CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

For a while I've read that Oscars and jack D's can be tank mates. So yesterday i went to pick a Jack up at the pet store. Well i noticed when i got home that the Jack was a bit bigger than my O's. I didn't think nothing about it. Until the Jack started chasing my O's around the tank all night. This already had me upset cause my O's are usually just chill and i liked that. I ended up going to sleep late and they still were at it. But this morning I was awaken by my lady who was highly upset and yelling saying that the bigger O was dead and half of him ate. This pisses me off so much I dont even want that dam Jack no more anybody want him come and get it before i throw him out in the lawn!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe it would have been better to get them both at the same time. It would have been alot easier to ensure that they were about the same size.


  Kim 

That's why I won't ever put anything in with my Oscars. I care about them too much to even chance anything happening to them. Sorry about your Oscar. Try taking him back to the Pet store if you can't find anyone to take him off of your hands.

Dempseys and a lot of the other Central Americans are more aggressive than Oscars, so if you mix them its usually better for the O's to already be larger than the JD.  With all cichlids though, its always a crapshoot.  Sorry to hear about your loss.  It really sucks to lose a fish that way (or any way, as far as that goes).  It's happened to most of us at one time or another, but it still feels bad.

On a cautionary note, a 55 is barely big enough for 2 Oscars once they're full grown even if they get along.  At around 6-7", your O's might decide they don't like their former friends, and vice-versa.  Adding another large cichlid of any kind is pushing both the available real estate in terms of territorial behavior, but also likely pushing the water chemistry past what it'll handle.

yeah iam pretty upset about the decision i made i guess mistakes happen when your learning. but anyhow i think it was a convict i put in there once i saw some more pictures. I guess even more worse? I did move the convict out into a 20 gal for now. Purchased another tiger today from where i got the first two, they had at least 15 baby tigers and when i put it in with the old oscar they were attached as soon as i put her in the tank. As if they already knew each other.

Convicts only grow to be around 5 inches so it more than likely wasn't a convict.

my condolences for you loss, I have no clue what I would do if I went through that ...  I would be fight the urge as well to feed that mean fish to a local feline ...  but I don't think I could do that either.

the new fish is accepted and getting along, which is nice, you never know with Os ...  probably the old O was lonely and sad from losing a close friend, and the new O was used to its family, so both suffering losses, they console each other and should bond well.

I would have to agree two Oscars in the 55 should be absolute max, but, if you really want something else, get something fast and as small mass as you can find (produce less waste).  I know that some people suggest tiger barbs for dithers in a multiple Jack Dempsey tank.  They are quick and school together.  But from what I have read and have learned from people I know that owned them, two Os in a 55 is a chore in itself when they are full grown (up to 3 lbs each and 14-18" total length).  Expect 40% changes a few times a week to keep nitrates under control and they will have aggression from territory issues, they may fight and hurt each other, then go back to being friendly off and on ...  could be a weekly/monthly/daily routine.  Reducing the amount of decor/gravel, keeping all sides of the glass open, and keeping the water as pristine as possible are all factors I have been told that will minimize the aggressive outbursts of friendly Oscar pairs.

Best wishes.