I've been considering my options of what to put in my new tank I'm setting up (120) and I've seen an ad on craigslist for a beautiful adult Green Severum (it doesn't say how big she is but she looks pretty big in the pictures). I've read that they'll eat anything that can fit in their mouth. I've wanted an Oscar for a long time, and my plan had been to buy a small one so I could enjoy watching him grow. But would he be in danger of being eaten by the Green Severum?
Would an adult Green Severum kill a small Oscar?
- Thread starter fish_chick
- Start date
I have 2 8 inch male and female gold severums and they do totally fine with all the other small cichlids in the tank that are 2inches to 5inches and they all live together peacefully!
Depends on the individual fish and tank imo. I've kept severums with smaller fish with no problem and I've seen severums and oscars together. But I won't say a sev wouldn't bully an oscar, or the other way around, just depends on the individuals imo. Years ago I bought a wild rotkeil sev that was killing everything they tried to put in the tank with it, including a jack dempsey and an oscar. But it was a small tank. Kept the rotkeil in various tanks 75 and larger over the years and he was a good citizen with all sorts of fish of various sizes (including a small ebjd).
Sevs (and oscars) can vary in temperament, but sevs don't like to feel crowded imo and this can result in aggression. If I was going to do it I'd set the tank up to provide sight breaks and give the oscar some cover while he's small.
...lfs I used to go to had a huge green severum, huge oscar, huge pacu, and large pleco in something like a 150 gal tank (been some years, don't remember exact tank size). All were totally placid toward each other.
Sevs (and oscars) can vary in temperament, but sevs don't like to feel crowded imo and this can result in aggression. If I was going to do it I'd set the tank up to provide sight breaks and give the oscar some cover while he's small.
...lfs I used to go to had a huge green severum, huge oscar, huge pacu, and large pleco in something like a 150 gal tank (been some years, don't remember exact tank size). All were totally placid toward each other.
I keep adult severums with smaller cichlids (rams, Laetacara, juvenile electric blue acaras) without trouble. It will depend on the temperament of your fish. That's tricky since you don't own the severum. It could be a passive one or an aggressive one. You could always introduce them into a divided tank and just see how the severum responds.
Thank you for the advice! Alas I never heard back from the guy so i guess the Severum found a home.