which catfish has the best chance of survival?

[krystalsohun]

hello everyone. I have an oscar currently housed with a jd and gt in a 40 gallon ( i know waaaaay tooo small) they are about an inch and a half long. so they will all be in different tanks the oscar is going into a 75 gallon. now i would like to get a catfish as a cleaner for the oscar tank. I dont want a pleco because this oscar is already showing that he will be very very aggressive. which type of catfish would be the most efficent cleaner but yet still be some what aggressive. P.s. I do know there isnt a guaranteed tankmate for an oscar.

[Wild Turkey]

If you get a bristlenose pleco thats mature, that will teach the goldfish not to mess with bottom feeders:hmm3grin2orange:

But if the oscar is that aggressive already, he may need his own tank/more space before adding more fish. They generally get more aggressive as they get larger

[krystalsohun]

i wasnt going to get the cleaner until he went into his own tank. the 40 gallon is already way overstocked. so you think a bristlenose would be a good match. i guess my real question is what is the most aggressive cleaner for a freshwater that would fit in a 75 with a oscar. and yeah he's (Could be she cant tell to young)the most agressive oscar i've ever seen. he's onl an inch a a half max and he attacks my hand and arm when i'm cleaning the tank. he'll just slam right into me and try to bite until i GENTLY flicked him for doing it and now he fakes me out. He'll swim right for me at full speed and at the last second veer off. he also chases everything in the tank. he even chases the bubbles. the gt and dempsey eat when the food gets to the bottom and the oscar eats as soon as it hits the water so feeding time is not to bad.

[Wild Turkey]

The bn isnt aggressive but it has barbs that will stick the oscar when he goes in too close. The barbs are in its face, thats why its called "bristle" or "bushy" nose

On the other hand, the oscar does seem unusually aggressive, so his own tank or at least a tank with very few other fish may be the best option.

Like other plecos he needs wood in his diet and plenty of hiding spaces

They destroy algae

[krystalsohun]

okay so the bristle nose is my best option. he'll be in a 75 gallon with only the oscar. do you suggest maybe feeding the oscar extra not over feeding but extra feeding to help with the aggression? i"ve heard also that lowering the temp will put them into a "light hibernation" do you think that will work? right now my temp is 79-80 F.

[krystalsohun]

also i dint know about the wood how do you feed them wood?

[Wild Turkey]

Lowering the temp to around 77 wont hurt and may help a bit. Fish are more active the warmer the water up to the point that they dont tolerate the heat and become stressed of course.

Just make a few caves out of some pieces of wood in the tank. The pleco will take care of the rest

[rich311k]

Just put some driftwood in. They will handle the rest.

[Crispy]

pimelodella blochii (four-line catfish) is a great catfish that won't put up with any Os bullying it. I've kept them with large cichlids for years without any problems. Perfect for a 75 gallon.

[krystalsohun]

thanks guys for all the help. now the driftwood that u r speaking of is not the kind that is for decoration at the lfs right. can i use regular wood that's dead from out side?

[rich311k]

It is driftwood just like at the store.

[Northernguy]

Take a walk on a beach or near a river.You can always find nice peices there.
I have a hi fin pleco in with my Oscars.It defends itself from anything the oscars try.They also get large, a bristle nose doesn't.I think the pimelodella blochii (four-line catfish) that Crispy suggested would be a great as they get to 10".[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[toddnbecka]

Bristlenose pleco's are great for eating algae, but I don't know if I'd trust an Oscar not to eat one when it grew large enough (which it will sooner or later.)
An Asian upside-down catfish would be a great choice to hang with an Oscar. They have their own attitude, but aren't overly aggressive other than among their own species. They look like a Synodontis, but they're black all over with a few gold or silver "flakes" on their sides. Just provide some sort of suitable cover (cave) for the catfish to stake out as its own territory.

[krystalsohun]

so i have a question do they clean the bottom being as they are upside down? I know stupid question but i really dont know. and also i have looked for the pictures of them and i see two different types a black one and a pretty red and white one. which one should work ( please the pretty red and white one lol)

[toddnbecka]

I've never seen a red and white upside down catfish. They will indeed clean the bottom, they just aren't as bottom-oriented as other catfish like Corydoras.

[Northernguy]

I have a sailfin pleco that has been living quite happily with two oscars.He also has a taste for algae!

[toddnbecka]

I have a sailfin pleco that has been living quite happily with two oscars.He also has a taste for algae!
Sailfins grow a bit too large for most tanks. I'd love to have one myself, but my biggest tanks are 75's. One day I'll get around to setting up an 8' show tank, but not in this house.

[krystalsohun]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.] this is the red one i was talking about

[Northernguy]

That is too small to live with an oscar.It only gets to 4".An oscar will swallow that whole when it gets to a foot long.It took a year for my Oscars to get that big.

[krystalsohun]

on that site it says 4 inches however i read on another that they cant get to 10 inches if properly taken care of. I wonder which is right? Kinda like lfs telling you an oscar will only get 8 inches lol

[toddnbecka]

The one in the link is Synodontis nigriventris, aka common upside-down catfish. They're a social, dwarf species, and don't grow very large. There are literally hundreds od larger species of Synodontis that are also commonly called upside-down catfish. S. eupterus (aka featherfin) is one of the most common, and there have been several hybrids turning up recently as well. Most species of Synodontis grow larger than S. nigriventris, some even a bit larger than an Oscar. An Asian upsde-down catfish looks nearly identical to a Synodontis species, but is a holy terror to its own kind unless kept in a large group. Most larger species of Synodontis are also territorial and conspecific-aggressive. There are a few exceptions, but you need to figure stocking space as well.

[krystalsohun]

that was my original question what would be the most suitable in with an oscar in a 75 gallon?

[toddnbecka]

The Asian upside-down or a similar-sized Synodontis species. The Asian cats are sometimes available at Wal-Mart, check your lfs for a Synodontis (or an Asian that has outgrown someone's tank) if you're looking for a fair-sized fish to start with.

[lamonsas]

my buddy has a 3inch tiger oscar with 4 albino corys, no problems at all

[rich311k]

my buddy has a 3inch tiger oscar with 4 albino corys, no problems at all

Wait till the Oscar hits about 6 inches then say that.

[Crispy]

Synos won't be very capable of defending themselves against an oscar. Their only means of defense would be to hide. They are not very active during tank viewing hours either. I still highly recommend a four-line pim. blochii catfish. Great scavenger and won't take any bullying. Gets a bit larger than the synos and likes same water conditions as an oscar. They are also very hardy as far as catfish go.

[lamonsas]

what about a Redtail Shark ? they are aggressive, no? what about Clow loaches?

[lamonsas]

Im pretty sure a Red Tail shark will get just fine with an oscar, many people appear to have this combo

[silentspidey]

Wait till the Oscar hits about 6 inches then say that.

i have a 9 inch oscar
and inherited this Cory Cat.
He was a tiny thing when i got him and i was sure he was lunch for
one of my fish, but he has survived the oscar and 2 jack dempseys.
they all get along very well. Now hes full grown and fat as hell. I named him Tank cause hes solid and tough.
im actually gonna get more corys soon.

[silentspidey]

Im pretty sure a Red Tail shark will get just fine with an oscar, many people appear to have this combo

i actually am planning to do this. Ive seen some beautiful ones before.

do they prefer planted tanks?

[lamonsas]

I'm not too sure, I have 4 albino corys right now, if I get one of the red tail shark, do u think it will get along with my corys? It's a 10gallon, the corys and 2 Otos are the only fish in that tank.

[krystalsohun]

how about starting your own thread? this thread is old and my oscar has since been killed only got the jd left.

[lamonsas]

why be rude? how did u loose ur oscar?

[krystalsohun]

I'm not being rude. this was my thread with a specfic question. you need to start your own so you can have your questions answered. and my oscar was murdered by my jd.

[Mustang Boy]

I'm not too sure, I have 4 albino corys right now, if I get one of the red tail shark, do u think it will get along with my corys? It's a 10gallon, the corys and 2 Otos are the only fish in that tank.


i know this isnt your thread but i think it is important to say no that tank is way too small for a red tail shark