Oscar questions

[MommyJulia]

I read online that it's best to either keep 1 oscar or 6 or more. I wanted to know if that is true? Also that albino oscars are more mild tempered than tiger or red oscars? I wanna know if that is true also.

Would an oscar get along with blood parrots? Or a cichlid pike? Or severums?
Right now I have 1 oscar and he is with a JD and a firemouth. So far so good. I want to know about the other stuff before I go out and get more oscars.
Thanks in advance.

 

[nomadofthehills]

6 oscars sure, as long as your tank i well over 300 gallons haha.


So far so good, but probably it all depends on tank size.

 

[AMG]

Also that albino oscars are more mild tempered than tiger or red oscars?

Not true

Would an oscar get along with blood parrots? Or a cichlid pike? Or severums?

An Oscar should do fine with Blood Parrots, and Severums usually make good tank mates for Oscars too. I would avoid the Pikes though, too aggressive.

 

[skene]

I read online that it's best to either keep 1 oscar or 6 or more.I wanted to know if that is true?

The reason why it is stated as 6 or more is to keep aggression down. If you have 1 oscar, it will be more timid towards any other tank mates that do not look the same. If you have been reading up on cichlids, you would realize that aggression of these fish are conspecific (belonging to the same species). So for the most part any other type (depending on overall aggression/temperment of the species or individual fish itself) can be kept with other tank mates. (ie. Oscar tank mates JD, GT, Severum, Pleco, etc.)

Also that albino oscars are more mild tempered than tiger or red oscars? I wanna know if that is true also.

Not in the least bit. Depends on individual personality of the oscar. I have (this is in one of my tanks) a 10" albino tiger and an 8" red tiger, the albino is aggressive towards the other oscar and pacu in the tank. My red tiger is more passive with tank mates, but will attack my hand when I'm cleaning the tank.
In another tank, I have a 5" red tiger and 3" red albino. The red tiger is the alpha fish in the tank with a GT being second and then the albino taking third in the pecking order. Other cichlids in this tank follow behind.

Would an oscar get along with blood parrots? Or a cichlid pike? Or severums?

Yes/Maybe as individual temperament will vary between fish (Try and find out but only do so if they are both small fish not as adults/Yes

Right now I have 1 oscar and he is with a JD and a firemouth. So far so good. I want to know about the other stuff before I go out and get more oscars.
Thanks in advance.

Since oscars are so common in the trade there is much information out there. You have had enough sense to read up initially on behavior of these fish. There is not much more that needs to be known, but just keep in mind that just because you read up on them, the same needs to be done with any other fish that you are intending on keeping. Unless you are into really finding out personally what can be kept together by experimenting.

Hope it helps.

 

[MommyJulia]

The reason why it is stated as 6 or more is to keep aggression down. If you have 1 oscar, it will be more timid towards any other tank mates that do not look the same. If you have been reading up on cichlids, you would realize that aggression of these fish are conspecific (belonging to the same species). So for the most part any other type (depending on overall aggression/temperment of the species or individual fish itself) can be kept with other tank mates. (ie. Oscar tank mates JD, GT, Severum, Pleco, etc.)



Not in the least bit. Depends on individual personality of the oscar. I have (this is in one of my tanks) a 10" albino tiger and an 8" red tiger, the albino is aggressive towards the other oscar and pacu in the tank. My red tiger is more passive with tank mates, but will attack my hand when I'm cleaning the tank.
In another tank, I have a 5" red tiger and 3" red albino. The red tiger is the alpha fish in the tank with a GT being second and then the albino taking third in the pecking order. Other cichlids in this tank follow behind.


Yes/Maybe as individual temperament will vary between fish (Try and find out but only do so if they are both small fish not as adults/Yes



Since oscars are so common in the trade there is much information out there. You have had enough sense to read up initially on behavior of these fish. There is not much more that needs to be known, but just keep in mind that just because you read up on them, the same needs to be done with any other fish that you are intending on keeping. Unless you are into really finding out personally what can be kept together by experimenting.

Hope it helps.

Thank you for your information. And I have to say duh to reading up on any other fish I have. I have 11 tanks now with a variety of fish and I have read about all of them before buying them.
I was looking up info on Oscars last night and came across a website stating that one should always get 6 or more and how albino oscars are less aggressive. I wanted to ask ppl here about that, bc, I kind doubted the info.
Its not hard for me to like oscars, and so of course, I would like to get more of them. If I was just experimenting personalities of fish, I would have impulsively bought a ton of fish. I am not into experimenting, i am into keeping fish as a hobby as a pet owner, and providing the best environment I can for them.

Thank you for taking the time to give me information.

 

[LemonHead]

I have 2 lemon O's, I guess they may have albino in them? They have red eyes & white base. I also have one common tiger O and he is really scared of the lemons. So I think that rules out whether what color O is more timid or aggressive. I think its all on personality.

 

[tigerlover2006]

Oscars are beautiful whether they are kept in 6 or more or just by themselves. One of my greatest pet:

 

[MommyJulia]

wow, that is a really nice picture!

Yeah I really like oscars, and I want to get more of them, I read so much conflicting info that it gets confusing. I just wanna make sure everyone can get along or as much as possible and swim happy

 

[James B.]

The color has no baring really, my albino is the aggressor of the tank and if it choses would kick the crap out of my tigers no prob, it all comes down to individual fish personality

 

[MommyJulia]

Yeah I guess so. I was confused with all the info given on the web. One site said do not put them with blood parrots or other tame fish. And then another said do not put them with any aggressive fish, and another site said JD and Oscars are match made in heaven., while another site said absolutely not. So my mind was spinning lol. I have one oscar and I quickly fell in love with him. It didn't take long so absolutely i would like to get more. I just wanted to make sure I could and provide a comfy "tank" for all the fish involved. I don't want to experiment or be like oops I guess those 2 fish are not compatible.