# clean up crew for oscars ??



## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

hi, whats the best clean up crew for the messy oscar?? :thumb:


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## oshp132 (Aug 10, 2006)

I am using Syno cats....I have five in my 135....I just picked them up, I'll keep ya posted on how well they do.
Also, I have two plecos.
MIKE


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## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

that will be great. iv 2 plecs in mine. just never see them really!! :thumb:


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## djoneser (Mar 20, 2008)

Most Plecos are poo machines, and will actually make your tank dirtier. If you want to use a pleco, make sure to get one that actually eats algae, I think the BN (BristleNose) plecos are best for that. I am actually using several smaller geophagus (satanopercus jurupari -horseface; are common and cheap at most LFS) as my oscars clenaup crew. As these are a sifting fish, they tend to keep the substrate pretty clean looking.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I'd agree with the geos, that's what I always suggest. What's your plan with these four oscars? Do you plan to get a pair out of them to breed them? If so you're not really going to want anything else in the tank.


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## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

i would love to have a breeding pair, i once did a few years back. they were only in a 4ft aswell !!.
but at the moment i dont know if the 4 will grow in 80 gal enough so that they will pair up.
i either leave them as long as poss or choose 2 and hope for the best or just keep 1 and find a buddy for it.
choices choices lol
the slightly larger of the babies now is fighting with them. they all have little grazes.
:thumb:


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## scrivz (Dec 2, 2008)

In my opinion, silver dollars are some of the best cleanup crew for O's. They eat scraps that messy oscars drop during feeding time and my SDs even pick through the substrate for more scraps. They have very little bioload (maybe 8 gal/fish, except for maybe the larger red hooks), which also makes them more suited to most oscar tanks.

They're also a very active species, especially when kept in groups. They'll add a lot more activity to a tank than any catfish I've ever seen.

Unless you have a very large tank I wouldn't recommend keeping plecos with O's. The ones that are big enough to avoid being eaten create far more waste than they cleanup.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

if you dont mind not seeing them, Raphael Cats are a great clean up crew, they clean at night.


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## lestatak (Feb 3, 2007)

gage said:


> if you dont mind not seeing them, Raphael Cats are a great clean up crew, they clean at night.


I just wish i could see mine more often. He's such a beauty


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## BadFishPa (Dec 27, 2008)

Silver Dollars dart aroud alot,they seem skiddish..I would go with a few Geo they are more amusing to look at IMO..


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> I'd agree with the geos, that's what I always suggest. What's your plan with these four oscars? Do you plan to get a pair out of them to breed them? If so you're not really going to want anything else in the tank.


Forgive my ignorance but what is a Geo?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/c ... php?cat=31


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=31


Thanks! One more question, the substrate i'm using is gravel would that cause problems for a Geo?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nah, they'd prefer sand but will still sift gravel... They'll also act like pilot fish for oscars, waiting by their mouth to catch the A.B.C. food


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

At the moment I'm holding onto a baby albino oscar for a co-worker. (Her house is being tented) Because I didn't want to get into the whole "set up another tank to keep something" I decided to go with some rosy barbs to keep the O company and also to clean up after it. This is working out quite well and the barbs are also excellent for some algae control - like on the fake plants. When my co-worker takes her fish back either she can just have the barbs or I may end up putting them in with another fish...not sure yet on that. I think if you were to have them grow up together they would be fine as long as the oscar isn't super aggressive. 
I've had large predatory fish grow up with much smaller tankmates and they haven't viewed them as food....


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

As have I, many times


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

As have I, many times  Problem is his oscars are already 6"


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

Ah. I missed that part :roll:


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

Update.
I found a couple of nice looking jurupari unfortunatly they are about an inch long so they won't work out just yet for the 125 I did find 3 Raphael Catfish about 3" long that should work out.

LFS has a couple of breeding pairs of convicts would one pair work out alright with the two O's? If not I'm leaning towards about 4 or 5 silver dollars.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Go with the silver dollars. Pairs, no matter how small are trouble makers...


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

Thanks again TFG!


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

No problem man, no problem at all... You wouldn't believe the trouble a pair of cons can cause!


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> Nah, they'd prefer sand but will still sift gravel... They'll also act like pilot fish for oscars, waiting by their mouth to catch the A.B.C. food


One more question and i'll be quiet 

I have an opurtunity to get 2 Geophagus Balzani about 5" and in good health would that work out ok with my O's?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

No, they will need a "cool down" period in winters ,like 65* water for three months in order to live a good long life. 65* is not good for an oscar... They are a gymnegeophagus...


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## tony7914 (Oct 23, 2008)

Ok thanks!


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