Need some help.

[Bassfan]

Ok, well my albino oscar didnt work out with my green severum so my friend wanted him and I gave him to him. Hes much happier now. So today I went out trying to find another fish to replace him and I came accross some things. First thing being, i found a tank divider. Now since my old oscar was around 5 inches i wanted him to have the entire tank. So i found a smaller Tiger oscar, much more aggressive than the albino ones fron what i heard. Which i also found out that albino oscars are very passive compared to the reds and the tigers believe it or not. So today i found a 1 1/2" tiger oscar. Really nice colors and he didnt sulk when i got him in the tank. I put a tank divider up and gave the oscar a little more than half the tank. Do you think the oscar will grow normally not having the entire 55 gallon tank?? And do you think eventually when the oscar gets a little bigger than the severum (like 3 1/2" or so) you think he will be aggressive enough to make sure the severum wont bully him?? The oscar right now is very small and i didnt want my severum nipping or chasing him. What do you think? I REALLY like the new oscar. I plan on taking the divider down when the oscar gets around 4-5 inches.

[jbeining75]

Every Oscar is very different regardless of the type they are. They each have a very unique personality to them. Some are more passive then others. It really has nothing to do with type... when you let that divider down it's going to be like opening a flood gate and the two are going to fight over territory. If you can't bring them up together its very rare that they won't fight once matured...... if the severum doesn't want a tankmate its not gonna matter what you put in there.... I have a friend and she can't put anything in her 55 gallon with her red devil.... the red devil just won't allow it...

[Bassfan]

well what should i do?? the new oscar is really neat and i thought by adding a different type of oscare (which has been said the tigers are more aggressive) it would even it out a little. the severum is very skittish. Im thinking i might have to get rid of the severum but im not sure. you think my oscar will be ok given more than half the tank? will he grow quickly like normal oscars? hes real small right now.. id say hes 2 months old. Also can an oscar at that age get HITH or anything like that at a young age?? I plan to switch the carbon out soon and im wondering if i will have enough time.

[jbeining75]

you can pull the carbon out anytime.... I am now running carbonless. The Oscar may stunt at around 5 inches or so as that divider is going to restrict him. HITH is caused by poor water quality and bad nutritional habits..... If you set down the divider right now the severum is going to attack him from what your saying. You are going to have either a growth problem or an aggression problem i think. Both mean taking one fish out. you have to remember that the severum is going to grow as the Oscar dos. The Oscar if properly fed should be 5 inches in around 5 months or so.

[Bassfan]

Ok heres 2 things. 1. I have 2 bubble bars, basically one in each side of the divider. I turned the one off on the oscars side and he seems he doesnt have to swim in place quickly, as now he can just sit in one spot much easier.. Another thing is, i might get rid of the severum but i need to find a good home. There is a very very good pet place around here who know a lot. You think it will stunt his growth if i left the divider in for a week till next saturday? And should i turn the bubble bar back on, on his side of the divider??

[jbeining75]

Oscars thrive on increased oxygen. I would leave it on and let him swim around. Hes not going to start stunting in a week... if you truely believe the green severum is going to be aggressive take him back. at this point I think you want the oscar the most is that correct?????

[Bassfan]

Yeah, i plan on getting a bigger tank within this or next year hopefully. The aggressive is aggressive, he bullied my other oscar who was much bigger (5 inches). BTW i sent you a pm.

[jbeining75]

I got it take the severum back and get another Oscar about the same size as the one you got, before you release him move the tank around to break territories he may have established.... try not to feed them feeder fish as this makes them more aggressive natured. Most of the time the two Oscars will take when grown together and leave each other alone when they are bigger. It is never certain though, every Oscar has a mind of his own.....

[Bassfan]

well today i took the divider down, and the severum looks to be non aggressive at the moment. He isnt chasing him around.

[jbeining75]

let them see the 55 gallon will do for now. Get alot of hiding spots in the tank so neither fish stress and keep the lighting down for a while..... Try to get a place that the Oscar can get into but the severum cant so the Oscar can establish a little territory since hes much smaller... also gives him somewhere to run in an emergency...... Aggressive cichlids can turn moods on a dime if stressed or pressed for space....

[Bassfan]

maybe by adding more plants, the oscar can hide behind?? I had the light off for awhile yesterday, today he still sits in the corner, swims a little, sits in the corner swims and so on. he hasnt gone to the top looking for food so he hasnt ate. I also have this pretty big center piece i can put back in, maybe that would help??

[jbeining75]

nah the oscars just gonna rip them up.... get hollow logs from petstore of some driftwood. You need things that are heavy that neither can move..... I have not a single plant in my Oscar tank.... they get moved immediately...

[Bassfan]

yea but being hes so small i dont think he will try to rip them out. You think the centerpiece will work?

[jbeining75]

I dunno depends heres my tank for two 4 inch Oscars......

[Bassfan]

my tank i have 2 ceramic pots one on each side of the tank, some plants in the middle of the tank. I also have the pots angled , maybe if i turned them around so when they go in the ycant see each other?


I also saw the oscar go in the severums pot and didnt do anything, he left him alone.

[jbeining75]

they might be alright I got my pot turned so one sticks by driftwood and one goes in pot but they both just swim around together anyways lol....

[Bassfan]

Im thinking my other oscar was bigger than him and the severum thought he had to defend himself. But again im not sure, can fish see colors?? if so, maybe he didnt like white lol or something.

[jbeining75]

Some do some don't it depends on the coning development in their eyes...... The other Oscar may of started a territorial fight and you only caught the severum part.... if they are fine togetherthey should be okay, just make sure that since the severum is bigger he doesn't pick on the Oscar....If so break up the tank so the territories are broken....

[Bassfan]

you know whats funny though?? when i first got the severum, i had the old oscar in the tank by himself for like maybe a month, when i put the severum in, he was the one who nipped the severum and chased around. but then the oscar kind of backed away from the severum and thats it. the little oscar is dark right now (which is good im thinking) and sitting on the gravel near the bubble bar. he swims once in awhile mainly when no one is near the tank.

[jbeining75]

yeah when you put the severum in the oscar was protecting his territory but as the severum started getting comfortable he developed his own territory...... same might happen again.......

[Bassfan]

yeah im gonna have to take him back... but, i just dropped in 2 pellets and the oscar ate them. so i guess thats good right?

[Bassfan]

Well, the oscar looks to be taking the severums pot lol. From what i see the severum just ignores the oscar. One is usually on one side of the tank, the other on the otherside. But they were both near the pot and the oscar was in it lol. But im going to see how it works out this week.

[Arkie]

just keep an eye on them, i had my biggest tiger oscar living with a smaller tiger oscar for easy 4-5 months with no problems then one morning i found the smaller one hiding in the corner and he was fairly beaten up. i removed him and he is going fine now, but i still to this day dont know what made the bigger one turn on his friend. but thats cichlids for you. good luck with them

[Bassfan]

more than likely im giving the oscar his own 55 gallon tank. He'll be much happier in the long run. Im going to try and get a log or something he can go in at petco.

[jbeining75]

yeah he will and like arkie posted any big south american cichlid can turn their mood any day.... If one is more aggressive and dominates territory the others gonna have some bad days... maybe a really really bad one.

[Bassfan]

well i just saw the severum go after the oscar.. im donating him probably tommorow. You think he'll be ok by tommorow?? Im wondering if i turn the lights out he;ll be safer. What you think?

[Arkie]

didnt you say you had a divider???? if so just chuck that back in there

[Bassfan]

well it looks like i cant donate him tommorow, might be a week. doesnt appear to be biting, just chase him off. Is there a way i can add something??

[Arkie]

a few big rocks maybe??? something large so the oscar can hide well

[Bassfan]

well i just put 2 of the bigger plants in the middle, i turned the pots so they cant see each other in them and another plan next to the pots. the water is a little cloudy from stirring up the gravel but i think my filters will get it.

[Arkie]

yeah your filters will sort that out, but just keep and eye on them

[Bassfan]

Ok will do. But could you help me out with some basic tips on how to care for a little oscar?? ive kept medium sized ones but none this small 2".

[Arkie]

its pretty much the same care really, just feed smaller foods and maybe feed three times a day instead of two. i got all mine when they were little and kept up with the water changes and small but frequent feedings, all mine are growing well. i have noticed if you feed them live food of any sort the aggession level rises quite dramatically.

[jbeining75]

the filters will clear it. You need to find something big enough for the Oscars but too small for the severum until you give him back. That severum is just not gonna allow tank mates.... I'd get a second Oscar and by the time they are ready to move yo ucan have a 75 or 90 gallon setup....

[Bassfan]

well today i donated the severum. So now i only have the one oscar. But he seems to just sit on the gravel, when will he begin to be more out and swimming?? the 55 gallon tank is like an ocean to him, im thinking on adding those oto cats just for a little buddy and they can clean the brown alge too. Until he gets bigger. What should i do?

[jbeining75]

add a second Oscar or a green terror a little bigger.... he needs a buddy he won't attack....

[Bassfan]

i dont want to take another chance on getting an aggressive tank mate.. what about danios or something. Just something to make him feel more safe.

[jbeining75]

green terror and smaller Oscar are less aggressive. If you ever want him to have a tankmate you need to introduce him now. If not when the Oscar gets bigger he will control the tank and you'll never be able to put something else in...... Severum and red evils are a little more aggressive and may reject tankmates..... try the Oscar same size or a green terror just a little bigger (as they grow slower)...... altimately upto you though......but if there was ever a time to add a peaceful tankmate it's now when they are small so they grow together.....

[jbeining75]

danios are freaks, people use them as dithers all the time, they just dart around the entire tank non stop..... I had to put three in my 37 gallon to calm down my african cichlids...... I would go with another not so aggressive south american........

[Bassfan]

Reason why i want a tankmate, is i dont want hte oscar to be depressed... i wouldnt mind just having him, i just want him to be a little more active and happy.

[jbeining75]

again get another Oscar the same size or a green terror a little bigger man. He'll be happier, he'll have somone to play with......

[Bassfan]

I was also thinking, what if i got a Peacock cichlid, or a small firemouth?

[jbeining75]

the firemouths not gonna work they stop growing around 6 or 7 inches, when that Oscar gets big that would end disasterous..... hed be twice as big....

[jbeining75]

peacocks would be worse they range 4-6 inches you need to get something that is the same size, will grow the same size, and grows at around the same pace.....

[Bassfan]

Ok....... will he be ok if i just kept him in the tank by himself? I dont want to try another aggressive cichlid with the oscar, as oscars arent really that aggressive, just hungry.

[jbeining75]

hed be fine by himself...........

if another put an oscar or green terror though.... goodluck with the tank....

[Bassfan]

ok so he will be ok byhimself right?? If so then he will have the entire tank to himself. I just wish hed swim around more, he likes sitting on the gravel in the corner.

[jbeining75]

hes just pouting man... he's new to the tank... keep the lights off as much as possible and stay away from the tank until he gets used to the tank...... pouting is common in new environments for Oscars..... soon everytime you come around the tank he'll swim right upto the glass. My two Oscars love chasing my finger around the glass...

[Bassfan]

ok, sounds good. Now, should i turn the lights off now??? or how long should i keep them off?

[Bassfan]

I was talking to a guy today, just asking questions about my oscar. And one of the questions i asked was, what are some good tank mates, he suggested convict cichlids, puffer fish... which seemed kind of odd because the puffer fish and convicts are very aggressive. He also told me that it will take a year to get to 5"..... And that i should give him guppies.

[Arkie]

i have mine in with convicts, there isnt any problems that ive seen, but if you do decide to get one make sure there are enough hiding places for it and get a small one. but dont be suprised if it gets eaten though. my biggest oscar ate my female stripey convict but it tolerates a male white one and a jewel cichlid. in my other tank i have 4 young oscars, a large male convict and 7 zebra cross auratus hybrids no problems. it really depends on the indvidual oscar and convict whether or not they will mix. if you really want a tank mate though they need to grow up together.

[Ocellatus]

It takes less than 5 months for a newly hatched oscar to get to 5".
puffers are not compatible with them at all.
feeder fish can introduce disease. but its good to raise them urself in a feeder tank and give him once a week.
I see no problem with mixing oscar with green terror, severum, BP, convict. but as others said it depends on their personality, hiding places, fish size, tank size, the time each one introduced, ...

[jbeining75]

puffers have teeth are are a species tank definetely....

[Bassfan]

Ok, im not sure why my oscar hasnt settled in yet.. hes only ate 2 pellets since sunday. What should i do? He swims a little but he still sits on the gravel.:help:

[jbeining75]

hes just pouting man its a new tank... its common for Oscars to do..... get him a playmate... make sure your tank has adaquate filtration. I'd go 4 times the recommended for Oscars if possible... ie I run two Aquaclear 110's on my 55 gallon. Powerheads will move water around and create oxygen in the tank.....

[Bassfan]

I have 2 penguin 350's. Which is 700gph and rated 75g each. I dont want to get another aggressive fish, just in case it turns out like the severum. Im not sure.

[jbeining75]

upto you if you look on the forum everyone keeps their Oscars with other fish........ you just had one bad severum don't let that scare you....

[Bassfan]

ok.. ill think about it.. if i was to get another fish, i think i might go with a smaller firemouth just for right now and see how they turn out when they get bigger. hows my filtration sound?

[jbeining75]

the filtration is fine the firemouth might get picked on though.... they are smaller cichlids that grow to around 6-7 inches... That Oscars gonna be around 12-14 within 2 years.... this is gonna create an aggression problem...
I'd go with either of these:::

an oscar (reagardless of type) that is the same size

a green terror that is slightly bigger (Oscars grow a little faster)

a jack dempsey the same size as the oscar (they get around 10 inches)