Loaches and Oscars? What's the Deal?

[SidKarver]

Yes, the loach needs to be a little bigger...My 5 inch Oscar hit and ate two Clown loaches 2"-3" size when i tried to introduce them

Likewise. My 6 inch O' went after my (2-4") Clowns when I tried to introduce them.

HOWEVER. Like any Oscar, he is the most peaceful community fish you could ask for. If it can't fit in his mouth, it'll be his best friend forever.

I'm housing my 6 CL's with 5 Pictus-Cat's until they get big and fat.

The reason that people mix CL's and Oscars is simple. Oscars and CL's are like dogs, very smart, and very personable.

I don't know of any other specie of freshwater fish that has that sort of intelligence...

 

[Bigtdotcom]

i have 5 CL with my full grown Oscar with no prob at all. 3 of the loaches have been in there for 2 yrs and r bout 4 inches the other 2 are new additions and are lucky to be 2 inches. Apart from some initial curiosity my Oscar pays no time to the clowns. The only fish my O bother is the other cichlids in the tank and even then he just bosses them around from time to time, no biggie

 

[Psylant]

I'm a new member, and this is first post! I had to register just to respond to this question. I have a 75g with a 9" tiger oscar, some yoyos and a 12" pleco. My oscar is a TERROR and constantly beats on my pleco anytime that the lights are on and the pleco dares show his face. The O has almost killed him many times (completely torn the fins right down the flesh) simply because the pleco is stubborn and won't go in his cave. It's regrown it's fins many many times.... This being said, my loaches are almost never bothered by the oscar. Even if the oscar does try to attack, the loaches are MUCH too fast for him to ever have a hope of catching. If you offer driftwood, caves, pipework, or anything along those lines for your loaches to seek refuge during an attack you won't have any issues.

I agree with the previous posts about Oscars being gentle for the most part. This is my 4th Oscar (I've moved a few times across country) and all the previous ones were cool as cucumbers. They can hold their own against most moderately aggressive fish, or community settings are fine also providing he can't swallow the fish.

 

[Andyroo]

I've had little tiger oscars & CL school together. All same size (tiny), very pretty in natural light.
If you're starting the tank from scratch then this is easy-
Set it up for oscar: plants, peat filtration etc... and add aspects for the loaches: driftwood, sand-substrate, bamboo/PVC piping & a couple of power-heads shooting along the front wall. Let it run for 6-weeks then add some fast, high-activity "dither" fish like rainbows or danios. Wait a week (or two) then add your loaches. Minimum 5, good sized animals and let them get accustomed- maybe another month or two.
Once this system is well established (playing and eating) then add your oscars. They will come in discombobulated and will be less apt to try to take over/eat everybody. They will eventually clear out some/many of your dimmer dithers, but that's the price of doing business.
The issue with predators eating clowns seems to usually be with them (clowns) being introduced to a new & established predator system, particularly when they are going to be seen as feeders.
My two cents.
In Uni we had a full-on predator system with oscar & aro & FW barra & eels & leaf-fish etc.... (yes, massively overstocked) and two little 2" clowns that had no fear and were never bothered. I reckon that orange & black pattern suggests a chemical defence of some sort, but the spine is also pretty effective.
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