Large Tiger Oscar help

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
C

criecken

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 20, 2008
13
0
0
Phoenix
Had a 9" Oscar in a 55 gallon tank. 2 weeks ago I upgraded to a 110 gal tank. It is 5' in length, 18" wide. So last weekend I thought I would get him a friend and happened upon a nice looking 13" Tiger at LFS. Didn't think Tigers even got that big, but he is in great health and has awesome colors. After adding to the new tank, they both fought off and on for a couple of days. I kept sliding a divider in to keep the damages down. After a couple days the larger Oscar had won over the dominence battle. But now he has continued for last 4 days to attack the smaller Oscar. Usually just a few scales removed and some chasing around, then he will leave him alone for an hour or so... then repeat the whole thing.

As I see it here are my options:

1- give it another few days with a divider in and out for part of each day and see if they can finally co-exists.
2- Take one of them back to the LFS and find another tank mate.
3- Add a 3rd fish to take some of the focus off the single smaller Oscar... thinking of a Jaguar or Jack Dempsey about 6-8" in size.

Any advice would be much appreciated, as I hate to lose or return either Oscar.
 
Mix tank deco i guess or maybe if you don't have deco then i think the soacr you got first should stay as he was the first one just one of those things where they might not get along but if you mix deco up thne that should help see waht someone else has to say cause i am not sure

Good Luck
 
put in large fake plants (live will be ruined) as visual barriers. and put structure on each end of the tank then nothing in the middle (rock or wood-wise) hopefully between the territories at the opposite ends of the tank and visual barriers it might work.
 
The smaller one is still 9" in length, maybe bigger.
Not sure what to build him as far as a cave goes that would be large enough without stacking a ton of rocks up.
PVC would be great, but not sure where to find any that large in diameter.
Would probably have to be about 7" in diameter for him to fit.
 
From what I've read about Oscars, it's very difficult to introduce two adults in a tank of that size and have them accept each other. Oscars have a high level of conspecific aggression, and if you've got two males on your hands, the larger one might soon kill the smaller. For a 110 gallon tank, I'd suggest taking one of the Oscars to the store and trying a Jack Dempsey or similar species instead as a tankmate. Or, you could give it some time trying out the two Oscars but I'd be pretty worried for the 9" one.
 
thats difficult to introduce two adult oscars together unless you know what sex they are f-f should be ok/////m-f if they acept each other your ok///m-m is a no no.......

i would be either inclined to take the one back to the shop along with yours and get some juvis,,,do not go down the jag road,,been there done that and it doesnt last
 
Are Jaguars really that mean/tough? Putting a 6" Jag in tank with 13" Oscar.... would the Oscar really lose that battle?
I am just curiuos as I have pretty much decided against the Jag at this point.
 
youd never know til you tried,,,i had 6 inche oscars 1.5years ago and got a 2inch jag and within a year . five hes gone from titchy to overgrew them,,,,,,all got on fine til one day
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom