# Keeping Oscar and African Cichlid Together?



## FishLady

Hi, I am new to this forum and to fish keeping. 
I have an oscar (about 2.5") and an African Cichlid (about 2"), do you think they would be okay together in tank?


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## 96firebird

Didn't work for me. I've got a 120 gallon with africans and they constantly picked at my Oscar. Had to move him to his own tank.

In addition there are dietary issues with mixing them. Most Africans are herbivorous, Oscars are carnivorous.


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## joeyballz

PH maybe an issue too.


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## BlackShark11k

Probably not a good idea.

Do you know what kind of african cichlid you have? There are nearly 2000 species of african cichlids :wink:


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## crotalusfan

It may not matter, due to water parameters and such, but how big is the tank?


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## imusuallyuseless

I've mixed O's w/africans w/o too many issues, but there are many factors to consider. The type of african you have would definately make a huge difference...


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## FishLady

Thanks for input. The cichlid are diamond jewel cichlids. I have 4, they are still small, the biggest one is about 2".
Can anyone tell me what are good fish to put with my oscar?


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## joeyballz

What size tank?


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## SYcichlid

It all depends on your tank size and your O's personality. Some Os don't like anyone else in their tank no matter what size it is.


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## StillaZilla

I have two 8 inch oscars and a 7 inch pseudotropheus crabro (bumblebee). They tolerate each other, sometimes having a faceoff, but never actually touching or biting each other.

Stilla


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## shadowsalerno

We just upgraded to a 55gal tank from a 10 gal as our stonii grew larger. We decided to add a pair of tiger oscars that we think were from the same mother and around the same size as the stonii. Is this a good idea to do???! :-? They all eat the same diet of frozen blood worms, pellets, and live guppies. They have had small nipping fights daily but nothing too serious. So today we bought another tiger oscar that is about double the size of all of them. This has seemed to make the stonii less aggressive but the other 2 oscars seem to continually fight with the new large oscar. I am not sure if it is flirting or fighting though as they jaw lock and roll over/lay and rest on each other between nipping matches. I also was concerned with the very fast color changes from gray/black to light gray/yellow during some of these matches...can someone help explain what the color changes mean and if they are flirting or trying to fight for dominance of the tank as well as the living situation between the oscars and the livingstonii?

Thanks :fish:


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## css virginia

My experience of mixing Oscars with cichlids-(mbuna etc.)-didn't work out well at all. My Oscars did not survive. Tooo bad, because I really wanted to keep some with the cichlids.


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## Big Vine

The minimum recommendation for a single oscar with no other tankmates is 55 gallons.
For that reason alone I'd say the setup you've got in the works is really not suitable for these fish. Housing multiple oscars in the same tank will require a 6-footer, and even then there's still a chance that they don't get along. Definitely stay away from housing oscars in 'threes,' as this almost always results in two picking on the other to death.

Color-changes in the oscars is usually mood-related, and it is not at all uncommon for them to do this. When my tiger oscar gets disturbed in some way, the light/yellowish bars you mentioned start appearing on his 'forehead,' and his fins will turn lighter as well...almost white if he's really ticked off.
BV


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## favoritefish4554

i don't think so, actually my oscar killed african cichlid.
Oscar will dominate your African Cichlid


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## vietxnameze

didn't work for me...my mbuna pick on the oscar as soon as i put him in..had to remove them


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## Kaenon

shadowsalerno said:


> We just upgraded to a 55gal tank from a 10 gal as our stonii grew larger. We decided to add a pair of tiger oscars that we think were from the same mother and around the same size as the stonii. Is this a good idea to do???! :-? They all eat the same diet of frozen blood worms, pellets, and live guppies. They have had small nipping fights daily but nothing too serious. So today we bought another tiger oscar that is about double the size of all of them. This has seemed to make the stonii less aggressive but the other 2 oscars seem to continually fight with the new large oscar. I am not sure if it is flirting or fighting though as they jaw lock and roll over/lay and rest on each other between nipping matches. I also was concerned with the very fast color changes from gray/black to light gray/yellow during some of these matches...can someone help explain what the color changes mean and if they are flirting or trying to fight for dominance of the tank as well as the living situation between the oscars and the livingstonii?
> 
> Thanks :fish:


One Oscar is almost too big for a 55 gallon, let alone two. Oscars should be kept in a minimum of 75 gallons. At 10-14" in length, the 12 1/4" tank width is too uncomfortable for the Oscar to move about naturally.


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## Fogelhund

OK, I see there are two separate posters and questions here.

1. The first poster, how big is your tank, what are the dimensions, and just one O? The Jewel Cichlids you have are not from substantially different water than the Oscar, or differing diets, so keeping them together from that perspective isn't an issue. Aggression can be an issue, but not always.

2. Second poster - 55 gallon isn't big enough, 6ft tank minimum. Water conditions are similar for the wild fish, diet isn't an issue. It is a weird mix hard to say whether it will work or not.

In the future, it is best to start your own thread.


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## Ricks

ok so i am brand new to african Cichlids, i have been keeping salt water tanks for 8 years. I have done research and have had a 29 gallon tank setup for about 2 months with african Cichlids in it, but just purchased a 150 gallon tank, what cichlids will coexist together and what won't is my question, i really liked the Oscars but was thinking i would move some of my africans (bumblbee's) over to the 150, any input would b greatly appreciated


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## cichlidaholic

Not something you should do...Dietary issues are a problem.

Tank size could be a problem, nothing less than a 6 footer for 2 full grown Oscars. Oscars are dirty fish to keep, maintaining water quality will be very important. They are big fish, they produce big fish waste...

What size tank do you have? (Dimensions, please.) Do you have more than one tank?

The jewels need a species only tank, because they will breed like crazy, and become quite defensive and aggressive once they do.


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