One of my friends recently need to rehome his Oscar, because he is moving. Unfortunately, I was the only person that was willing to take it in since he didn’t want to give it to a store. He’s not too big so I have him in my 75, but I’m wondering would he be able to go in with my African cichlids until I can get him a better tank? For reference the Africans are in a 125.
Oscar help
- Thread starter graylizard
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how big is he? As long as the Oscar isn’t fully grown, a 75g is just fine. I wouldn’t keep him with the Africans since they have a different water type than what Oscar’s want. People keep Oscars solo in 55s, not saying that is suitable, but it’s possible. So don’t be too worried about the 75, and if so, I wouldn’t keep recommend it going in the 125g, but I have no experience with African cichlids
I’ve seen them mixed with Africans no problems, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Too many variables regarding behavior and water parameters.
Short term the 75 will work but I would aim for a larger tank down the line.
Short term the 75 will work but I would aim for a larger tank down the line.
I think it’s a little weird that people are citing that they have different water parameters when most likely your 75 and 125 have very similar parameters. I wouldn’t mix them with Africans mainly because I believe in keeping fish from the same locations, not because it couldn’t work. I just think it’s tacky and personally wouldn’t enjoy it.
I can’t speak to the OP’s tanks, but if you’re properly keeping both species there should be differences between the tank params, simply to match what the fish would naturally live in.
I was thinking this very thing.
Sure, in their natural habitat Oscars and Rift Lake fish live in quite different water. But most of our aquarium bred fish are many generations removed from that water and are often well adapted to other local water.
Like many of us, I find stable conditions more important than hitting specified target numbers. And I find it most practical to simply maintain my tap water's parameters. And I know a number of locals that keep and breed Rift Lake Africans here in our local soft water.
I personally wouldn't keep an Oscar with Africans. I'd get rid of the Africans and get more SA/CA. Because that's who I am. :-D
Even 100 years of aquarium breeding does not negate a few million years of survival of the fittest conditioning of evolution.
Many of the latent bacterial maladies are not acute, but show up as chronic infections at maturity.
Many oscars don't exhibit the ravages of being forced to live in abhorrent water parameters for a year or two, but at 2 or 3 years of age become scarred up with HITH from being crammed into a nitrate soup and hard water in an inadequate sized tank, and a lack luster water change routine..
You've only to walk into a LFS that accepts cast off oscars to see the damage done from hole-in-the-head, and other infections where water parameters didn't meet the evolutionary needs of a fishes natural immunity to certain bacteria that proliferate in non acceptable conditions.
And/or if one peruses the disease section filled with seemingly "mysterious" aliments espoused to have no rhyme or reason, but with investigation usually equated to adverse water parameters of one form, or another.
And not only oscars, but those many Geophagines, Uaru and other species from rivers like the Rio Negro, or Orinoco evolved to resist soft water bacteria, but not equip to high pH hard water phages in hard, high pH water.
Many of the latent bacterial maladies are not acute, but show up as chronic infections at maturity.
Many oscars don't exhibit the ravages of being forced to live in abhorrent water parameters for a year or two, but at 2 or 3 years of age become scarred up with HITH from being crammed into a nitrate soup and hard water in an inadequate sized tank, and a lack luster water change routine..
You've only to walk into a LFS that accepts cast off oscars to see the damage done from hole-in-the-head, and other infections where water parameters didn't meet the evolutionary needs of a fishes natural immunity to certain bacteria that proliferate in non acceptable conditions.
And/or if one peruses the disease section filled with seemingly "mysterious" aliments espoused to have no rhyme or reason, but with investigation usually equated to adverse water parameters of one form, or another.
And not only oscars, but those many Geophagines, Uaru and other species from rivers like the Rio Negro, or Orinoco evolved to resist soft water bacteria, but not equip to high pH hard water phages in hard, high pH water.
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Look I’m 16 and this is a lot of information. Some of which I understand and some of it I don’t. He is a healthy Oscar and he’s not full grown yet I have already started setting up a 125 for him. As of right now he is in my 75 gallon bichir tank with my electric blue acara. If you could explain it for me I would greatly appreciate it. I understand what you were saying about the
But what do you mean by phages? I want to provide a good home for this Oscar. So if you have any tips or advice please feel free to share them.
The point is basically that the fish and their immune systems are designed to function at a certain range of parameters. They are also adapted to fight certain pathogens that thrive in similar water. Other conditions have a suite of different diseases the fish are ill equipped to fight.