Help finding a good tankmate for a young oscar.

[SpaceButler]

I still have a young oscar (only 4"), and I figure that if I want him to have a long-term tank mate (which I do) that now is the time.

I have a 55 gal, but am making plans now for a sizeable upgrade no later than August when I move to a more permanent location.

I've heard that other comparably sized cichlids are good... excepting the Green Terror. I love it when people are confused why their green terror is hurting their oscar and they get the response, "green TERROR!!!" I've heard of an oscar being successfully paired with an angelfish, but I'd be so worried about it's long pec. fins.

I know this is largely up to my personal tastes, but if any of you know good tankmates, or a fun combo, I'd appreciate it. Even just throwing a fish out there would be good for brainstorming, thanks.

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

I've heard lots of plecos kept in oscar tanks

 

[RoK]

Hm, so you don't want to just get another oscar? You can get a "shark", some of the larger catfish, plecos, even clown loaches would probably do fine.

 

[NJFishman]

need to find a fish that likes the same water parameters and is of equal size or close too. I always thought it would be cool to get one of each type of oscar. same body, different coloration!

 

[BASSNMAN]

The toughest thing about picking a tank mate is that unless you start with something big, the oscar will quickly. My albino oscar is growing about an inch a month. He is now about 5 inches and shares a tank with a 7 inch pleco. They seem to get along fine.

 

[Nascar#17]

need to find a fish that likes the same water parameters and is of equal size or close too. I always thought it would be cool to get one of each type of oscar. same body, different coloration!

I was thinking along this line exactly. I'm still setting up my 125 gal and want to do two or three different Oscars. One albino tiger, one tiger and one red.

 

[RoK]

Does anyone (or know someone) who owns a Zebra Oscar? I've never seen them in any fish stores. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1088

 

[ChileRelleno]

Ultimately it'll depend on his temperament or his tankmates.
That said alot of similar sized cichlids are more aggressive than the average O, and care should be taken even with other O's.
a quick list of possible tankmates...
Various Cichlids, Bala Sharks, Tinfoil Barbs and other Lg Barbs, Silver Dollars, med-Lg Plecs, med-Lg Catfish such as Pictus, Armored, Synodontis, Shovelnose and ect, Clown Loaches... these and others are possible tankmates.

 

[SpaceButler]

Thank you so much for the info everybody. I'll have to take a bit to figure it out for sure. Every LFS in town I found sells painted fish, so I'm kind of protesting. I don't want to order off the internet, but it might come to that.

Thanks again.