CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Hi Folks:

I am a new aquarium owner. I set up a 150 gallon tank and have two canister mechanical filters with a double bio wheel add on. If my math is correct given the water displacement from the gravel, rocks and decorations, the water should be turning over about 5 times per hour.

To start the cycle I added three, four inch Balla Sharks. The cycle completed in about four weeks, (Three days ago) and the Balla Sharks have done well. Yesterday I added a 3.5 inch Golden Nugget Pleco.

I have found an available Tiger Oscar that is a little over four inches that I am in love with and can obtain for free. It is my plan to add it as my fifth and final fish to the comunity. Could anyone give me a guess as to how long I should wait before adding it to the current comunity? The person with the Oscar is moving out of state and there is a time factor involved.

Thank you for any advice.

Bryce

If the tank is cycled, make sure your aquarium furniture is set (so the Balas feel 'at home' ) and then add the Oscar. Unless it is extremely aggressive (and it shouldn't be) it will be fine and the balas are big enough and fast enough to not be considered a meal by the Oscar.

Sounds like a good tank mix to me, but then again, I'm a newbie.

The pump flowrate sounds a little small but I'm not familiar with canisters.

I"m sure one of the experts will chip in and concur or show me the error of my ways.

Sounds like everything is ready.




The flow of the filters would be low if it were hang on type filters,but with canisters (and biowheels) 5 times per hour should be great

Thank you both for your replys.

I guess a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I am worried about adding the Oscar so soon after the Pleco because of the fear of starting a "mini-cycle" because the bacteria hasn't had a chance to catch up to the aditional waste produced by the Pleco.