What fish to keep and what to donate in my 90 gallon

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Mostly very good suggestions, but loaches and cichlids together are generally not a good mix. For lack of a better term, they can't really communicate with each other and cause a lot of stress.

However, I would add, being a cichlid keeper myself, I would never combine Botias with cichlids.

Both have their own agression, and weapons, but they do not know the other, do not expect the behaveior the other shows, and therefore are unable to cope with the agression.

The demands for the water may be the same, but it is still not a good combination

But I wholeheartedly agree that Loaches and Cichlids do not speak the same language and cause each other stress. For example Clown Loaches have no idea that you don't invade the personal space of a Cichlid unless you want your eyes biting out. And Cichlids don't realise that rough and tumble is acceptable play and not fighting to the death. I know your cichlids are much gentler would not mix them again as the problems are the same if less extreme.

Moving large clown loaches and qt - Loaches Online Forum

Being, of course, a loach keeper myself, I would advise to choose either the cichlids or the loaches (whichever appeals to you the most) and center the tank around them.
There are the following loach species that are suitable for a 341 liter if you choose the loaches (as Omrit mentioned, quite a few):

-Yoyo loaches
-Zebra loaches
-Burmese loaches
-Dwarf chain loaches
-Golden zebra loaches
-Emperor loaches
-Kuhli loaches (all types)
-Peppered loaches
-Skunk loaches
-Sun loaches
-Sumo loaches
-Zodiac loaches
-Hillstream loaches

The world's your oyster!

 

[Deadeye]

Mostly very good suggestions, but loaches and cichlids together are generally not a good mix. For lack of a better term, they can't really communicate with each other and cause a lot of stress.

Moving large clown loaches and qt - Loaches Online Forum

Being, of course, a loach keeper myself, I would advise to choose either the cichlids or the loaches (whichever appeals to you the most) and center the tank around them.
There are the following loach species that are suitable for a 341 liter if you choose the loaches (as Omrit mentioned, quite a few):

-Yoyo loaches
-Zebra loaches
-Burmese loaches
-Dwarf chain loaches
-Golden zebra loaches
-Emperor loaches
-Kuhli loaches (all types)
-Peppered loaches
-Skunk loaches
-Sun loaches
-Sumo loaches
-Zodiac loaches
-Hillstream loaches

The world's your oyster!

Fwiw so far my sun/skunk loaches have no problems with my severum, rainbow, and krib cichlids. Time will tell of course.

Just want to clarify, but shouldn't it be a fish that doesn't go in that size tank (which was my point, that the size of the oscar makes it too big for that size tank)? As you said, there's barely any space.

Ideally yes, but if it’s going to be done the solo Oscar is the best way to do it.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Fwiw so far my sun/skunk loaches have no problems with my severum, rainbow, and krib cichlids.

You may be right on time telling, but I think it's more likely because you don't have at least 6 each of the loaches. This causes them to be unnaturally shy, therefore eliminating a lot of contact with cichlids they would have if kept in the appropriate 6+ group.

Ideally yes, but if it’s going to be done the solo Oscar is the best way to do it.

A more appropriate term would be least unfitting. And we want to recommend ideal conditions to fishkeepers, so we should recommend they don't do it at all.

 

[Deadeye]

You may be right on time telling, but I think it's more likely because you don't have at least 6 each of the loaches. This causes them to be unnaturally shy, therefore eliminating a lot of contact with cichlids they would have if kept in the appropriate 6+ group.

So far they’re anything but shy
If I could get more I would, but the tank is already borderline overstocked. I originally got 6 but over time that number dropped.

A more appropriate term would be least unfitting. And we want to recommend ideal conditions to fishkeepers, so we should recommend they don't do it at all.

I agree 100%, but unfortunately if the ideal isn’t going to happen, the best we can do is create the best possible solution. The op has stated they did not want to give up the Oscar, so unless that changes all we are able to do is come up with the only feasible way to keep the Oscar.

 

[bearcat]

Now I understand why my Nitrate levels are always 80+, my local fish guy said Nitrates Aren’t a big deal but I also read it can halt their growth, they have all been in this tank for altleast 4 months with high nitrate levels so will they ever grow to there potential.? They all seem healthy . I will reduce the fish in the tank to just the Oscar and 4 dollars

 

[duanes]

Although nitrates are not considered an acute problem by the average weekend aquarist, they can be the cause of HITH (hole in the head pitting, and disease) as oscars age, usually beginning to show up at about an age of 2 years. (especially if the tap water is hard). The bacteria that cause HITH thrive in water with a pH above 7.5, that is a nitrate soup, such as a concentration of 80 ppm.
Its easy to remedy high nitrate though, by simply doing water changes.
With a single adult oscar in a 90 gal, a water change routine of 50% every 2 or 3 days would be what I would consider minimal, to try and bring the 80ppm nitrate down below 10ppm, or HITH disease should be the expected result, somewhere down the road.
That said, the more fish you keep, and the larger they get, the more water changes may be needed.
And just an FYI, normal filtration does nothing to combat elevated nitrate.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

So far they’re anything but shy

That's unusual. I'm inclined to think something will happen down the road given all the trouble with mixing loaches and cichlids reported on Loaches Online, but perhaps this is because of the fish being immature (you bought the loaches in 2021 I believe) and not yet having the behavior they will at maturity.

I agree 100%, but unfortunately if the ideal isn’t going to happen, the best we can do is create the best possible solution. The op has stated they did not want to give up the Oscar, so unless that changes all we are able to do is come up with the only feasible way to keep the Oscar.

I see where you're coming from by creating the best possible solution, but I would want to make sure that bearcat knows what they're doing is suboptimal and not good practice if they will do it (hence not recommending it first).

 

[spitz006]

All of our fish are very little and we do not want to stunt these fish growth by making them grow in a small aquarium. We currently have: 1, 3 inch Oscar, 1, 5 inch clown knife, 1,5 inch common pleco, 4 red hooks and 2 blackberries dollars (all 2ish inch) 6 clown loaches 1.5 inch. We want to keep the Oscar for sure but what else seems proper, thanks

I would donate the clown knife and the clown loaches if it were me. At a minimum. Good luck and post pics!

 

[Deadeye]

That's unusual. I'm inclined to think something will happen down the road given all the trouble with mixing loaches and cichlids reported on Loaches Online, but perhaps this is because of the fish being immature (you bought the loaches in 2021 I believe) and not yet having the behavior they will at maturity.

I believe it was New Year’s Day 2021 I got them, so they’ve had some time to mature. Of course you know loaches better than me. I’ll see where it goes, if anything goes wrong I’ll be quick to fix it.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Glad to hear.
As for maturation, I would expect it to take a few more years. Botia loaches are not the fastest growers.