# Texas Cichlid



## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

Hey I'm new to the forum and new to the world of ciclids! So far I am enjoying it very much. I have a 45 gallon hexagonal tank currently, it's not ideal but I'm looking to upgrade to a 75 or larger very soon.

Anyway I have an oscar and a channel catfish in the tank and they got along great. The oscar is fantastic I love him and it made me want to get another fish. I asked the people at the store the what would get along with my oscar well besides another oscar. I wanted some diversity. Anyway I came home with a very cool looking Texas cichlid. I did everything I was supposed to in adapating him to the tank, he was introduced without much incident. He instantly picked his spot, under a fake log and started making his den. It was funny to watch and he would chase the catfish a little bit, as the catfish enjoyed that spot as well. He stayed down there all the first day, much as I expected him to.
The next day I came out to the tank to see him swimming around with the oscar, nipping at the oscar a little but nothing too serious. AS soon as I entered the room he went to his hole and stayed there. He would come out and look at me a little bit but never let me see him cleary. I fed the fish and the oscar was the usual self, happy and at the top eating what ever he could, and the catfish proceeded to eat the few the oscar missed and his flakes. The Texas didn't get anything and he didn't seem to be very hungry.. I was a little worried but figured he was still adjusting. 
The 4rd day he ate one pellet that the catfish didn't get and the oscar didn't eat. He is afraid of me and won't come out to eat. I'm getting worried. Today is the 5th day and he has eaten 2 pellets and has begun to show a lot of aggression towards the catfish and the oscar. He chased the oscar around for quite awhile and I see a tear on the oscars one side fin. I'm not sure what to do, my gut is saying to remove him from the tank, I guess because the tank is so deep vs wide he isn't going to be able to share the tank. The people at the store said it would be fine, yet online I read how agressive and territoral Texas are. Is this just part of the adjusting process for the fish? My oscar is larger then the Texas by a few inchs and is much much wider, yet he is so mellow he kind of takes the beating. I really think he hit the log or something and that's how the fin damage occurred. The Texas also flew into the side of the tank with quite a bit of force at one point while chasing the oscar. I really like the fish but is he just going to harrass the oscar non stop? Is this because he has barely eaten? The catfish seems to not give a **** even tho he gets chased often by the texas, he always goes back to the same spot and the texas has kind of given up on pushing him out. I've watched from far away and the Texas and the Oscar are getting along a little bit better, they were swimming near each other and kind of checking each other out, but as soon as I show up the Texas hides again and has yet to really eat anything. I'm not sure what to do, the Oscar isn't the one being mean but the Texas won't come out to eat. Would feeder fish help? I'm nervous about doing that because of the parasite thing.. but he can't seem to get a pellet and won't come out to try.


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## Sparrow19 (May 31, 2013)

I don't have a lot of experience in this, but I had a Texas with some other cichlids. I was told by this forum to take it back because it will eventually become larger and be very aggressive towards the others. As he was getting bigger I did see a lot of damaged fins and he'd chase them around. I took him back and everything has been much more calm now. So I'd say, take him back.


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

would upgrading to a larger tank be helpful? I was considering getting a new tank tomorrow. I really like how he looks.. that's the bad thing but I understand if he is going to just harrass the other fish.


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## CalebZachary (Jul 16, 2013)

While upgrading the tank would help, I'd say you'd need at least a 90 gallon tank. If you get a bigger tank are you getting rid of your other? If you REALLY want to keep him, upgrade the tank, try it out, if it doesn't work put him in the old tank. That tank is much too small for all three of them.


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

I have never kept both together and haven't kept an oscar in years. But seeing that the Texas Cichlid gets to be 10"+ and the Oscar 14"+ and the channel catfish will get big, you will need a much, much larger tank and even then it may not work or you will need some series water turnover for your filtration. I am thinking a minimum of a 180g tank if not larger.

The other problem I see is the Texas Cichlids diet. They are omnivores but this is taken from the species profile - _It has strong herbivorous tendencies and should have plenty of vegetable matter in its diet._ http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=43 Oscars are carnivores and you know what they like to eat.


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

Interesting about their diet I did not know that. He came out tonight and ate some pellets. His aggression has gone down but he still picks at the oscar from time to time. He's getting along with the oscar much better overall tho, they were hanging out together earlier about mid tank, no aggression at all just chillin. He also came towards the top to get some food while the oscar was eating also.

I realize that all of these fish are in too small of a tank currently and will grow to be much larger. It's all I have however and I bought them small in order to give myself time to see if I enjoyed the hobby and to save up for a large tank, as it is quite an investment. My cousin has multiple large tanks with many different cichlids so I have had a backup plan in place in the event the fish get to be too large and I still cannot afford the new tank, as I have found the hobby to be quite a bit of fun. If I get the new tank and the Texas is still a problem I would let him live in the smaller tank for his life, by himself. Possibly still a bit small for him, but what else would I do with him? I consider that solitary confinement and a last resort however! I am willing to do what I have to in order to give them a good life, but I am also not made of money! Perhaps A jack dempsey or a firemouth would be a better choice since they are smaller? My cousin could easily take the Texas and give him a larger 55gallon tank for himself, or introduce him into his large cichlid tank. He had problems with a red devil recently and I've heard Texas males can be very much the same as red devils, so I'm considering giving him up.


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## Sparrow19 (May 31, 2013)

Do some research for a store in your area that is not a pet store, if they specialize in fish, they will buy it and give you store credit. Usually....
I did this with my Texas..


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

Is the final verdict that a Texas will never stop the aggression? He started beating up on the oscar again today, he seems to go threw spurts where he fine with everything then he does nothing but chase the oscar and the cat. I am removing him tomorrow, my cousin is going to take him and put him in a 55 gallon by himself. I knew that Texas cichlids were aggressive and needed space but I didn't expect him to be relentless against fish double his size. I also expected my oscar to be a bit more aggressive, he's so **** mellow he just takes the punishment.

The store I go to is pretty good, all the fish seem healthy and they have tons of them, but I'm a little disappointed in the advice they gave me. They had been great up until this..

What would go best with an oscar and a catfish in a semi small tank for the next month or two? My oscar seems to be super mellow so I'm not too worried about him beating up anything.. I just don't want another Texas style relentlessness, nipping at fins and chasing fish in the tank. I'm going to be getting a 125 very soon, so please no comments on getting a larger tank! Already in the works!


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

A jack dempsey would be good for a while until u upgrade to a bigger tank. what about a severum or a green terror.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

dempsey and green terror are extremely aggressive and will do the same to your oscar when they get old enough, Oscars are not really like many other CA/SA cichlid so getting a tank mate is always gonna be hit or miss depending on the Oscar really. Since your Oscar isnt very aggressive maybe stick with catfish and maybe a pleco, or another Oscar.


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

I just love Texas Cichlids, i would never take him back to the store as some suggested.
He is aggressive yes, but no more than a green terror or a jack dempsey.
One thing is certain, your tank is way too small for american cichlids.
Keep the 45 gallons for dwarf cichlids, ask BelieveInBlue for dwarf cichlids, he can help you out.
In a 75 gallon tank you can keep 2 american ciclhids, like a Texas and a Blood Parrot, ideally both females, but it depends on the fish, as not all the fishes are the same, it might work, it might not.
If you want to keep the Oscar, you must keep him alone in that 75 gallon tank as he is known as "the pig fish" he eats a lot and produces a lot of waste, therefore more nitrite and nitrate, so a FX5 would be a good idea for filtration.
Another thing is that Oscars are not usually very aggressive, they are big but more peaceful, so if you want a fish that goes with an oscar, try a geophagus jurupari or a severum.
I've already kept Oscars and Texas and now i keep mostly hybrids, geophagus, EBJD and severums.
Listen to rgr4475, if you want to keep the Oscar, Texas, catfish, you need a 180 gallon tank minimum.
Good luck!


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## Zombie Cichlid (Jun 26, 2012)

Suggestion on a population for a 125 gallon tank:
1 x Oscar;
1 x Severum;
1 x Geophagus Jurupari;
1 x Medium Sized Pleco, like a Green Phanton (L200);
Filtration: 1 x FX5 (ideally with an UV lamp integrated working 12/24).
Water Changes: 40% once a week.
Everyday food: New Life Spectrum 6 mm pellets with extra garlic formula Thera + a; and Algae Wafer Hikari: 2 wafers a day;
Occasional food: Frozen Bloodworns once a week;


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

Hey I wanted to update you guys on my situation. I purchased a 90 gallon tank, oscar and texas are living together reasonably well. The Texas is a male i'm pretty sure and he is tank boss, I added 2 firemouths to help reduce the oscar and texas going at it and pulled the channel cat. I know it's a bit overstocked by I am planning to move the firemouths to a 55 very soon, I want to see if the Texas settles in a bit better and so far he has. The firemouths he doesn't seem to mind and they swim right up to him. How do you know type of texas you have? I see a lot of on the species and I have no idea what I have. Should I post a pic? Let me work on that.. I was told he is a "regular" texas cichlid. Not a green or a red or what ever.


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)




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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

Better pic.. had camera on wrong setting.. I think you can see him much better


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

I would say a nice juvi male.


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## tol420 (Jul 16, 2013)

very cool, i thought he was a male, he's very aggressive too. Loves to dig, it's a riot to watch him spot a mouthful of pebbles.


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