What to do...

[Greez]

So, my neighbor has been bugging me to come look at his tank for a while now since he said it was bowing out in the front and he was worried it would start leaking. I didn't want to go mostly because he doesn't take any advice and what I say seems to enter one ear and leave the other. Today I had some business to take care of over near him and stopped by to see his tank. I really hate his tank... First off there are two plecos one 7" one 5" and 2 jack dempsey(sp?) around 5" each and a nice oscar around 9". The worst yet is that half of this 30g tank is decorations and not ones they can hide behind but the ugly fake ones that are just for looks.

Anyway with bad tanks and mistreated fish aside I told him I would take the oscar and his tank would be a lot cleaning if he also got rid of one of the plecos. He didn't seem to want to give me a free oscar but I know his type and he would gladly sell it to me. The problem lies in the fact that if I leave it, the poor oscar will most likely be stunted and die soon. If I take him there is a large chance my Piranhas wont accept him and eat him... I've wanted to try an oscar for a while now, ever since reading on here that is was possible to keep them together, but I know I would need a bad@ss oscar to be able to pull it off.

So, what do you guys think... should I try it or just leave well enough alone???

 

[misterfun]

3 months back i tried it but fail. i have 6 RBP just between 10 and 15CM.
within 1 day all his fins were shatterd!! the next day i returnd the 27CM oscar
back to my lfs.

a good tank mate for your RBP's is a nice pleco

 

[ballinouttacntrol]

advise him to buy a bigger tank and hope that works out? I don't see how you can safely introduce that oscar into your P tank and i'm one of the ones that usually doesn't flame people for trying tankmates.

Oscars are filthy disgusting turds with fins anyways

 

[BRUNER247]

I like both but don't do it.piranhas will be very skittish and or make a mess out of the oscar.less its one mean oscar then casualties might be on piranhas side.

 

[jp80911]

if you have say a school of oscars then it could worked out but then you'll need a rather large tank in the long ran to reduce the stress on both species.
I had the chance of 12 oscars and tried them with one of smaller rhoms I had before.
with just one oscar in tank, I came home with a half eaten oscar, even the oscar was bigger or at least the same size. when I had multiple ones in there, only came home with some minor fin nips. that was in my 180g.
I spent sometime watching how they interact in the tank. as a group, oscars will watch out for each other and the biggest/strongest will always go save the little ones that got picked on and fight of the rhom. Oscars are actually pretty interesting fish, one time I had just two in there, one was badly bitten (wasn't going to make it) but the other one kept fight of the rhom and tried to help keep the wounded on stay upright.

 

[bomber]

Flame on. I would do it. In fact I did it in the past and was successful.

I had 20+ 4" rbp and put them with a 10" oscar and that oscar was bad ass and lived til I gave him away. My rbp ate each other before they touched my oscar. Trial and error in the past and I learned that was too many rbp in my tank.

 

[Otherone]

Unfortunately that senario is more common that not. I have several friends that have the worst fish keeping skills on the planet. Every time I see them I'm askin' when did you last change the water - are you feeding them - have you cleaned the filtration lately - how many fish died this week - how long are you gonna shoe horn that big fish in a beer can? Fortunately my persistance is slowly changing their attitude towards fish keeping. For me - I don't think trading one evil for another is any better for any of the fish forementioned. I'd just accept his situation and be persistant about good care and maintence, also I'd offer successful suggestions for fish that can live a full life in 30gal of water - none of the fish mentioned belong in that small of a tank. As for P's and Cichlids - you already answered your own question.