Oscar with Electric Blue Hap?

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trombonier

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 5, 2017
Messages
39
Can it be done? I know it's different continents, but they're both the same size. And i know fish can acclimate to different water parameters. Any advice on how to keep them together?
 
Aside from the disparity in size (Oscars can get to 15 inches, Haps usually only reach 7 inches or less), there are several reasons to not keep them together. Many fish can acclimate to different water parameters, true, but Haps will prefer hard, alkaline water with a PH of about 8.4 or higher. Your oscar will do OK with this given time, but would prefer slightly softer, lower PH water. Their diets are totally different, and it's very difficult to feed individual fish that cohabit the same tank. Oscars need a meaty diet with a bit of veg; Haps need a diet heavy in veg matter, with a bit of meat. If your oscar doesn't get high enough protein or proper nutrition, you run the risk of hole in the head disease, and a generally unhealthy fish. If your Hap gets too much protein, you run the risk of malawi bloat, and, again, a generally unhealthy fish. Both can be fairly aggressive fish, and you really run the risk of the oscar killing your Hap. IMO, don't mix them.
 
Aside from the disparity in size (Oscars can get to 15 inches, Haps usually only reach 7 inches or less), there are several reasons to not keep them together. Many fish can acclimate to different water parameters, true, but Haps will prefer hard, alkaline water with a PH of about 8.4 or higher. Your oscar will do OK with this given time, but would prefer slightly softer, lower PH water. Their diets are totally different, and it's very difficult to feed individual fish that cohabit the same tank. Oscars need a meaty diet with a bit of veg; Haps need a diet heavy in veg matter, with a bit of meat. If your oscar doesn't get high enough protein or proper nutrition, you run the risk of hole in the head disease, and a generally unhealthy fish. If your Hap gets too much protein, you run the risk of malawi bloat, and, again, a generally unhealthy fish. Both can be fairly aggressive fish, and you really run the risk of the oscar killing your Hap. IMO, don't mix them.
My tap is extremely hard.
8.4pH and about 25kH. I have a 4 inch Blue Hap but I really want an Oscar. It's the same tap water parameters that my LFS keeps their Oscars in. Would it be a problem keeping an Oscar in such water? Since they're bred & housed in the same water anyway?
 
My tap is extremely hard.
8.4pH and about 25kH. I have a 4 inch Blue Hap but I really want an Oscar. It's the same tap water parameters that my LFS keeps their Oscars in. Would it be a problem keeping an Oscar in such water? Since they're bred & housed in the same water anyway?

Smart money is to not house them together. Water parameter and food compatibility aside, one of them is likely to get pecked to death. Oscars grow stupidly fast so it's likely to be the hap although the african cichlids usually have more of an attitude.
 
An oscar would do OK with your water parameters as long as you acclimate it slowly. But, as Mebbid said, they won't do well with a blue hap. If you really want an oscar, IMO rehome the hap.
What size is your tank? Even a single oscar will require at least a 75g tank, with larger being better.
 
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