They currently have him in 55 with a ~18 inch Red Tail cat that is bullying the **** out of him. I really want to save him but I understand this might not work long term.
The tank has heavy rockwork, large artificial plants, and clear visual breaks, and I’m willing to fully rearrange décor and manage introductions carefully. My thought would be to let the datnoid establish first, then reintroduce the Oscar after a short separation to reset territory. I understand this pairing is controversial, so I’m not looking for guarantees, just real-world experiences. If you’ve tried this combo, how did it play out over time (months to years)? At what point did size, feeding competition, or aggression become an issue, if at all?
I just really want to save this guy but worried about creating more problems.
