# Compatibility in 75G



## riseandfloat (Jan 21, 2006)

I am about to setup a 75 gallon tank that I plan to keep some oscars in. I was looking for some feedback on my livestock list for compatibility.

2 Oscars - 1 Albino / 1 Tiger
3 Clown Loaches
1 Severum
3 Silver Dollars
And some kind of eel. (suggestions?)

My guess this is a heavy bio-load for a 75 gallon but I am not sure. There is going to be mediocre filtering on the tank with an Emporer 400 and a Fluval 405. I am willing to omit the silver dollars. I would really like to have an active eel in the tank. Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Keeping multiple oscars in that small of a tank is never a good idea, especially for the bioload. My suggestion would be this:

1 Oscars
3 Clown Loaches 
1 Severum 
3 Silver Dollars

And to improve your filtering first


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## Al'Thor (Mar 11, 2006)

I agree with TFG. The Loaches should be fine for a while because they are very slow growers, but for the long term will get quite large and overcrowd the tank as well.


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## scrivz (Dec 2, 2008)

The clowns are such slow growers I'd be worried about the oscar trying to make a meal of them. I'd do one oscar, one sev, and the SDs.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

as far as eels, look for one in the 1-1.5 foot range, look up Mastacembelus on fishbase.com.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

scrivz said:


> The clowns are such slow growers I'd be worried about the oscar trying to make a meal of them. I'd do one oscar, one sev, and the SDs.


Depends on how you raise your oscar. If all the other fish are established in the tank for a month then the oscar is purchased at a young age (the same size as the CL) then it's my opinion that they won't be touched


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

only do one oscar and cross of the CLs and sounds good. be prepared for the bioload though.


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## BadFishPa (Dec 27, 2008)

I always mention that anything that can fit in an Oscars mouth may very well end up in it..Hopefully they leave the eels and louches alone..


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## scrivz (Dec 2, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> scrivz said:
> 
> 
> > The clowns are such slow growers I'd be worried about the oscar trying to make a meal of them. I'd do one oscar, one sev, and the SDs.
> ...


I'd have to see that to believe it. Obviously, it depends on the O, but if I were a betting man I'd put good money on the CLs becoming some expensive oscar food as soon as the O was big enough to fit them in his mouth. :wink:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I've owned atlest 15 oscars in the past that would never touch a live fish. I've got three of them right now. If you'd like I can through one of the 12 1/2" oscars in my wifes tank to prove it to you. She's got a 240 with ten mbimbwe frontosa, altos, brichardi, F1 bristlenose and $150 of synodontis. I wouldn't hesitate to put one of those three oscars I have in there. All the fish in her 240 are about 1 1/2" and can easily fit into a 12 1/2" oscars mouth. Incidently the fronts are worth $25 a pop and there's ten of them.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Here's a picture of one of my oscars being raised in an angel tank. The anges teach the oscars not to grow up to be A-holes.










If you look closely in these pictures this 11" oscar is in with multiple "grow outs" She acted as the teacher also. Breaking up squabbles and believe it or not "mothering" them.



















They're like kids. It all depends on how they're raised, weather they're offered live food or not and what they're kept with from an early age. They're smart enough to be trained, and smart enough to no longer be "predators" when they don't have to be.


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## scrivz (Dec 2, 2008)

Glad that's worked for you, TFG. I still stand by my previous statement and wouldn't recommend the combo, especially with the potential for damage due to a CL's eye spines.

That's the beauty of forums--everyone can share their experience and opinions in a hobby where things are almost never black and white. :thumb:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Exactly 

My wife says I can put heckle in with her fish any time :lol:


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

scrivz said:


> Glad that's worked for you, TFG. I still stand by my previous statement and wouldn't recommend the combo, especially with the potential for damage due to a CL's eye spines.
> 
> That's the beauty of forums--everyone can share their experience and opinions in a hobby where things are almost never black and white. :thumb:


I'd certainly agree with your last sentence. But I think there's little doubt that if you thow a smaller fish into a tank with a big oscar it'll probably get eaten, whereas if said oscar has grown up as a juvenile with the smaller fish, the chances of it getting eaten are much less, as TFG mentions. This applies to many other large cichlids, not just oscars. I think clown loaches chances of surviving with oscars would be pretty good.


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## josmoloco (Aug 23, 2008)

If you want an "eel like fish" get a senegal bichir. active and cheap with alot of personality, and they don't require live/frozen foods


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