Adding Oscars?

[karpomatic]

This is my 125 gallon mostly South American cichlid tank. The aquarium is filtered with a 48 gallon custom sump that turns over about 2000 gph. I'll add my stock list below. I was thinking of adding an Oscar or two. Thoughts?

1 Festuvum
1 Geophagus Winemilleri
5 Uaru
2 Blue Acara
1 Royal Panaque
1 Synodontis Decorus
1 Synodontis feather fin
2 Synodontis Valentine
1 flagtail prochilodus

 

[tlindsey]

This is my 125 gallon mostly South American cichlid tank. The aquarium is filtered with a 48 gallon custom sump that turns over about 2000 gph. I'll add my stock list below. I was thinking of adding an Oscar or two. Thoughts?

1 Festuvum
1 Geophagus Winemilleri
5 Uaru
2 Blue Acara
1 Royal Panaque
1 Synodontis Decorus
1 Synodontis feather fin
2 Synodontis Valentine
1 flagtail prochilodus

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Honestly you are over stocked suggest not to add a Oscar.

 

[duanes]

Honestly you are over stocked suggest not to add a Oscar.

Agree

 

[BigDaddyMagnum]

that’s a beautiful tank, but i agree with the others, the list is overstocked

 

[karpomatic]

that’s a beautiful tank, but i agree with the others, the list is overstocked

Thank you for the compliment. It's always nice to hear it from other hobbyists. Overstocked? Hmm. I really don't see it that way. The filtration is awesome IMO, and I faithfully do 50% water changes every week.

 

[Zack cloutier]

Oscars are a messy fish. The waste two would produce would be close to 50% of what your current stock makes imo. And on top of that I wouldn’t be surprised if an Oscar would claim half of that tank and leave the rest of the fish scrambling for cover.

I have one Oscar in my 120 and he/she has claimed a 3ft section of the tank and the other two cichlids, a catfish and a poly dare not cross that line. This is just my experience. You can always do more water changes and filter more but with your current fishI personally wouldn’t add an Oscar and definitely not two.

 

[Gunfleet]

I'd thin the herd if you want to add Oscars. You might have the biological filtration for it, but you are going to run out of space for the fish as they grow. Oscars are big territorial cichlids. Uarus can be territorial and if two pair up, even more so. Synodontis are territorial as they get older Flagtails get huge. Royal plecos are poop machines. See where I'm going? This kind of stock list would be happier in a 265 or larger.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Not to beat a dead horse, but you don't have room for one oscar with the current stock in the tank. Not sure if you have kept oscars before, as adults they are on another level of mess and bio-load as your other fish. They are also very susceptible to hole in the head/ HLLE if kept in water with high nitrates.
The rest of your fish are sizeable, but not all fully grown either, once they are I think the tank will feel quite full.
Your tank is beautiful and your fish look healthy. Your stock list at the moment is heavy, but maybe manageable. Adding oscars would certainly push you over the limit IMO. It would be fine for a while if you added small ones, but as they grew you would realize there isn't room in a 125 for other fish, if you have two oscars.

 

[esoxlucius]

The negativity you are receiving so far, i'm sorry to say, is very much justified. That tank looks great as it is, though as your current stock grows I suspect your water change schedule will be hectic to keep your nitrate in check.

On a positive note though, now would be the perfect time to get another tank, a 120g maybe, to house this oscar you want.

Enjoy. You can thank me later for the suggestion

 

[karpomatic]

The negativity you are receiving so far, i'm sorry to say, is very much justified. That tank looks great as it is, though as your current stock grows I suspect your water change schedule will be hectic to keep your nitrate in check.

On a positive note though, now would be the perfect time to get another tank, a 120g maybe, to house this oscar you want.

Enjoy. You can thank me later for the suggestion

I like the way you think! However, I've also got a planted 75 and the wife would kill me if I added more. I guess I'll just wait till some room opens up in the 125.