So I'm at my lfs with my wife, who has not been on board for the most part with my 75gal tang tank, and she sees these full grown oscars and jack dempseys. She wants some now and I don't know a whole lot about keeping larger fish. If I do this I want to do it right but I want to keep the tanks footprint as small as possible. What kind of setup am I looking at for a couple oscars a jack and a pleco? Tank size and filtration. Also perfered substrate. Thanks in advance for the info evryone.
Oscar Setup
- Thread starter cichlid_starter
- Start date
the problem is gonna be that the jack or one of the oscars might decide they want the other 2 dead... and it will happen... now minimum tank size for 1 full grown oscar is 55 for 2 is 90 and i would say to add a jack you should have at least a 120..
so I drop down to two oscars in a 90. will that be alright? or can I do another oscar? can I just do gravel and what kind of filtration am I looking at doing?
oscars (like most cichlids) don't really benefit from taller tanks so a 90g for them would be no different than a 75. if you have enough filtration 2 O's in a 75/90 could work, but you would definetly want them to be opposite sexes. considering they are almost impossible to sex, that could be an issue.
now with O's and JD's I've seen many tanks run them without an issue. the trick is to make sure the O is larger than the JD when introduced. I would go the other way, 1 O and 2 JD's if it were me and that would work fine in a 75/90. just give them enough cover with plants and driftwood.
now with O's and JD's I've seen many tanks run them without an issue. the trick is to make sure the O is larger than the JD when introduced. I would go the other way, 1 O and 2 JD's if it were me and that would work fine in a 75/90. just give them enough cover with plants and driftwood.
IME I've kept O's with JD'S and have had no problem what so ever. I would get 1 O and 1 JD and they should workout fine as the above mentioned I would make sure the O is bigger and introduce them at the same time. I would shy away from 2 JD's in with the O I have had issues with that in the past.
1 oscar, 1 JD, 1 pleco and you will be OK in your 75g. You will need a good filter such as a quality canister filter. I would recommend an XP3 combined with an aquaclear hangon or equivelents from other companies if you don't like those brands. You will also need to do weekly water changes. 50% would be ideal.
You have a nice aquarium with big fish and the wife gets what she wants. Win Win.
You have a nice aquarium with big fish and the wife gets what she wants. Win Win.
Yeah, you could keep one oscar and one jack dempsey in the 75g. As for the pleco, it depends what species. You couldn't keep a common in there, it would WAY outgrow the tank.
Optionally, you could get a 120g and get two oscars and one jack dempsey. HOWEVER, you'd have to be very careful you don't get two males, so try and observe the fish at your lfs and try not to pick the more aggressive ones, it's a good bet they could be a male.
As for substrate, I'd go with a decent layer of gravel.
Filtration is up to you, but with any oscar tank, make sure you OVERfilter.
Optionally, you could get a 120g and get two oscars and one jack dempsey. HOWEVER, you'd have to be very careful you don't get two males, so try and observe the fish at your lfs and try not to pick the more aggressive ones, it's a good bet they could be a male.
As for substrate, I'd go with a decent layer of gravel.
Filtration is up to you, but with any oscar tank, make sure you OVERfilter.