CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I currently have a 55 gallon with a pleco and an Albino Reptronis Bichir. It's like a fat eel kinda fish. Very cool. It's about 6 in. Will grow to 12. Do you think an Oscar will get along with it? I would love to get 2 so they can be buddies but don't have a big enough tank. And how long before I need to move up to a 75 gallon tank? I know a 55 is barely big enough and have every intention of going bigger. Just wanna know how soon i should. I do have 2 Penguin 330 filters with bio-wheels.

My Green Terror just died. My heater broke while  I was on vacation and the person feeding my fish didn't notice. He became sick and died even though I replaced te heater as soon as I noticed. The other 2 somehow survived.

Thanks in advance for any advice

No absolute answer on this.  I've kept rope fish with smaller Oscars, and know of others who have kept bichirs and Oscars together.  I also know of at least one person whose rope fish was eaten by his large O.  The O of course claimed it was an accident.  If you get a young Oscar it will probably work for awhile, but Oscars grow really fast.  With luck the Oscar will grow up thinking the bichir is just supposed to be there.  Really depends on the fish.

The O of course claimed it was an accident.

LOL

yeah, growing up with fish they have a tendancy to co-exist with other species better, but no guarantees.  Having two Oscars with those two fish will be pushing your tolerance for pain even in a 75, but it is doable with dedicated maintenance schedule.  55 would be like pulling your teeth without anything for pain and an abcess at the same time.  One O would be much easier to handle in either situation, and would be just as happy alone if that is what it knows.  Are you keeping the 55 when you get the 75 ...  it gives you more options ...

Plecos produce a decent amount of waste and grow quite big, can get around 24" in length (we have a local place that has quite a few 12-18").  Add a Bichir that gets 12" in length, plus two Oscars of minimum 12" in length.  That is 60" of massive fish and bio-load.  Not the same as 60 tetras or 60 mollies which could easily be maintained in a 75, and not too hard in a 55.  In fact, I don't think 60 mollies even equals one full grown Oscar.

When healthy and kept in clean water, an Oscar will grow 1-2" a month.  If you buy them at 2", that gives you two to four months before they get large enough where they start to get territorial, and that issue gets worse as nitrates go up.  Plecos can also be territorial when they get large.

I had a friend that had two Os in a 55, he overfed them a bit because he couldn't resist the begging, but was doing 50% water changes two to three times a week at around 6" SL until he gave them away and still barely kept the water livable but not as low as he wished.  Feeding less and a better digested food would have helped, but only so much.

Again, anything is possible if you are willing to change enough water, with enough frequency.  Doing water quality tests would be the only way to know that.

Depending on your living situation/floor strength, space, and budget, you may be able to get a bigger tank than a 75.  Shop around for tank only prices (you'd be amazed how cheap some are), used tanks on various sites/papers (verify they don't leak before you take it!!!), etc.  Build your own stand.  If you are getting a tank with wet/dry pre-drilled holes, check LFS for used systems and save a buck.  Go extra light on gravel or use none at all ...  it makes it easier to keep clean.

I have learned to buy for what you have, not for what you think you will have and also it is better to be understocked than at or above the limit.  I would wait on the Os until you have the bigger tank.  Os will always be for sale, but I can understand wanting them now.  If you want an O bad enough right now, I would definitely go with just one.

I am curious, have you decided what color you want? 

Thanks for the input. I really doubt I'll get 2 of them because I dont want to be over crowded. I'm just hoping it will get along with my Bichir. So maybe I should just drop the dough now for a 75 gallon instead of waiting.

I'm not sure what color I want yet. I'm leaning toward a Black and Red one since my bichir is an albino and I'd like to get some color in the tank.

eels are hard to keep normally, so props on that  ,and mostly they dont get along with O's, but try it any way if i doesent work you'll just HAVE to get the bigger tank...  either way u win!... but i dont no if u want 2 tanks?  

If you get two Os that are about 5-6" in length they will not try to eat your fat eel cuz he wont fit in their mouth. This way when they are adults they will be very used to each other and by then the fat eel will definitely be too big for them to eat.

Oops, forgat to say something. If I were you, I would skip the 75 gallon tank and go right to the 120/125. You'll only end up there anyway. Especially if you do decide to get two Os.