I’d definitely try dither fish, even some large silver dollars to distract. What temp are you running in your tank? Cichlids sometimes get more aggressive in Warmer water.
Disappointing weekend setting up tank
- Thread starter Luvruben
- Start date
Temp just might be an issue, mid 70sF for oscars is plenty high enough, if your tank water is in the mid 80sF this can increase aggression, and may make oscars more vulnerable to bacterial infections (especially if your water is on the hard side).
I also agree Silver dollars would probably be a good choice, fast, not a mouthful, and geographically correct tank mates.
Clown loaches being Asian, (to my anally purist approach), if small enough to be being oscar prey, would be better off in a separate tank with other Asian species.
And I realize looking at a 200 to 300 glass box as a human in your living room or den, it may seem large.
But to to an oscar, whose instinctual territorial living space might be a river section of 50,000 gallons, and a mile wide, that tan,k the size of a drainage ditch, barely seems a puddle, with no room to share with another, so its hardly a surprise to find aggression.
I also agree Silver dollars would probably be a good choice, fast, not a mouthful, and geographically correct tank mates.
Clown loaches being Asian, (to my anally purist approach), if small enough to be being oscar prey, would be better off in a separate tank with other Asian species.
And I realize looking at a 200 to 300 glass box as a human in your living room or den, it may seem large.
But to to an oscar, whose instinctual territorial living space might be a river section of 50,000 gallons, and a mile wide, that tan,k the size of a drainage ditch, barely seems a puddle, with no room to share with another, so its hardly a surprise to find aggression.
Add a Group of silver dollars and a cool catfish to break it up
Put the more aggressive of the two oscars in last.
Put the more aggressive of the two oscars in last.
It’s natural and expected for fish to squabble in the beginning to establish a pecking order so let them be and see how it goes. Once they know who is dominant and submissive, things mellow down. Nonetheless, keep an eye on them.
That being said, two similar sized cichlids is problematic as they’ll challenge each other. Chances are, you won’t be able to keep two Oscars and see them cruise around together. You’ll have to add some more fish to spread out the aggression. It’s 300 gallons...you have space to add some more fish
That being said, two similar sized cichlids is problematic as they’ll challenge each other. Chances are, you won’t be able to keep two Oscars and see them cruise around together. You’ll have to add some more fish to spread out the aggression. It’s 300 gallons...you have space to add some more fish
Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
I tried putting them back together with the center of the tank void of decor (per a friends recommendation) and decor and plants on each side to look like 2 territories. I made a divider from plastic, egg crate type light cover thing from Home Depot so they could see each other.
kept them like this for a couple of weeks but they go at it when I try to integrate them.
I honestly don’t think they are even fighting that aggressively and are possibly even just roughhousing or doing normal Oscar things....but one has a severely deformed mouth (he was like this as a tiny baby Oscar when I got him) and I think because of this he gets beat up pretty good, losing scales and his mouth gets bloody.
Soooo. He went back to his 100 gallon tank and seems happy. I guess we’ll keep it like this.
They could very well be 2 males and never really be peaceful together. I really thought the one with the deformed mouth was female. I never took him/her out of the tank to look really close but if I put treats at the bottom of the tank he /she goes vertical to find them and I get a good look underneath.
However I have never seen her lay eggs and have had her since 2015. So most likely a him? The other one I always thought was a male.
I ended up getting 7 small Clown Loaches and then noticed the post about Oscars eating even large ones. The Clowns are , of course, not with Oscar now. They are in my 55 with a few Corys and 2 Bristlenose plecos. I realize they take a while to grow but now I’m wondering if I would want to risk it even when they are larger putting them in the 8 foot tank with the Oscar. I have never ever fed him live fish but that might not matter. I guess I have some time to think about it but now I wonder if some larger silver dollars wouldn’t have been a better idea....ugghh
It just occurred to me that the Oscar with the deformed mouth might be a safe bet with Clown Loaches when they are bigger. He can’t open his mouth very wide (although can eat his pellets fine) and I could maybe put him in the larger tank and the other to the 100 gallon...something to think about
You are absolutely right. I’m just now reading some of these replies. Even a big tank is just a puddle compared to the rivers they come from.
I feel like I made an impulse buy with the Loaches. Deep down I think you should keep fish from the same regions together too, and not mix them. Probably why my purchase is not sitting well with me. I don’t want to stress out the Loaches and return them. But another option would be another 100 gallon tank for that Oscar in the bigger tank and the Loaches would get the 200 gallon to themselves...they could even go in now, being small....
