# Oscar + Raphael Together Again



## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Wanted to do some fish reshuffling due to an impending (hopefully) brood of baby blue crayfish which will be housed in my 20 gal. long growout tank. Not to mention some future plans I've got up my sleeve for in the 38 gal. down the road...

Anyway, now the 75 gal. stocking consists of my oscar, Triton, and a spotted raphael catfish.
BV


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

Hope he doesn't become fish meal! :lol:

Good luck  :thumb:


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

8) Nice cave for the 'cat'!! How big is he? Most likely the 'O' won't bother him if he's more than a mouthful but if he's small enough to fit, it could be trouble. My striped raphael is almost 8"s now so no worries w/ my 11" 'O'. 'T'


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks guys!
And yes, I've had reservations about housing the spotted raphael in with the oscar, because the catfish is still fairly small (2-2.5" TL). And the oscar is about 9.0" (TL)!

That being said, I have watched them quite closely, and the oscar seems content to merely pursue him half-heartedly for the time being. The raphael just hauls his butt over to a safe spot---i.e. the cave---before the oscar can really investigate him as much as he'd like to. No sign of my oscar trying to eat him or anything thus far, but of course that could change.

Needless to say, I'll be keeping a very close eye on them...
BV


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## akskidoo (Dec 20, 2007)

I bought an albinus pleco a few weeks ago, and I was worried that my two 6 inch O's would try to eat it. I found that when the pleco moved quickly, they would nip at it, but never really get a good bite. Then one day he mysteriously disappeared and I am pretty sure he became lunch for one of them  wups...so for now, I am back to scraping off algae by myself.


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

8) Maybe a couple or three dithers to occupy the 'O' while the 'cat' is gaining some size. Just a thought. My 'O' & 'JD' were so busy they never paid attention to the 'Cat' & before they knew it

  
"T"


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## akskidoo (Dec 20, 2007)

I wish I could find some striped raphael cats up here in Alaska but no luck so far.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Not a bad idea about the dithers distracting the oscar.
Matter of fact, he could end up with a salvini tankmate before too long...
Knowing my luck the sal and oscar would probably team up against the poor catfish though, lol.
But for now he'll just have to be 'trusted' not to eat the raphael. If it happens, it happens. I'll be keeping a close eye out to make sure the catfish doesn't get lodged in the oscar's mouth/throat (in which case I'd need to bust out the tools in a hurry).



moneygetter1 said:


>


Very nice!
Say, how active is your catfish during the day now that he's gotten bigger? Does he stay out a lot more than when he was a little fella?

BV


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## thecookiemonster (Apr 21, 2007)

cool little catfish bigvine, i wish i could get one


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks, cookiemonster!
That's what drew me to him...he's a cute little fella. Quite eye-catching too with those white spots on him.

BV


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

> Say, how active is your catfish during the day now that he's gotten bigger? Does he stay out a lot more than when he was a little fella?


 opcorn: Nope! Still tucks in that spot in the driftwood when the lites are on but as soon as it's dark ,he's all over the place. BTW if he does end up in the 'O's mouth you're gonna have a heck of a time. Spiny cats get hooked & don't wanna let go. BE CAREFUL!! "T"


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

moneygetter1 said:


> BTW if he does end up in the 'O's mouth you're gonna have a heck of a time. Spiny cats get hooked & don't wanna let go. BE CAREFUL!! "T"


Hehe, will do.
So far he seems to be staying nestled safely in his PVC cave, and I've designed it in such a way that I can drop food directly into it without the oscar being able to get at it. My hope is that the raphael will (eventually) put on enough size/girth to not be considered food by the oscar. At that point I can hopefully make him venture out more by putting his sinking food at the other end of the tank.

I've got moonlighting on this tank as well, so I'm able to watch at night.
Trouble is, I'm usually in front of my computer when I'm watching, and the light from the monitor seems to keep the oscar up (and the catfish in hiding). I'll have to turn every single outside light source off and just view them under the moonlighting...

BV


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 24, 2008)

Keep that oscar well fed and you shouldn't have any problems with that cat getting eatin'.

I'd be more worried about the oscar choking on the barbs if he does decide to make a meal out of the cat!


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## MinusB (May 5, 2007)

I've got 3 raphaels in my tank, and they've withstood some VERY aggressive fish. I watched one defend against my Jaguar one day. I'm not worried one bit about their ability to survive.

As for growth, don't expect a raphael to gain size rapidly. I've had two for about 3 years, and they're just now breaking 7-8".


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Well, in the end I got too paranoid about the risks associated with my oscar gobbling up one of the spotted raphaels, so I've moved them to another tank and added some buddies in for them---they seem to come out a lot more now that there's 4 of them together (and no oscar or salvini harrassing them to death).

Anyway, no more worries about my oscar getting hurt trying to eat a spotted raphael catfish! :wink: 
BV


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

:thumb: Probably for the best. In a year or so they'll be a little longer & wider so then you won't have to worry. They're tough little cookies & can hold their own w/ the big boys!! 'T'


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Yup, they sure are---nothing seems to phase them!
Actually, I'm a little concerned about their housing situation in the 38 gal. tank with my firemouth pair (well, hopefully they'll pair whenever the female decides to be ready to spawn) and my two plecos...

You see, there are 4 spotted raphaels (all around the 2-3" mark), and 2 similar-sized fancy plecos (one's a leopard frog pleco, and the other is a peppermint pleco). Even though all the bottomdwellers are about the same size, I'm worried that the plecos may not be getting enough food. Those dang raphael cats are such piggies---they hoard everything! Plecos certainly aren't starving, by any means, but I'd be happier seeing them get more of the food. Guess I'll just have to keep loading up the tank with more sinking foods for them at night...

BV


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## Splash55 (Jan 24, 2008)

I am sure glad you took the rapheals out. This tread was giving me nitemares.  :thumb:
Do you give your plecos lettuce. My 10 inch Pleco (Shep) loves lettuce. He never used to come out before dark but now he does all the time. :wink: 
This is shep!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks, Splash...I feel much better too now that I know my oscar is safe!
I'll have to give the lettuce a shot---I think my peppermint pleco would especially like it.
Nice shot of your pleco too, by the way. And that's a nice looking krib in the background as well! :thumb:

BV


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