Hi, I'm looking to stock my aquarium I'm definitely interested in owning a tiger oscar. I also saw a needle-gar at my LFS and i was wondering if they would make good tank mates? Anyways here's my stocking idea: 3 pictus catfish 1 tiger oscar 1 needle gar I'd like some imput, thanks!
Pictus catfish are schooling fish and need to be in a group of six or more. Oscars are aggressive and they need to be with other semi-aggressive fish.
ok? Is a gar not an aggressive fish? what would you reccomend as a replacement for the pictus catfish, or can my tank handle 6?
Yes your tank can easily handle 6 pictus. But I wouldnt get an oscar, they are African cichlids that have different pH requirements than most other fish. Gars I'm not too sure of, Anders247 or hampalong may be able to help you.
Having oscars is the main reason i purchased the aquarium. My PH is around 7.8 from the tap and about 8 in the tank
Ok then you're looking at an all-African cichlid tank. You really cant have any community fish in there. LeoDiaz Chris99 and hampalong are the go-to guys for that. Even I'm still learning from them regarding African cichlids lol.
Yeah, i'd definitely be interested in a cichlid tank. I have driftwood and limestone in the tank with a couple fake plants and 2 bubblers. Fluval 406 canister filter. The substrate is pea gravel. as long as i can have an oscar in the tank?
In a 75 gallon tank, an Oscar can't really have any tankmates. A single tiger oscar will fully stock the tank.
I'm not familiar with needle nose gar. Oscars are actually South American and tend to do well if not overcrowded. They will typically eat any fish that will fit in their mouth though. Pictus cats may not be safe with and oscar. In a 75 the oscar should be fine but you are limited on tank mates. Anything large enough to not eventually become lunch would probably overload the tank. Maybe a small school of silver dollars or single catfish that gets to the 10-12" range.
What kind cichlid are you talking about cause many ppl use gravel for bigger SA cichlids but for some cichlid sand is a must. Like africans eartheater etc.
Oscars, I've read, get 14-18 inches, which is way too big to be in a 18 inch wide tank (which is what a 75 is), imo. That would depend on the type of pleco.
