I have owned Oscars and other american Cichlids for 8 years and have had great experiences I will share here. I choose to share my experiences because there are some specific things that I have read on many different sites including this forum about opinions of what can a person keep with Oscars and how big should the tank be. There is one consistent veiw I have read and that is one Oscar to a 55 gallon tank and maybe 2 other smaller tank mates or 1 pleco. The other view is, if a person has 2 Oscars they should have nothing smaller than a 100 gallon tank and 1 pleco and maybe a couple of other smaller fish. I have seen people ask questions about how many Oscars can I have, how big does the tank have to be, and what can I put in the tank with my Oscars. There is a lot of what I call "scare talk" out there in response to questions. So I will share my experiences and although there will be folks that do not agree with me it is based soley on my own personal experiences.
I would like to start off by saying owning fish is not just as simple as buying a tank and throwing fish in it. When I go to my local fish and aquarium stores I often see individuals and watch as they marvel at fish and realize they really do not know what they are doing, they just want the fish. They do not realize the care involved and nobody gives them good sound advice because they want the sale or the individuals just want the fish and care not to listen, all disasters waiting to happen for owning aquarium fish. That being said I will start of with water quality.
I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 2 Oscars in it. I've had the set up for 8 years. The Oscars are both about 13 inches. Now you Oscar advocates out there may say "your fish are not happy, they are crowded, your water quality is poor, that is indecent" these coments are what I referred to when I mention "scare talk" earlier. It works for me and it comes down to common sense. I started out with the 2 Oscars when they were small and that tank became their home. They are happy and have become my personal friends. These 2 fish think they are people. They want me to pet them and interact with them, they seem to enjoy this more than eating, they bother me more than my cats and get really ornery when I tend to my other aquariums. They have toy ball that they play with regularly and work together to change their aquarium when I do not pay a lot of attention to them. It is like they get bored. They did have a period around 4 inches when they battled for territory but it was short lived and mild. They are inseparable now. My deduction from this experience comes down to common sense and being serious about this hobby especially with 2 Oscars in a 55 gallon tank. Water quality and tank dynamics is the key. Water changes are key to success and maintaining a temperature, from my experience, around 78 degrees. When I say water changes I currently do a water change every other day about 10 to 20 % and then do 30 - 40 % every Saturday and vacuum out the bottom of the tank as the mess accumulates. My Ph is consistently around to 6.5 to 7% and my ammonia levels are rarely above 0. My Oscars are very healthy. I have a rock structure in the center of the tank and a territory for each Oscar on either side of the structure. At night they each go to their spot and rest on the bottom for the most part, during the day they spend much of it together and they are very peaceful. This scenario as it played out for me may not work that way for everyone. 8 years ago I was told I was taking a risk. But I think it is about the aquarium owner and the commitment one is willing to make.
5 years ago I purchased a 150 gallon tank and 3 years ago I was given a 125 gallon tank with 4 Oscars and a Jack Dempsey. With the 150 gallon I started out with these fish, I will list them and they are all still together and co-exist quite well together. There are 2 Oscars, 2 Jack Dempseys, 2 firemouths, 1 Green Terror, 1 Blue Acara, 1 Angel, 1 Salvini and a Phantom Green Pleco. None of them are smaller than 5 inches and the largest are the Oscars and Green Terror the 3 of them about 12 to 14 inches. The Dempseys are about 8 to 10 inches. The Angel being in there is just bizzare but oddly it works, he is buddies with the Oscars both are Tigers and they protect him if anybody else wants to mess with him. The Angel is an interesing story, a friend gave him to me when all of these Cichlids in my 150 gallon tank were small. She had this Angel in her Angel tank and he was very aggressive causing battle wounds to her other Angels. I had no other aquarium I could put him in that i felt would work, due to the establishment by the current residents, so I put him in with the young Cichlids. So many people when I asked if I should do that told me that I was being cruel or unfare to the Angel, and that an Angel will not work with those fish. I am about trial and error and if it got ugly I would have donated the Angel to a trustworthy fish keeper. Well I am proud to say the Angel fits right in and I have learned a few things about why it worked and why it can work again. The tank dynamic is perfect, there is plenty of hiding places and everyone behaves well. The Dempseys are the trouble makers occasionally but nothing serious, They occasionally pick at my Green Terror but he puts them in their place. The Dempseys when they were small were very aggressive toward one another, and now they are like one fish always swimming together. Watching them sometimes it looks as though they are attached. The 2 Oscars are extremely mellow and nobody messes with them. My tank set up: I have a corner flow filtration system in this tank and I have a timed water release and water add valves. Water is released daily from the tank and added to the tank simutaneously. I have a storage tank that fills up with water, it holds up to 50 gallons of water, the water is filtered as it enters this tank. Every night at 10PM 50 gallons of water is released and the 50 gallons from the storage tank are added. I have an elevated base in the bottom of the aquarium that the substrate rests on. On one side of the tank water is being taken through the filtration system at the top and forced out on the bottom underneath the substrate and is taken in the filtration sytem from the bottom on the oppisite side and released through the top. The ammonia level is always zero. There is maintence with this system but very little. I only do a vacuum off the bottom about once per month and because my system works so well there is usaully only waste and debris on the surface of the substrate in very small amounts. The Ph in this tank is usually at about 6.8 to 7%. Water quality is the most important thing in keeping fish and this system provides it. The fish are very vibrant and active in this tank and they have lots of structure providing sanctuary. Very little aggression. My set up for this tank cost me about $2000.00
The other tank I mention I have donated as well as the 4 Oscars and the Jack Dempsey that were given to me. These fish did not work form me, I could not add anything to their environment and they did not do well being added to other environments. I gave them to a nursing home for the residents to watch and enjoy. I could not do anything different with them. They had established themselves together and changing the tank dynamic did not change the environment. Anything I tried to add became a target of aggression.
So here is what I want to advise anybody that has curious questions about Oscars, how to keep them and who can be with them. The first thing, if a person want Oscars they need to ask themselves if they are commited because in order for them to be healthy the commitment is necessary. They will require some time each day but the rewards of what they give back makes the work worth while. If someone is not willing to make the commitment do not purchase Oscars. Hole in the head is a common parasite and it happens mostly in an aqaurium that is not properly maintained and Oscars are prone to it when their water quality is consistently low. And 2 in a 55 gallon tank will require a lot of water maintenance. All the advice I read states do not put an Oscar in anything less that a 55 gallon tank and never 2. I agree the tank should be at least 55 gallons but 2 Oscars can work a person should start out with small Oscars and be very commited. (I do not believe you need to put six Oscars together to find 2 that will work together although for breeding purposes this is the best procedure to follow) It seems that most people do not understand what the commitment is, which is why most advice states no more than 1 Oscar to a 55 gallon tank. And watch the fish, aggression may appear as they age when establishing territory. Monitor their behavior and a person may have to part with one although it has not happened to me or any of my friend, however, it can happen. The tank should be divided. Do the water changes I have done and as I continue to do. Water quality is very important. As far as my 150 gallon tank, I set the system up so I did not have to do the daily cleaning, but not everyone is going to do that. or has the money. The water, however needs to be replaced and taking it from the faucet one should be sure to use conditioners when adding it to the aquarium. With these fish do not do it less than what I do if you want the water quality I have. With a 150 gallon tank without the setup I have my advice is to do a 20 % water change about every 3 days and clean the bottom substrate every week or sooner if the debris and waste is buliding up, as the fish get bigger water changes will become daily, at least every 3rd day at the minimum and a vacuum of the bottom once per week again the minimum. The second thing, about what fish can a person have with Oscars, the Cichlids I have together have worked the best for me although it is best to remember there are always risks. Again trial and error and common sense. When there is constant aggression remove the aggressor or the one that is receiving the aggression as this is stressful for both fish. Aggressors are just as stressed because they are trying to remove a fish that threatens their own existence. Sometimes a person gets a bully and he just has to go, as no fish will subvise for him or her. A person just needs to be aware. With Cichlids start out small. This way the tank is established as they work it out through their growth and maturity. It will be difficult to add any new fish to the aquarium once it is established. Oscars and Dempseys especially can cause problems as they typically do not like fish added to their house as it is theirs, just like with adding a new cat or a new dog when there is already a cat and dog living there. Believe it or not fish are a lot like any other pet. What is theirs is theirs and sharing with a new guest is forbidden. I have heard many horror stories with Green Terrors being with Oscars as these can be more aggresive, but in my experience I have not witnessed any of this. I can say they are very territorial and will protect their area with a little more vigar than an Oscar. I have been told they do not work with Oscars, Jack Dempseys, or Blue Acaras. My Green Terror and a friend of mine have not experienced any of this with our Green Terrors but there is always risks. Firemouths I believe work great. Dempseys are trial and error and I honestly would not recommend them with Oscars if a person wants to avoid any aggression. Chasing each other as some of these Cichlids do is very common and I do not consider it aggression just typical behavior. These guys, Jack Dempseys, can be absolute bullies and remove flesh from your Oscars. I have not had that problem with mine but with friends of mine who own them or owned them had intense situations where the Jack Dempseys had to go. My Dempseys are the most aggressive in my tank and they do get ornery on occasion although no flesh has been removed from their tank mates, I do not advise against having them but just beware with these guys. The Blue Acara, like the Angel hang out with the Oscars and do fine in my tank. I have no advice for an Angel or a Blue Acara. Everyone told me it would not work, these are the fish that have worked the best for me. The Oscars protect both the Angel and the Acara. The Salvini Cichlid? Truely go with caution on this one, great with Oscars not so great with Jack Dempsey's or the Firemouths. They do not get much bigger than 6 inches 8 at the most but they can be nasty even more so than the Dempseys. To me these truely are the fighting fish. My Salvini takes on both Jack Dempseys and holds his ground never backs down and he is 3 quarters of the size as they are. They have a hard time bulling him and no flesh has been removed with the skirmishes they have had. He has liplocked with both of them at one time or another but again no loss of blood, maybe a little pride. I will mention one more fish that many say work great with Oscars, Severum. I do not agree with this statment not because they are aggressive but because they are annoying as they nip fins. Every Severum I have ever attempted in my Cichlid tank was always left alone, but they, the Severum, never failed an attempt to nip the fins of my other fish. All my fish have beautiful dorsal and anal fins and the Severum I have had, 3 different ones, over 1 year nipped away fins from the fish that were supposed to be the elite. Just go with the understanding that once the Cichlids have established the tank it is theirs and they only share with those they started with. Just be sure to start these guys out small and observe and remove the aggressors as necessary.
Food: I say no to feeder fish. Stick with blood worms, Cichlid pellets and flakes, brine shrimp, vegatable packs from your fish store or off line or whatever food that works best for the fish a person has. Just beware of feeder fish. They are inexpensive and a couple of dozen added to a tank like mine for example can keep your fish fed in some cases a couple of weeks. But these too will eat your food and produce waste in the aquarium, some manage to not get eaten especially in a tank with a lot of structure. The worst thing is they will provide your tank with a healthy amount of parasites. There is no maybe they simply will. They can, over time, wipe out your important inhabitants. When you go to fish stores feeder fish are over crowded in the tanks they hold them in and the water, even with the circulation, cannot keep the environment they are in clean. I have several friends that lost their Oscars to disease that did not occur until after the feeder fish were added and eaten. Only thing I will specifically say not to do in this essay is purchase feeder fish.
Lastly. Do not hold my advice to the wall as it is simply that "advice". I am not telling anybody what to do as it is ultimatley up to what may work best for every person. If you have a 40 Gallon tank and 1 Oscar and it is healthy and it works hey I say great for you and do not worry about somebody telling you that you should not do it although if you were to have 2 in that example I would advise you to be warry and it is not recommended by me. What I have shared is through my personal experiences that I have gained over the past few years. I am not an expert but I am commited and have had wonderful success with this hobby. I want to share this with those that really want to have Oscars and the other Cichlids I have mentioned but some of the things a person reads is scary and if someone followed the directions in some cases no fish would ever be owned. I have no bias just my own experience and what has worked for me. The fish I have listed worked best together, other than the Severum. I hope the information I have provided helps somebody in making a decision especially somebody starting out with owning these fish. If a person has never owned any fish, start out with simple fish, like Zebra Danios, Guppies, Neons and Tetras. These are great for establishing the necessary bacteria in the tank and providing the cycle. Make sure you read up on cycling an aquarium before adding your Oscars and other New world Cichlids.
I would like to start off by saying owning fish is not just as simple as buying a tank and throwing fish in it. When I go to my local fish and aquarium stores I often see individuals and watch as they marvel at fish and realize they really do not know what they are doing, they just want the fish. They do not realize the care involved and nobody gives them good sound advice because they want the sale or the individuals just want the fish and care not to listen, all disasters waiting to happen for owning aquarium fish. That being said I will start of with water quality.
I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 2 Oscars in it. I've had the set up for 8 years. The Oscars are both about 13 inches. Now you Oscar advocates out there may say "your fish are not happy, they are crowded, your water quality is poor, that is indecent" these coments are what I referred to when I mention "scare talk" earlier. It works for me and it comes down to common sense. I started out with the 2 Oscars when they were small and that tank became their home. They are happy and have become my personal friends. These 2 fish think they are people. They want me to pet them and interact with them, they seem to enjoy this more than eating, they bother me more than my cats and get really ornery when I tend to my other aquariums. They have toy ball that they play with regularly and work together to change their aquarium when I do not pay a lot of attention to them. It is like they get bored. They did have a period around 4 inches when they battled for territory but it was short lived and mild. They are inseparable now. My deduction from this experience comes down to common sense and being serious about this hobby especially with 2 Oscars in a 55 gallon tank. Water quality and tank dynamics is the key. Water changes are key to success and maintaining a temperature, from my experience, around 78 degrees. When I say water changes I currently do a water change every other day about 10 to 20 % and then do 30 - 40 % every Saturday and vacuum out the bottom of the tank as the mess accumulates. My Ph is consistently around to 6.5 to 7% and my ammonia levels are rarely above 0. My Oscars are very healthy. I have a rock structure in the center of the tank and a territory for each Oscar on either side of the structure. At night they each go to their spot and rest on the bottom for the most part, during the day they spend much of it together and they are very peaceful. This scenario as it played out for me may not work that way for everyone. 8 years ago I was told I was taking a risk. But I think it is about the aquarium owner and the commitment one is willing to make.
5 years ago I purchased a 150 gallon tank and 3 years ago I was given a 125 gallon tank with 4 Oscars and a Jack Dempsey. With the 150 gallon I started out with these fish, I will list them and they are all still together and co-exist quite well together. There are 2 Oscars, 2 Jack Dempseys, 2 firemouths, 1 Green Terror, 1 Blue Acara, 1 Angel, 1 Salvini and a Phantom Green Pleco. None of them are smaller than 5 inches and the largest are the Oscars and Green Terror the 3 of them about 12 to 14 inches. The Dempseys are about 8 to 10 inches. The Angel being in there is just bizzare but oddly it works, he is buddies with the Oscars both are Tigers and they protect him if anybody else wants to mess with him. The Angel is an interesing story, a friend gave him to me when all of these Cichlids in my 150 gallon tank were small. She had this Angel in her Angel tank and he was very aggressive causing battle wounds to her other Angels. I had no other aquarium I could put him in that i felt would work, due to the establishment by the current residents, so I put him in with the young Cichlids. So many people when I asked if I should do that told me that I was being cruel or unfare to the Angel, and that an Angel will not work with those fish. I am about trial and error and if it got ugly I would have donated the Angel to a trustworthy fish keeper. Well I am proud to say the Angel fits right in and I have learned a few things about why it worked and why it can work again. The tank dynamic is perfect, there is plenty of hiding places and everyone behaves well. The Dempseys are the trouble makers occasionally but nothing serious, They occasionally pick at my Green Terror but he puts them in their place. The Dempseys when they were small were very aggressive toward one another, and now they are like one fish always swimming together. Watching them sometimes it looks as though they are attached. The 2 Oscars are extremely mellow and nobody messes with them. My tank set up: I have a corner flow filtration system in this tank and I have a timed water release and water add valves. Water is released daily from the tank and added to the tank simutaneously. I have a storage tank that fills up with water, it holds up to 50 gallons of water, the water is filtered as it enters this tank. Every night at 10PM 50 gallons of water is released and the 50 gallons from the storage tank are added. I have an elevated base in the bottom of the aquarium that the substrate rests on. On one side of the tank water is being taken through the filtration system at the top and forced out on the bottom underneath the substrate and is taken in the filtration sytem from the bottom on the oppisite side and released through the top. The ammonia level is always zero. There is maintence with this system but very little. I only do a vacuum off the bottom about once per month and because my system works so well there is usaully only waste and debris on the surface of the substrate in very small amounts. The Ph in this tank is usually at about 6.8 to 7%. Water quality is the most important thing in keeping fish and this system provides it. The fish are very vibrant and active in this tank and they have lots of structure providing sanctuary. Very little aggression. My set up for this tank cost me about $2000.00
The other tank I mention I have donated as well as the 4 Oscars and the Jack Dempsey that were given to me. These fish did not work form me, I could not add anything to their environment and they did not do well being added to other environments. I gave them to a nursing home for the residents to watch and enjoy. I could not do anything different with them. They had established themselves together and changing the tank dynamic did not change the environment. Anything I tried to add became a target of aggression.
So here is what I want to advise anybody that has curious questions about Oscars, how to keep them and who can be with them. The first thing, if a person want Oscars they need to ask themselves if they are commited because in order for them to be healthy the commitment is necessary. They will require some time each day but the rewards of what they give back makes the work worth while. If someone is not willing to make the commitment do not purchase Oscars. Hole in the head is a common parasite and it happens mostly in an aqaurium that is not properly maintained and Oscars are prone to it when their water quality is consistently low. And 2 in a 55 gallon tank will require a lot of water maintenance. All the advice I read states do not put an Oscar in anything less that a 55 gallon tank and never 2. I agree the tank should be at least 55 gallons but 2 Oscars can work a person should start out with small Oscars and be very commited. (I do not believe you need to put six Oscars together to find 2 that will work together although for breeding purposes this is the best procedure to follow) It seems that most people do not understand what the commitment is, which is why most advice states no more than 1 Oscar to a 55 gallon tank. And watch the fish, aggression may appear as they age when establishing territory. Monitor their behavior and a person may have to part with one although it has not happened to me or any of my friend, however, it can happen. The tank should be divided. Do the water changes I have done and as I continue to do. Water quality is very important. As far as my 150 gallon tank, I set the system up so I did not have to do the daily cleaning, but not everyone is going to do that. or has the money. The water, however needs to be replaced and taking it from the faucet one should be sure to use conditioners when adding it to the aquarium. With these fish do not do it less than what I do if you want the water quality I have. With a 150 gallon tank without the setup I have my advice is to do a 20 % water change about every 3 days and clean the bottom substrate every week or sooner if the debris and waste is buliding up, as the fish get bigger water changes will become daily, at least every 3rd day at the minimum and a vacuum of the bottom once per week again the minimum. The second thing, about what fish can a person have with Oscars, the Cichlids I have together have worked the best for me although it is best to remember there are always risks. Again trial and error and common sense. When there is constant aggression remove the aggressor or the one that is receiving the aggression as this is stressful for both fish. Aggressors are just as stressed because they are trying to remove a fish that threatens their own existence. Sometimes a person gets a bully and he just has to go, as no fish will subvise for him or her. A person just needs to be aware. With Cichlids start out small. This way the tank is established as they work it out through their growth and maturity. It will be difficult to add any new fish to the aquarium once it is established. Oscars and Dempseys especially can cause problems as they typically do not like fish added to their house as it is theirs, just like with adding a new cat or a new dog when there is already a cat and dog living there. Believe it or not fish are a lot like any other pet. What is theirs is theirs and sharing with a new guest is forbidden. I have heard many horror stories with Green Terrors being with Oscars as these can be more aggresive, but in my experience I have not witnessed any of this. I can say they are very territorial and will protect their area with a little more vigar than an Oscar. I have been told they do not work with Oscars, Jack Dempseys, or Blue Acaras. My Green Terror and a friend of mine have not experienced any of this with our Green Terrors but there is always risks. Firemouths I believe work great. Dempseys are trial and error and I honestly would not recommend them with Oscars if a person wants to avoid any aggression. Chasing each other as some of these Cichlids do is very common and I do not consider it aggression just typical behavior. These guys, Jack Dempseys, can be absolute bullies and remove flesh from your Oscars. I have not had that problem with mine but with friends of mine who own them or owned them had intense situations where the Jack Dempseys had to go. My Dempseys are the most aggressive in my tank and they do get ornery on occasion although no flesh has been removed from their tank mates, I do not advise against having them but just beware with these guys. The Blue Acara, like the Angel hang out with the Oscars and do fine in my tank. I have no advice for an Angel or a Blue Acara. Everyone told me it would not work, these are the fish that have worked the best for me. The Oscars protect both the Angel and the Acara. The Salvini Cichlid? Truely go with caution on this one, great with Oscars not so great with Jack Dempsey's or the Firemouths. They do not get much bigger than 6 inches 8 at the most but they can be nasty even more so than the Dempseys. To me these truely are the fighting fish. My Salvini takes on both Jack Dempseys and holds his ground never backs down and he is 3 quarters of the size as they are. They have a hard time bulling him and no flesh has been removed with the skirmishes they have had. He has liplocked with both of them at one time or another but again no loss of blood, maybe a little pride. I will mention one more fish that many say work great with Oscars, Severum. I do not agree with this statment not because they are aggressive but because they are annoying as they nip fins. Every Severum I have ever attempted in my Cichlid tank was always left alone, but they, the Severum, never failed an attempt to nip the fins of my other fish. All my fish have beautiful dorsal and anal fins and the Severum I have had, 3 different ones, over 1 year nipped away fins from the fish that were supposed to be the elite. Just go with the understanding that once the Cichlids have established the tank it is theirs and they only share with those they started with. Just be sure to start these guys out small and observe and remove the aggressors as necessary.
Food: I say no to feeder fish. Stick with blood worms, Cichlid pellets and flakes, brine shrimp, vegatable packs from your fish store or off line or whatever food that works best for the fish a person has. Just beware of feeder fish. They are inexpensive and a couple of dozen added to a tank like mine for example can keep your fish fed in some cases a couple of weeks. But these too will eat your food and produce waste in the aquarium, some manage to not get eaten especially in a tank with a lot of structure. The worst thing is they will provide your tank with a healthy amount of parasites. There is no maybe they simply will. They can, over time, wipe out your important inhabitants. When you go to fish stores feeder fish are over crowded in the tanks they hold them in and the water, even with the circulation, cannot keep the environment they are in clean. I have several friends that lost their Oscars to disease that did not occur until after the feeder fish were added and eaten. Only thing I will specifically say not to do in this essay is purchase feeder fish.
Lastly. Do not hold my advice to the wall as it is simply that "advice". I am not telling anybody what to do as it is ultimatley up to what may work best for every person. If you have a 40 Gallon tank and 1 Oscar and it is healthy and it works hey I say great for you and do not worry about somebody telling you that you should not do it although if you were to have 2 in that example I would advise you to be warry and it is not recommended by me. What I have shared is through my personal experiences that I have gained over the past few years. I am not an expert but I am commited and have had wonderful success with this hobby. I want to share this with those that really want to have Oscars and the other Cichlids I have mentioned but some of the things a person reads is scary and if someone followed the directions in some cases no fish would ever be owned. I have no bias just my own experience and what has worked for me. The fish I have listed worked best together, other than the Severum. I hope the information I have provided helps somebody in making a decision especially somebody starting out with owning these fish. If a person has never owned any fish, start out with simple fish, like Zebra Danios, Guppies, Neons and Tetras. These are great for establishing the necessary bacteria in the tank and providing the cycle. Make sure you read up on cycling an aquarium before adding your Oscars and other New world Cichlids.
