DITHER FISH FOR OSCAR TANK/WILL BLACK SKIRT TETRAS WORK?

[Jon M]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with big fish eating small fish... so long as you are not using diseased feeder goldfish, and of course, you don't mind your smaller fish turning into food. My monsters keep the population in check of heavy breeding fish all the time.

-Rich

There's certainly nothing wrong with it and the large fish are great at keeping breeding population low but this person stated "dither fish" for their tank so we're kinda assuming they don't want them to turn into food.

group of silver dollars may be a better idea... they get big enough to avoid being eaten by oscars. I want to say maybe giant danios... certainly fast enough, though, even though they get a nice size, their body shape may not be tough for a large oscar to swallow. A bit of an unorthodox choice could be something like some larger boesemani rainbows. Those things actually hold their own really well, have very nice color, and have a bit of a deeper body-style compared to the giant danios.

Just a few suggestions.... good luck.

-Rich

An O has no problems downing Giant Danio. Their body size is like a perfect fish burrito. I found this out the hard way. I recently had to move a school of them out of my 125g into a 90g because my O was eating them at record speed, and he's only 6." When lights go out, they go bye bye. (and those damn things are 2.00ea and when he's eating 1-2 day that adds up!)

+1 for SD. They are practically the only dither I've ever been able to stock with my O without getting eaten except my Tinfoils and I wouldn't recommend them for dither considering their adult size.

 

[Tigz]

If by Black Skirt, you mean Black Widow, yes! They're fast enough to escape being a meal, and they have no fear.

My Black Widows survived for 6 weeks with my Oscars, longest of any small fish I've kept.
But they still got eaten lol

 

[rich_one]

There's certainly nothing wrong with it and the large fish are great at keeping breeding population low but this person stated "dither fish" for their tank so we're kinda assuming they don't want them to turn into food.

I agree, from the standpoint of the op's desire for "dither" fish. But I was responding to Dissy calling JanC irresponsible. If JanC has kept those fish in that tank for 4 monthes, having lost 5 so far... then it seems apparent to me, that JanC is not concerned about them being food. If JanC is not concerned about them being eaten, then I do not see why it is "irresponsible". Now, if you had the fish, and noticed one getting eaten, and it bothers you, but you still do nothing... than sure. But if it does not bother you, then to me, it is no different than say, you have convicts as dither, they breed, and you let the tanks population make snacks out of the offspring, without removing them. So I guess I am just saying that, I don't see why JanC is being irresponsible if he does not care that the tetras are being eaten. But the op would be irresponsible if he did not want his dithers to eventually be eaten... but went and got the black skirts anyway, and left them in their long enough to become food.

And I have no idea if I just made any sense or not... but I know I tried to!

-Rich

 

[JanC]

4 months is far too long to leave them in there.. They're usually ready to come out of your tank in about a month (maybe less) - depends on how long it takes your shy fish to move freely about.. They're dither fish - not target fish, and not feeder fish. Using them as such is irresponsible.

Well I guess im irresponsible.

@ Rich_one: Im not concerned about being them food.

 

[Jon M]

I agree, from the standpoint of the op's desire for "dither" fish. But I was responding to Dissy calling JanC irresponsible. If JanC has kept those fish in that tank for 4 monthes, having lost 5 so far... then it seems apparent to me, that JanC is not concerned about them being food. If JanC is not concerned about them being eaten, then I do not see why it is "irresponsible". Now, if you had the fish, and noticed one getting eaten, and it bothers you, but you still do nothing... than sure. But if it does not bother you, then to me, it is no different than say, you have convicts as dither, they breed, and you let the tanks population make snacks out of the offspring, without removing them. So I guess I am just saying that, I don't see why JanC is being irresponsible if he does not care that the tetras are being eaten. But the op would be irresponsible if he did not want his dithers to eventually be eaten... but went and got the black skirts anyway, and left them in their long enough to become food.

And I have no idea if I just made any sense or not... but I know I tried to!

-Rich

Lol, no that made sense. I agree. If he doesn't mind them getting eaten it's not irresponsible. It's the same as having feeders in there. Just expensive feeders.

 

[jumpin joe fish]

I got the black skirt tetras to live with the chocolate and they coexisted just fine. the black skirts are now getting about 2.5 - 3 inches. I added the red oscar juvie as somewhat as an impulse buy and I thought the chocolate could use some company. I have about 12 black skirt. As the oscar grows out I may move the tetras to a 39G community tank I have.

I do like Silver Dollars. Had 6 of them with a green severum in a previous setup ogf a 90G now occupied by a Jack Dempsey w 3 convicts, pleco.