QUESTION: Tank mates for Oscar?

[Speckled93]

Hello all!

I wanted to get some ideas for tank mates for a wild Oscar. Currently, it is about 4 inches long and is in a 125g with a 6 inch wild channel catfish. In my experience, a small school of Silver Dollars (5), has done well with a single Oscar. I was also considering a group of three Red-Bellied Pacu. I was just wondering if there was anything else that I was overlooking. Any input would be great. I would like to stick to species that naturally occur with the Oscar (except for the channel cat, obviously lol). I have kept fish all of my life and am an experienced keeper of many American species from cichlids to centrachids.

Thanks!

 

[JackDempsey72]

Red bellied pacu get over 30 inches and would out grow a 125g and also the channel catfish will outgrow the tank. A convict or firemouth (something small like that) would be ok just don't get anything over 6 inches as the oscar will grow quite large and will produce a large biolod.

 

[duanes]

If you google "fish of the Rio Paraguay", there are dozens of geographically correct fish species that would be appropriate, plecos, tetras, other cichlids.
You will also see pics of 30" pacu that jackdempsey72 mentioned, as not appropriate because they would grow too large for your tank in a very short time.
To mind mind, convicts and firemouths would work size wise, but are not geographically correct, being from Central America and Mexico.
Cichlids of the genus Geophagus, Crenicichla or Heros would be more in line with the oscars natural habitat in S America.

 

[FIU Panther]

Try a green severum or two. Not too aggressive and should be able to hold its own.

 

[Reaper13]

A group of sd's minimum 6 and a severums would be nice.

 

[Speckled93]

Thanks for all of the input, guys. For now, I am going to go ahead with a group of Silver Dollars. As far as putting another species of Cichlid goes, I have been debating on Pike Cichlids, but I have heard that they are very aggressive. I know that there are some species that are more peaceful than others, but I am still a bit leery about them. Firemouths were also a though of mine, but I know they don't fit the bill of "occurring naturally" with the Oscar. As far as Plecos go, I fear that my channel cat may kill it since he is very territorial. In the past, I have kept Peacock Bass with Oscars, but they quickly outgrew my tank and I was forced to give them to a friend who has a 400 gal setup.

 

[mattison187]

Keep away from convicts with your O. They tend to nip fins on large slow moving fish like oscar.

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[Username.]

I would go with a pike cichlid. They are a pretty species and make sure it can grow at least 7 inches or the oscar might slurp it up. Maybe toss some severums in there too.

 

[Speckled93]

I'm planning on doing a planted tank for this setup with driftwood for structure. Any tips on what types of plants that I should keep? I know my Oscar doesn't dig in the substrate very much, but I was wondering if a Pike Cichlid would. Also, I know that if I have a school of Silver Dollars, they will eat my plants so any advice there would also be helpful. Thanks again for all of the input. I like the idea of Pikes, but I have zero experience with them.

 

[Speckled93]

I was also wondering if my Channel Cat would kill a Pleco. It is very territorial and chases the Oscar away every time it goes to the bottom of the tank.