Mixing Jacks & Oscars - Good idea or bad?

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itsKRUDD

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 8, 2012
572
1
18
Jacksonville, FL
Well one of the tanks is cracked and we have 2 jacks, one large and one small, then 2 oscars, both kind of small. Would it work if the fish were put together, or would they fight / kill each other?
 
Oscar will easily outweigh the Dempsey if we are comparing full grown size, but dempseys tend to be more aggressive than oscars. Of course with cichlids, personality plays a big part in how well any fish get along. With the smaller Oscar, I would keep a careful eye on their interactions. You may need to remove the Oscar to another tank until its gains some size and can handle being with the dempsey if the Dempsey gets nasty. Otherwise, long term success chances are high. Luckily oscars grow pretty fast. :)


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Jack Dempseys are as wimpy as Oscars and much more shy, what size tank are you putting them in?
 
Jack Dempseys are as wimpy as Oscars and much more shy, what size tank are you putting them in?

Yes Jacks tend to be "wimpy" compared to other more agro cichlids but against smaller Oscars it could easily be a bully. Especially if you have a male and female Jack. Ive had a 9-10 inch JD eat a 5-6 inch tankmate before so dont just write them off as kittens.

It will depend on your tank size and fish size IMO.
 
Yes Jacks tend to be "wimpy" compared to other more agro cichlids but against smaller Oscars it could easily be a bully. Especially if you have a male and female Jack. Ive had a 9-10 inch JD eat a 5-6 inch tankmate before so dont just write them off as kittens.

It will depend on your tank size and fish size IMO.

+1


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Dempseys are not aggressive per-say, more defensive. I have kept jd's in with all my oscars over the years. The only thing I would worry about would be size differences. Young fish are not as tough as older ones.
 
They should be fine. Just watch for signs of aggression, as others have said.
 
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