I currently have a 50 gallon tank and started with one tiger oscar that grew to about 5 inches. About a month ago, I added a 3" flower horn and as soon as he was added to the tank, the oscar harrassed him to no end! (suprisingly) It took the flower horn about 2 weeks to come up from hiding and eat and now, the flower horn and oscar have no problems. This past weekend, I added a 4" red devil (he is a little smaller than the oscar and a little bigger than the flower horn). Upon introduction, the flower horn and oscar teamed up on the red devil. They all seem to be getting along fine now. Taking into consideration my tank size and current size of these fish, how fast will they grow and what size tank should I upgrade to and when?
Tank size? Oscar, Flower Horn and Red Devil?
You asked a question previously and didn't like my answer. Now you are simply "fishing" for someone to tell you only what you want to hear rather than the truth.
Here is your previous question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
What you want to hear is: SURE, go ahead and keep all those fish together in a 50 gallon tank. The only reason you have problems is because your filter is too small and your fish are stupid.
The TRUTH is: Your 50 gallon tank is too small for even one of your fish. The rest of the truth is in the answer I already gave you.
I'm sure if you keep asking the same question and omitting information and adding new info will eventual lead to you getting an answer that YOU can live with..... but your fish won't.
I'm not trying to be rude. Most of here on Yahoo! Answers provide our time voluntarily to HELP people with questions about fish. It's very frustrating when people use this forum to justify bad fish keeping situations.
Reply:I agree. Tank space is way too small. The red devil will need at least 70 gallons to itseft to be happy and non-competitive.
The oscar and horn at least 50 each.
I also do not agree with the post above metioning disrupting their environment in order to alter thier territories. That shows a lack of understanding of the nature of cichlids and what they need to survive and be happy.
Reply:50 gal, if you have good filtration and don't plan on adding any more fish, you should be fine.
As for the attacking, these are all territorial fish. So any new comer will be attacked.
real easy fix for this, (too late now but maybe next time)
is to rearrange all the stuff in the tank first. To a fish, they have been "moved." Kinda makes the playing field a little more even. To a point. Even this doesn't always work. The new fish will be scared no matter what and the one in the tank already is at home even if you move everything around the more at ease one might still attack the scared one. They can tell.
But it's easy to do and might have prevented some of the fighting.
Another trick is to hold back food for a day or two first. Then as you let the new fish in, feed.
Sometimes the first fish is so busy eating it doesn't even notice a newcomer.
Yea well... oscars are pretty smart. That doesn't always work.
Reply:I'm not even going to use the words and language I used verbally when I read this. In short, did you not do any reading or research on these fish before you just went and bought them???
Ok the Oscar, is not even half the size it's going to get. If you had just that one Oscar, you MIGHT have been ok. That's probably close to a bare minimum you'd want for a single Oscar. Then adding a flowerhorn???? No offense, but what were you thinking? I know they looked small, but they aren't going to stay that size, let alone the compatibility. Again, please try not to take this as rude, but I really found this part funny "as soon as he was added to the tank, the oscar harrassed him to no end! (suprisingly)" You were actually surprised? That really should have been expected then a surprise. You just can't put the two fish of their temperment and nature togeather in a tank so small.
Then adding a Red Devil?? They aren't called Devils just for the heck of it. Basically, what looked like teaming up was just a matter of the Oscar saying, well this is my half of the tank, and the flowerhorn saying this is my half, and the poor red devil having nowhere else to go. They seem fine now yeah, but what you have is a tank with a ticking time bomb.
If you are going to inhabit all three of these fish in the same tank, for territory, waste, surface area, and compatibility purposes, you want to start looking at 150 gallons and up. You just can't keep these fish, growing up togeather or not, in a tank that small and think they are going to make it. You're very liable to have some stunting going on for one, and if not that, they are going to go at each other at some point, you can bank on that.
Sorry if that seemed rough really. I didn't mean it that way, but it is frustrating to see people just buy and plop fish in a tank and not have any idea about compatibility and water needs ect.... Please get them in a very large tank soon, or let them each have their own tank so you don't lose them in fights.
FOLLOW UP:
I'd say keep the Oscar, only because I prefer them myself. Just only from my opinion, I think flowerhorns are hideous, but it's only an opinion. I'm sure they are a great fish for those who like them, plus I think a flowerhorn probably is more aggressive as well. The Red Devil is one nasty little bugger for sure. Will want more space and will eat alot as well. Not to say that Oscars don't eat alot, but Oscars have quite a personality over time, and this one you've also had longer. I'd go with the Oscar.
Joshua, actually though, no offence, but moving decorations around is a very common advocated tactic to help keep a cichlid community in balance. I understand your point of view however, but in bigger communities of cichlids, it gives others that might lose a fight a chance to find it's own niche and not just have to hole up in the corner and wait to die. I think the point that poster was making is right, only in a 50 gallon tank, with all three, it's only going to be a VERY short term fix once these fish all start hitting 8 inches and up, so I wouldn't advovate that method based on that.
Reply:Growth rate depends on 2 key factors: how much and how often you feed them, and a second factor is water changes, how much and how often.
If you can upgrade the size of your tank, go as big as you can fit and afford. Consider 2 tanks, maybe one for the oscar and another for the others.
Reply:the oscar needs 75 gallons. the red devil and flowerhorn need 55 gallons a piece. that means about a 180 gallon tank fould be excellent for all these fish.
Reply:Oscars can get up to 12inches..So probably a 75 gallon would be a good tank size
Reply:Man il give you some great advice i have a 50 gallon and i am cyclling at the mo.Jon V is speaking the truth and has helped me with every question i have asked.I wanted an oscar,green terror or other big fish but tank is realisticly not big enough.
I am going for fire mouths as they grow 5" and maybe one or other smaller cichlids,just cause they are small doesnt mean they dont interact and dont make an amazing tank.I had looked at the flower horn saw how big it got and then said no way.You probably couldnt have picked bigger fish and regardless of the fact you probably wont be able to house even one.You are gonna spend a fortune on filters and that.
I would say return two anyway,i think oscar will grow smallest but you need 240 litre for that guy.Im in the same boat as you,tank wise and Jon V has helped me out bigtime.Best of luck man and if you gettin a bigger tank i envy you.
Reply:Oscars and Red Devils require a minimum 50 gallon tank. Flower Horns require a minimum 70 gallon tank.loan
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