cichlid tank coming soon: need advice

[cogburn]

okay... im getting a 75 gal. tank in a few months and i think i want cichlids... i want my centerpiece to be 2 huge oscars... cuz i love big fish... the lfs near me always has really big oscars... im talking big... like 8-10" they have always had a few everytime i go there... so my question is... with big oscars like that what kind of tankmates can i have? and how many... i know oscars can get almost 12" sometimes... so if you go by the 1" per gallon rule that would put me at 24"... im sure i could still get some green terrors or convicts or dempseys in there... maybe even a red parrot... i love the idea of having huge bad@$$ fish that i can give feeder goldfish too... thats so cool... my buddy has a huge oscar for 3 or 4 years and when he opens the tank to feed him it actually snaps at him... i think thats awesome... i know im nuts... but are there any cleanup plecos and or other cichlids i could keep with them... i dont really wanna go planted and i will have plenty of rocks for hiding places... and ill just go with fake plants... i kill most plants i ever attempt so i dont wanna go planted just to spare the poor plants... i am definately a newb with cichlids and have a few months to plan out... lemme know what you guys think... thanks...

-Larry

[JessieVB]

I'm sure others will second, but the other fish you can keep with the oscar will depend on the oscar. When I had oscars (years ago), we also had Tinfoil barbs and a common pleco in the same tank.

Another option if you want an aggressive fish is a Managuense (when I had one it was the only fish in the tank because it was so aggressive). We actually wound up getting it its own tank after it bullied our oscar.

[shad]

It helps if you get chichlids of the same size. Along with moving around your rocks in your tank every now and then so they don't develop territories as much.

[cogburn]

kind of a dumb question... buf it i have fully grown oscars... do i have to worry about sticking my hands in the tank? will they take a chunk outta me?

[shad]

Well, I wouldn't suggest it. But your chances are a lot greater if you feed him like feeder gold fish. Which i wouldn't recommend too much as it can make your fish sick.

[rich311k]

I think two in a 75 is pretty much a stocked tank. Oscar wont attack your hand or at least they will not hurt you. I used to pet mine.

[cogburn]

i know thats getting pretty well toward fully stocked... im trying to convince wifey to let me go bigger cuz i'd like to get another cichlid or 2... maybe some tinfoil barbs... but to no avail so far..

[oneoffcustom]

i would have to agree two 10 inch oscars in a 75 would already be getting crowded if you added to many more large fish. i always heard that you should buy your cichlids smaller than the oscar being they normally arent as aggressive fish as say an african could be. also on the gold fish i would not use them, i would use rosy reds. i had a terrible expiriance with an oscar dying from feeder gold fish and a fouled water parameters.

[cogburn]

oh this whole plan has changed hahaha... its now gonna be a 120gal tank... 2 oscars and 6 tinfoil barbs... but thanks for the reply

[fijiwigi]

I would go with 2" per gallon rule when keeping oscars they are pretty messy. 3" per gallon and they would be happier. and any fish small enough to fit in the oscars mouth may become lunch. Have you thought about a some kind of pleco to cruise around the bottom and munch down some waste from the oscars? Also with oscars having no substrate or a fine substrate would be recommended..