# Oscars with my African cichlids



## Huskers2020 (Mar 23, 2010)

I have a 30 gal tank and I have African,Central,and south American cichlids in it. I just went out and bought a little albino Oscar. Did I make a good decision.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

No wrong decision, go return the oscar.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

I think the wrong decision started by mixing africans, CA's, and SA's in a 30 gallon tank. What species do you have?


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## Huskers2020 (Mar 23, 2010)

LSBoost said:


> No wrong decision, go return the oscar.


Why's that?


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## Huskers2020 (Mar 23, 2010)

3 convicts 1 blood Parrot and 5 African


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Huskers2020 said:


> LSBoost said:
> 
> 
> > No wrong decision, go return the oscar.
> ...


You can read the oscar 101 and I guess it could answer half of that question. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=120976

For your information, my oscar grow 2.5 inch in less than 2 months.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

To start with, oscars can reach 14 inches and 30 gallons is far from enough space. Also, you are overstocked. what african species?


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## johncl (Mar 10, 2010)

Agree with all the above.


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## moto_master (Jun 23, 2006)

I successfully raised two oscars with African Cichlids, but it was in a 120 gallon tank. I must agree with what they said, you're tank is full, and even if it was empty it would still be too small for a grown Oscar. I suggest seeing if they will allow you to return the Oscar. There is truth in the statement that fish grow to the size of their tank, but it isn't healthy for them and is kind of like the ancient practice of foot binding...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding

Think about it, Fish spend their entire lives in that small glass cage. That is like you growing up and living your entire life in a jail cell, with several other people, and never being able to leave. Plus they have to swim in and breath the water that they, and all their tank mates, have been pooping in. So make sure you do your water changes.


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

Huskers2020 said:


> 3 convicts 1 blood Parrot and 5 African


 :lol:

Dude, you have to be joking right?? Please tell me this is some kind of joke.

First off convicts are nasty little critters...they are very obnoxiously aggressive fish. Blood parrots get really big (sometimes 14"). Oscars get normally 12-14" and need room to move, which you don't have. Africans like to have space to swim (you don't have) and they tend to kill everything that's not an african.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

srook23 said:


> Huskers2020 said:
> 
> 
> > 3 convicts 1 blood Parrot and 5 African
> ...


That's racist. :lol:


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

Sometimes it's better to be a little racist when fish keeping rather than putting every kind of fish you can think of in a small tank and watch them kill each other or even worse live a life of suffering.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

I know what you're saying, just messing. :lol:


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## Blademan (Sep 20, 2008)

Great sized tank for a pair of convicts only :thumb:


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## planetnicolas (Mar 16, 2010)

Yeah don't vet the O these people convinced me out of getting one in a 75 gallon with a Jack Dempsey because they thought it was too small. Lol I agree with them the minimum for an Oscar is 55 gal with no decor not to mention my jd is sycotic. I'd stick with what you have of it is working but your tank seems overstocked for a 30 gal.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

*Planet*,

Well in your case it was the aggression problem that will make it hard to work out unless you have some longer tank. Like a 125 gallon 6ft tank, but then there's no guarantees even then. Trust me I know how JD and oscars are. JD are very aggressive and will attack anything while the oscar will just sulk and swim sideway (i think it does this to make itself look big). The JD will just attack the side of the oscar while the oscar take all of the hits directly. (I've never experience this, this is what I put together after some readings).

In the OP's case he has a 30g tank so he can't get an oscar period. Oscar can grow up to 14 inches or larger. Even though a 55gallon is recommended for an oscar the width of the 55gallon is only 12 inches long (trust me on that, I just measure my 55gallon). Which mean if something scared the oscar it will run into things and it will definitely have problems turning around. This is why it is much better to have a 75 gallon for a single oscar.


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

So, after much research I'd like to ask around here for some opinions. I recently bought a baby tiger oscar, he is about 1.5" long and is currently housed in an 8" plastic breeder container that is dropped into my 55 gallon. This is done for a number of reasons. firstly the 55 gallon contains mostly yellow acei and yellow lab,auratus and red zebra cichlids, they are juvenile, between 2" and 3" and I do not want them to pick on the oscar. I have done this also so that I can feed the oscar freeze dried bloodworms and mystis shrimp without the mbuna eating his protein rich foods. I have drilled extra holes in the breeding container to aid water circulation so that his water parameters are the same as that of the 55 gallon tank.

I am doing this only until the oscar is about 2" so that I can release him into the 55 gallon tank. hopefully as he gets bigger in the future, I will then take him out if he becomes the trouble maker and house him in something bigger than a 55 gal.

my questions are:

1) do you think that despite the holes in the breeder container, the small constraints of it will still stunt the oscars growth?

and

2) do you think even at same size the oscar will be in trouble with the mbuna cichlids? ( I have read varying accounts)


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

m1ste2tea said:


> 1) do you think that despite the holes in the breeder container, the small constraints of it will still stunt the oscars growth?


I think it's horrible to let any thing live in something like that for too long. Does the surface water in that container even have movement? if not then it might lack oxygen. Of course living in something that isn't perfect will lead to a slow growth. Just so you know it will need to be in a 75 gallon to be happy. Your 55gallon only have a 12 inch width. Don't believe me? go measure it. The oscar will grow to a full size of 14-18 inches. Even though an 18 inch oscar is rare, it does exist. So imagine a 14 inch fish in your tank. Oscar are pretty round so they grow the other way too.



> 2) do you think even at same size the oscar will be in trouble with the mbuna cichlids? ( I have read varying accounts)


We already answer this question. African cichlids shouldn't live with an oscar because they have different needs. Like PH and water hardiness. There's some debate on this so I don't want to stir up anything. However, you're putting all these fish in a 55 gallon so yes all the fish will be in trouble! opcorn:


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

thanks for the reply LSBoost,



LSBoost said:


> Does the surface water in that container even have movement? if not then it might lack oxygen.


yes, I placed the breeder in front of one of the filter nozzles so that there is good current through it.

And I am well aware of the dimensions and limits of my tank, and I'm definitely upgrading to either a 120 or 150 gallon sometime this year.

as far as water parameters go, I am avoiding the extremes of both the oscar and the mbuna.

Im looking for any personal accounts of anyone else that has mixed the two.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

I forgot to mention one important thing. Some of those african fish are fairly small when they're full size and they may be eaten/kill by the oscar once it grow big enough. Oscar's mouth can fit a mouse you know that right?


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

I've seen people try the Oscar with African scenario before and it always ended badly for the O. The africans are quick and nimble while the O is big and cumbersome. Consistant quick nips all the time until the O is so stressed out he dies.

Super bad idea to keep any fish with Africans.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

m1ste2tea said:


> So, after much research I'd like to ask around here for some opinions. I recently bought a baby tiger oscar, he is about 1.5" long and is currently housed in an 8" plastic breeder container that is dropped into my 55 gallon. This is done for a number of reasons. firstly the 55 gallon contains mostly yellow acei and yellow lab,auratus and red zebra cichlids, they are juvenile, between 2" and 3" and I do not want them to pick on the oscar. I have done this also so that I can feed the oscar freeze dried bloodworms and mystis shrimp without the mbuna eating his protein rich foods. I have drilled extra holes in the breeding container to aid water circulation so that his water parameters are the same as that of the 55 gallon tank.
> 
> I am doing this only until the oscar is about 2" so that I can release him into the 55 gallon tank. hopefully as he gets bigger in the future, I will then take him out if he becomes the trouble maker and house him in something bigger than a 55 gal.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a risky combination. I see a badly injured/dead oscar. If you are determined to try it, I think you have the wrong approach. You mbuna will have established pecking order and your Oscar will have no established territory, leaving it a trespasser among aggressive fish. I would use a divider and wait till the O is twice the size of the mbuna before introducing them and be ready to seperate them.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Can we see a pic of this tank please!!!!!!!


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

somehow I still lack a picture of the tank that is recent, but I do have videos 

this one is maybe from 2 months ago at most, but it shows the tank from one end to the next.





now here is the baby oscar feeding on bloodworms. (the stringy stuff is dried silicone that was used to plug up some of the bigger holes on the bottom, to prevent the oscar from escaping, and it has been removed after I noticed it today) I feed the oscar freezedried bloodworms in this video.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Nice setup you got going. I don't know if you should release the oscar or not. It won't work in the long run for sure.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Wow your videos are very professional looking


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

Dj823cichild said:


> Wow your videos are very professional looking


thank you! (I hope that wasn't meant to be sarcastic)

I think the 5cm macro focus and the HD quality is what does it. my grow lights are not helping though.


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## CaseyV (Jan 2, 2010)

This thread is blowing my mind.... I'm sorry but, this has to be a joke right? RIGHT!? nobody in their right mind could actually think that this would work....


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## lordlondis (Mar 2, 2010)

I think the problem is aggressive salesmanship. I just bought a 55g for my 5in oscar and when I told the salesman what I had he said "You can fit a bunch of parrots in with it". I have not gone back since. And yes I know thats not the best tank for my oscar but I plan on buying a 90g when I get a house in the next 2 years, I just dont have the space for it right now. Also I got suckered into thinking I could fit 2 tiger oscars into a 20g by a salesman who made no mention of how big they get.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

No I was being dead serious M1. And you can't even tell your taking the pics from a 30 gallon tank either :lol:


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## hessels92 (Mar 15, 2010)

this thread is a ******* joke, some people are so ****** stupid, to think i get raged at for trying red jewels with other Africans lol, this is 100000000x worse.


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

hessels92 said:


> this thread is a crazy joke, some people are so #%$& stupid, to think i get raged at for trying red jewels with other Africans lol, this is 100000000x worse.


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## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

dilemma averted, oscar got his own tank... for now.


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