Question about new oscar

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
or any SA/CA cichlid. sorry IMHO.
 
I stole a pic from the aquascaping forum. Make your tank look something like this (you can skip the substrate if you don't care for it) and make sure the plants extend at least 2/3 of the way up to the top. Two large clumps (like these) are good. Maybe add a 5-6" diameter flower pot. (New and cleaned, not a used one.) The changes will cause the convict to lose track of the oscar and reduce the convict's claim on the whole tank. Keep that until the oscar starts swimming regularly around the tank (which will likely not happen until he gets 2 or more inches longer than the convict.)



http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?582142-Pics-of-some-of-my-tanks

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Another example. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...093-Need-relatively-easy-care-plants-for-125g


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Thanks for the advice! I am not going to take him back, because I have a spare 55 so I could separate them for life if need be. I'm going to get some extra plants and hides I have together and put it in there then post another picture in a bit, taking your advice into consideration, and tell me what you think. It won't be pretty, because none of it is meant to go together, but I'm just wanting to make a good place for them to coexist. I will post back in a bit.

Also, the lights were off and I moved the (few) hides around before I added him. I was under the impression that Oscars were more aggressive than convicts, so I totally didn't anticipate what was going to happen. But please any suggestions are appreciated.
 
sorry for being harsh. to put a fish in the bare bottom bland environment just bad. you will miss so much? and they will suffer so much. wonderful fish but they aint gold fish, they need an environment to be happy, and you can watch there natural behavior. that is the best thing about keeping cichlids, notice i did not say own. fish owners do as they please, to the hell with the fish. Keepers try to give them a good environment so they will act natural.
 
Yes def less stressful for the o with lights off.
Pops may be giving you the best advice... maybe have to choose between the convict and the oscar....


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No need to apologize for being harsh, I posted because I needed advice, and that is what I got! I do want what is best for the fish. I have added some plants and hides and will take a picture in a minute and post it. Of course I'd like to keep them together if possible, but I have often thought about one day setting up a convict breeding tank (because I've read how fascinating the convict behavior is), so if I need to I will put the convict in a spare 55 and one day get him a girlfriend. The whole reason I got a 120 was to have an oscar, so I won't be getting rid of him either. But obviously, even if I separate them, I need to have the right environment for him, so you guys can help me with that. Picture to come.
 
Just saw that you have a spare tank..cool no need to give one up. Leave the o in the tank you plan to keep them in and move the con to the other tank. When ready move him back. Also the pics that drstangelove post are really nice and closer to how the fish would live in the wild...never understood bare bottom but to each is own.

Acaras and sevs are pretty good tank mates for oscars

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Ok here's pictures..better I hope? Suggestions? I was thinking probably more plants but I will have to go buy those tomorrow. You can't see it too well but there is a little rock cave behind the clay pots. The reason i was going bare bottom is because there is a pleco and an oscar in there, both dirty fish, and cleaning the bottom is so much easier with bare bottom. I have already seen the benefit, with just the pleco. It's so easy to see when it's dirty so I suction every day.

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can not speak for convicts but Oscars like to dig. i feel and this IMHO they need to dig. and move plants around, it is a bad ideal to put real plants with them as they will tear them up. but fake plants? you bet. they love to redecorate.
 
IME oscars do not feel comfortable in completely bare bottom tanks. even a thin layer of sand is better, and still easy to keep vacc'd.
 
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