Green terror and oscar
- Thread starter Benji k
- Start date
A few problems with that mix.
First of all is water conditions, green terrors come from harder water with a higher pH than Oscars, making it a less than ideal mix at first.
Secondly, green terror are on average much more aggressive than Oscars and would pick a lot of fights as a result. A large Oscar can also hurt a gt, this whole mix can go bad in either direction.
Lastly is size and waste output - each one is a large cichlid that needs a lot of space for its own territory before even considering a competitor.
First of all is water conditions, green terrors come from harder water with a higher pH than Oscars, making it a less than ideal mix at first.
Secondly, green terror are on average much more aggressive than Oscars and would pick a lot of fights as a result. A large Oscar can also hurt a gt, this whole mix can go bad in either direction.
Lastly is size and waste output - each one is a large cichlid that needs a lot of space for its own territory before even considering a competitor.
I agree with Deadeye on aggression and I have a little story to prove that fact.
I once saw at the fish store a tank with two green terrors (each about 3-4 inches), 1 Oscar about 5-6 inches, 2 Frontosas also about 5-6 inches, and a yo-yo loach or two. The green terrors were the tank bosses and they bullied everyone, but especially the Oscar. Remember, the Oscar was much larger than the Green terrors, but the little terrors completely beat up the Oscar to the point where most of his fins were missing and scales had been ripped off.
So to answer the question about the green terror and Oscar mix, I'd said no to that. In separate tanks, however, they would be awesome standalones or with appropriate tank mates.
What are appropriate tank mates in your opinion just wondering what I can keep with them because I can’t keep Oscar’s with them
For green terrors, it depends on what size tank you have. Here are some tank mate ideas:
1. Striped Raphael Catfish (ideal as long as it is large enough)
2. Jack Dempseys
3. Silver Dollars,
4. Convict Cichlids
5. Smaller gar species (maybe larger ones too, others can chime in on that one).
6. Serverums
7. Arowanas,
8. Plecos
Hopefully, this little list can help you find the best setup. Some may not work, and others can chime in on that, but these fish are the ones I've seen work with Green Terrors. If you could provide what tank size you have or want to get, that would help a bunch.
Good luck!
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I wouldn’t do jd as both look too similar and would invite fights. Sevs are just too placid to be with more aggressive cichlids like jd or gt.
I don’t know enough on aros or gar to comment there but I would expect to see problems with that mix as well.
Tank size is the biggest factor - if this is the same 50 gallon where even a solo gt can’t fit, there definitely shouldn’t be any tankmates.
The most important thing is tank size as far as compatibility. What size are you working with?
I've had rivulatus and Heros (common name severums) get along quite well together, though with the varying temperament of either type and variables including gender, tank size, etc., it's really a case by case thing.
I've researched it and what I've found is A. rivulatus wild habitat is mostly neutral or near neutral pH (per Alf Stalsberg and other sources), it's stalsbergi that comes from more alkaline waters, including a brackish lake. In practice I've found rivulatus to do fine with pH anywhere between 7 and 8. Fishbase (taxononmy database) and other sources commonly list rivulatus pH as 6.5-8.
I've researched it and what I've found is A. rivulatus wild habitat is mostly neutral or near neutral pH (per Alf Stalsberg and other sources), it's stalsbergi that comes from more alkaline waters, including a brackish lake. In practice I've found rivulatus to do fine with pH anywhere between 7 and 8. Fishbase (taxononmy database) and other sources commonly list rivulatus pH as 6.5-8.
My theory is to the extent that's true the reason is probably because most stalsbergi are either wild or close to wild vs rivulatus that have been tank bred for many years. I've had wild rivulatus and they were more than a handful, even at 3 inches, wanting to fight everything including African cichlids more than twice their size.