Oscars for a 4x2x2 tank

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i_luv_fish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2009
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Australia, Victoria, Melbourne
Hi all, I am an experienced planted tank keeper. I have a 2ft reef also.

At the moment I have a 40cm Murray Cod in a 4x2x2 tank (432 litres). He is sick at the moment and I don't think he will survive :(

I have planned to add a sump on this tank, which involves taking the tank down to the LFS and building a new stand.

I have never kept cichlids before and would like to give Oscars a go. My friends that keep them say they are very fun. I have read lots about them and have read that my tank could keep 2 oscars.

I was just wondering if that is ok and maybe even adding another fish that feeds of the bottom?

Thanks in advance!
 
Some people say keeping only 2 oscars is bad. It's your choice really. They're a fun fish, and you could get a couple geophagus as well to feed off the bottom. I don't know what else you would want to put in there... There's probably a catfish that would work well for feeding off the bottom.
 
I'd say your chances of 2 Oscars getting along are 50/50. I've got 6 of them and only 2 won't put up with any other Oscar I've tried them with. Your size tank is about 125 g, I believe. That's big enough for 2 but you always run the risk of them not getting along at sexual maturity 6 months down the road. You could also get just 1 Oscar and some Silver Dollars or one of the Syno cats for company and clean up. Convicts are quick enough to get away from Oscars and female Convits are really pretty IMO. There'd be room for an Oscar, a Convict (or Jewel or Severum) and some Silver Dollars or a Syno Cat like a Featherfin.
 
2 oscars hasn't worked for me. One decided day one it was boss and bullied the other all the time. I had to make areas for the other fish to hide and it did work for about six months and then it made a mistake and bang it was dead.
 
You could try starting with a group of 5 or 6 at about 2". Raise them up to about 6-7". And maybe you can get a compatible pair out of the group. Even then there is no guarantee that one won't turn on the other.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Have you ever had a problem with the oscar hogging all the food off the other fish?

Also, what size return pump should I have? I'm looking at one that is rated at 3500l/h...is that too much?

Cheers!
 
lol Oh yea-you have to put bold, fast and big fish in with Oscars. They DO hog all the food, they're known for that :-) I don't have a sump so I don't know the answer to the 2nd question.
 
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