You may have heard that Oscar Fish is too aggressive to keep any tank mates with it.
Or at least it is very difficult to keep tank mates with Oscar Fish.
Well, it is true but they are some species of fish that are compatible with Oscar Fish and this is what we are going to talk in this article.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
How to choose tank mates for Oscar Fish?
When it comes to tank mates for Oscar fish there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Tank size
Oscar Fish can get pretty large and they are quite messy fish so they require a large tank.
When you keep other tank mates with your Oscar Fish then you should know the tank size requirement for that particular species of fish and choose tank size accordingly to keep them together.
Size of the tank mates
Oscar Fish belongs to the Cichlids family and they are known for their aggressive behavior.
Actually Oscar fish is not very aggressive fish but it will definitely eat whatever can fit into its mouth.
So you have to be careful and choose the tankmates that a large enough to not fit into the mouth of your Oscar fish.
Water parameters
While choosing tank mate for Oscar Fish, you should make sure that the ideal water parameters that the fish you are thinking about keeping with your Oscar Fish are similar to that of Oscar Fish.
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12 Best Tank Mates For Oscar Fish
1. Bichir
Image by Stan Shebs under CC BY-SA 2.5
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Bichirs |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Bichir |
| FAMILY | Polypteridae |
| CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 30 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 15-20 Years |
| DIET | Carnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 77-84° F |
| WATER pH | 5-7.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 8 - 12 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 90 Gallons |
Bichir is one of the best tank mates for Oscar Fish.
Bichir is a bottom-dweller fish so it spends most of its time near the substrate of the aquarium.
Oscar Fish rarely come near the substrate of the aquarium.
And it spends most of its time in the middle part of the aquarium so Bichir will not bother your Oscar Fish.
Besides, Bichir is not a nocturnal fish which basically means that they stay active during the night and during the day they hide behind any ornament in your tank that could be driftwood, rock, or plants.
So basically, when your Oscar Fish is active, Bichir is inactive and when Bichir is active, Oscar Fish is inactive.
So they will not bother each other and can easily live in the same tank.
Bichir can grow up to 30 inches long so there is no way that they can fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish.
Besides, Bichir is moderately aggressive so it can hold its own against Oscar Fish.
Tank
Bichir can grow as large as 30 inches so you will require a large tank to keep it in an aquarium.
The minimum tank size requirement for Bichir is 90 gallons.
The ideal water temperature for Bichir is between 77-84° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5 to 7.5 and the hardness tolerance range is between 8 to 12 GH.
So the ideal water parameters range of Bichir is similar to that of Oscar Fish.
Food
Bichir is carnivorous.
In the wild, it feeds on crustaceans, insects, invertebrates, and other small fish.
You should try to match this diet in your aquarium as well.
And you should try to feed them more live food rather than artificial food like flakes and pellets.
You can feed them live food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.
You can also feed them meat such as Oxheart and earthworms.
Besides, you can feed them sinking pellets. Just make sure that it is high quality and contains a good amount of protein.
Why Bichir is a good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Bichir can grow very large so there is no way that it can fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and get eaten.
Besides, they are moderately aggressive fish so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Bichir is nocturnal fish and it is a bottom dweller fish so it will not bother your Oscar Fish
Also, the ideal water parameters of Bichir is similar to that of Oscar fish so they can happily live together in the same tank.
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2. Convict Cichlids
Image by Deanpemberton under CC BY-SA 3.0
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Convict Cichlid |
| Common names | Zebrafish |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Amatitlania nigrofasciata |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Moderate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 6 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 8+ Years |
| DIET | Omnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 79 and 84°F |
| WATER pH | 6.6-7.8 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 6 – 8 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 30 Gallons |
Convict cichlids belong to cichlids family and they are known for their aggressive behavior so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
The great part about Convict cichlids is that they are very easy to care for and don’t require much attention.
Convict cichlids can grow relatively large (up to 6 inches) so they do not fit in the mouth of your Oscar Fish and so they will not get eaten.
Besides, Convict cichlids are very active fish and they usually spend most of their time in their territory inside caves or plants, etc so they will not bother you Oscar Fish.
Tank
Convict cichlids don’t go grow too large so they don’t require a very large tank.
The ideal temperature for Convict cichlid is between 79 to 84° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.6 to 7.8 and the hardness tolerance range is between 6 to 8 GH.
These ideal water parameters are quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together.
Food
Convict cichlids are omnivorous and they will readily eat anything you put in their tank.
In the wild, they feed on small insects, plant matters, and mosquito larvae.
In the aquarium, primarily you should feed them Cichlids flakes and pellets.
Occasionally, you should also feed them frozen or dried food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, blackworms, etc.
As Convict cichlids are omnivorous, to fulfill their vegetarian diet, you should feed them blanched vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, spinach, etc.
Why convict cichlids are good tank mates for Oscars?
Convict cichlids belong to the Cichlid family which are known for their aggressive behavior so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Convict cichlid can grow up to 6 inches and they are active fish so they can easily survive in the Oscar Fish tank and will not get eaten by the Oscar Fish.
Besides, convict cichlids spend most of their time in their territory inside caves, between plants and ornaments, etc so they will not bother you Oscar Fish.
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3. Firemouth Cichlid
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Firemouth Cichlid |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Thorichthys meeki |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 7 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 15 years |
| DIET | Omnivorous |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 75-86°F |
| WATER pH | 6.5-8.0 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 8-15 dGH |
| BREEDING | Live bearers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 30 gallons |
Firemouth cichlid is another fish from the Cichlids family you can keep with Oscars.
As this fish belongs to the Cichlid family, it can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
This fish can grow up to 7 inches so they will not get eaten by the Oscar Fish.
Besides, Firemouth cichlids are very hardy and easy to care for so you don’t have to give them a lot of attention.
Tank
Firemouth cichlid can grow up to 7 inches so the minimum requirement for it is 30 gallons.
The ideal water temperature for Firemouth cichlid is between 75-86° Fahrenheit.
The pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 8 and the hardness tolerance range is between 8 to 15 GH.
These ideal water parameters are quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together.
Food
Providing a varied diet is key for healthy Firemouth cichlids.
Firemouth cichlids are omnivorous and they are not fussy eaters so they will readily eat anything you put in their tank.
Primarily, you should feed them cichlids flakes and pellets.
Occasionally, you should also feed them frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, blackworms, etc.
As they are omnivorous, you should regularly feed them vegetables such as boiled peas, blanched spinach, carrots, etc.
You should feed them twice a day in small portions.
Why Firemouth cichlids are good companions for Oscars?
Firemouth cichlid belongs to cichlids family and they are moderately aggressive so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Firemouth cichlid can grow up to 7 inches so they will not get eaten by the Oscar Fish.
The ideal water parameters that Firemouth cichlid requires are quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them both together.
4. Green Terror
Image by MidgleyDJ at en.wikipedia
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Green Terror |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Andinoacara rivulatus |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 12 Inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 7-10 years |
| DIET | Omnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 68-77°F |
| WATER pH | 6.5-8.0 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 5-20 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg Layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 55 gallons |
Green Tera is another fish you can keep in your Oscar fish tank.
Despite its name, Green terror doesn’t have only green color.
They are pretty colorful fish and features bright metallic blue and green colors throughout their body.
Green terror is not very difficult to keep if you provide it good water quality.
This fish can grow up to 12 inches, similar to the size of Oscar Fish. So there is no way they will get eaten by Oscar Fish.
Besides, Green terror belongs to the Cichlids family which are known for their aggressive behavior and Green terror is no exception.
It can get very aggressive during spawning season and can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Tank
As Green terror can grow as large as 12 inches, it requires a large tank of at least 55 gallons.
The ideal temperature for Green terror is between 68 to 77° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 8 and the hardness tolerance range is between 5 to 12 GH.
So the ideal pH and hardness tolerance range of Green terror is nearly the same as Oscar Fish.
Also, there is an overlap between the ideal temperature range of both the fish.
So you can keep Green terror with Oscar Fish if you just manage to keep the temperature within the ideal range.
Food
Green terrors are omnivorous.
So they can eat whatever you put into their tank.
A varied diet is key for a healthy Green terror so you should feed it both vegetarian and nonvegetarian foods.
Their diet mostly consists of meaty food so you should feed it flakes and pellets, frozen and dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, crickets, earthworms, etc.
And to fulfill their non-vegetarian needs, you should feed them boiled peas, spinach, carrots, etc.
To adult Green terror, you should feed twice a day. And to the juvenile Green terror, you should feed 3 times per day in small portions.
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5. Jack Dempsey
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Jack Dempsey |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Rocio octofasciata |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 15 Inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 8-10 Years |
| DIET | Carnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 72-86°F |
| WATER pH | 6-7 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 9-20 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 80 Gallons |
Jack Dempsey is one of the most popular cichlids in the aquarium hobby.
This fish is very popular because it comes in many different colors and sizes.
It is also known for its aggressive behavior. So it can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Jack Dempsey is a large fish so there is no way that it can fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and will get eaten.
Tank
Jack Dempsey can grow as large as 15 inches so it requires a larger tank of at least 80 gallons.
The ideal temperature range for Jack Dempsey is between 72-86° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range between 6 to 7 and the hardness tolerance range between 9 to 20 GH.
The ideal water parameter range for Jack Dempsey is quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them both together in the same tank.
Food
Jack Dempsey is carnivorous so you should feed them meaty food.
Primarily, you should feed them Cichlids flakes and pellets.
Also, you should regularly feed them frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.
To an adult Jack Dempsey, you should feed 2 times per day. And to juvenile Jack Dempsey, you can feed 2-3 times per day.
You should feed them the food they can consume within 2 minutes.
Why Jack Dempsey is a good tank mate for Oscar fish?
Jack Dempsey is a very large fish (up to 15 inches) so it will not get eaten by your Oscar Fish.
Jack Dempsey is also known for their aggressive behavior so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Also, the ideal water parameters range for Jack Dempsey is similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together in the same tank.
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6. Jaguar Cichlid
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Jaguar Cichlid |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Parachromis managuensis |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | High |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 24 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 15 years |
| DIET | Carnivorous |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 77 to 97 °F |
| WATER pH | 7.0–8.7 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 10–15 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 125 gal |
Jaguar cichlid is a large fish that can grow as large as 24 inches.
This fish is quite aggressive and it can hold its own against Oscar Fish.
Tank
Jaguar cichlid can grow as tall as 24 inches so it requires a large tank of at least 125 gallons.
The ideal water temperature for Jaguar cichlids is between 77 to 97° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 7 to 8.7 and the hardness tolerance range is between 10 to 15 GH.
Food
Jaguar cichlid is carnivorous so their diet consists of meaty food.
In the wild, they feed on small invertebrates and small fish.
In your aquarium, you should try to emulate the same and feed them insects, bloodworms, mysis shrimp, etc.
You can also feed them small pieces of meat such as Beefheart and frozen fish.
Why Jaguar cichlid is a good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Jaguar cichlids can grow pretty large so there is no way that it can fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and will get eaten.
As Jaguar cichlid belongs to the cichlid family, it is moderately aggressive fish so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Also, there is an overlap between the ideal water parameters range for Jaguar cichlids and Oscar Fish so you can keep them together in the same tank.
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7. Severum Cichlid
Image by Ferrari2503 at English Wikipedia
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Severum Cichlid |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Heros severus |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Moderate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 7.9 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 10 years |
| DIET | Omnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 74.0 to 84.0° F |
| WATER pH | 6.0-6.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 4 - 6 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 45 gal |
Severum cichlid belongs to the Cichlid family but they are relatively less aggressive.
This fish comes in a wide variety of colors and they are quite inexpensive. That’s why they are also known as poor man’s discuss.
Tank
Severum cichlid can grow as large as 7.9 inches so it requires a large aquarium of at least 45 gallons.
The ideal water temperature range is between 74-84° Fahrenheit. Its pH tolerance range is between 6 to 6.5 and the hardness tolerance range is between 4 to 6 GH.
Severum cichlid like to hide behind ornaments like driftwood, rocks, etc so you should keep a few ornaments in your tank to keep them happy.
Food
Severum cichlids are omnivorous. But their diet mostly consists of meaty food.
Primarily, you should feed them Cichlids flakes and pellets.
Occasionally, you can also feed them frozen or dried bloodworms, earthworms, mealworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, etc.
As Severum cichlid is omnivorous, you should also feed them vegetables as boiled peas, zucchini, spinach, etc.
You should feed them twice a day the amount of food they can consume within 2 minutes.
Why Severum cichlids are good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Severum cichlids are moderately aggressive so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
This fish can grow up to 7.9 inches so it will not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and get eaten.
Also, there is an overlap between the ideal water parameters of Severum cichlids and Oscar Fish so you can keep them together in the same tank.
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8. Silver Dollar
Image by Haplochromis under CC BY 2.0
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Silver Dollar |
| FAMILY | Characidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 6 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 10 years |
| DIET | Omnivores |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 75-82°F |
| WATER pH | 5.5-7.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 4-18 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 75 gallons |
Silver Dollar is a popular schooling fish in the aquarium hobby.
It is a pretty hardy fish and it is very easy to care for.
Silver Dollars are medium size fish and you should keep them in at least a group of five in your Oscar fish tank.
Tank
Silver Dollar fish can grow up to 6 inches and as they are schooling fish you should keep them in at least a group of five.
The ideal tank size for Silver Dollar is 75 gallons.
The ideal water temperature range for Silver Dollar is between 75 to 82° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5.5 to 7.5 and the hardness tolerance range is between 4 to 18 GH.
Silver Dollar spend most of their time in the middle part of the aquarium.
They can jump out of the tank so you should always keep a lid on your aquarium.
Silver Dollars are also relatively peaceful fish so you should create some hiding places for them by adding ornaments such as rocks, driftwood, and plants.
Food
Silver Dollar is omnivorous and their diet is mostly herbivorous.
Primarily, you can feed them vegetarian flakes.
You can also feed them a lot of different kinds of vegetables such as boiled peas, cucumber, carrot, spinach, chickweed, etc.
As Silver Dollars are omnivorous, you should occasionally feed them frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.
Why Silver Dollars are good tank mates for Oscar Fish?
Silver Dollars are medium size, active schooling fish so if you keep them in a group of five then they can easily survive in an Oscar fish tank.
This fish can get as large as 6 inches so it does not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and will not get eaten.
The ideal water parameters for Silver Dollar are quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together in the same tank.
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9. Silver Arowana
Image by Qwertzy2 under CC BY-SA 3.0
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Silver Arowana |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Osteoglossum bicirrhosum |
| COMMON NAMES | Dragon Fish, Monkey Fish |
| FAMILY | Osteoglossidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Difficult |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | Up to 3 Foot |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 10-15 Years |
| DIET | Carnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 75-82°F |
| WATER pH | 6.5-7.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 1-8dH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 250 Gallons |
Silver Arowana is also known as Monkey fish or Dragonfish.
This fish is known for its hunting abilities.
It can grow very large and it is not recommended for beginners.
This fish is quite aggressive so it can hold it’s own against Oscar fish.
Tank
Silver Arowana can grow pretty large up to 3 foot so it requires a very large tank of at least 250 gallons.
You can raise juvenile Silver Arowana in the smaller tank but they can grow pretty fast and you will have to move them to a larger tank very quickly.
Silver Arowana are also known for their jumping abilities and they can jump up to 3 meters high.
If they don’t get sufficient space to swim around in the aquarium then the most likely going to jump out.
So ideally, you should keep them in a larger tank.
The ideal temperature for Silver Arowana is between 75 to 80° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.5 and it can do well in soft to moderately hard water.
Food
Silver Arowana is carnivorous.
In The wild, they feed on large insects, small fishes, snails, frogs, and even rabbits and snakes.
So their diet is a meaty diet.
Mostly you should feed them fresh live food like Crabs, Shrimps, Earthworms, etc.
You can also feed it Beef heart.
Besides, you can also feed them frozen food like frozen bloodworms, brine, etc.
Why silver Arowana is good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Silver Arowana can get pretty large so there is no way they can fit into the mouth of your Oscar fish.
Silver Arowana is also moderately aggressive fish so they can hold their own against Oscar fish.
Besides, the ideal water parameters for Silver Arowana are quite similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together in the same tank.
10. Blue Acara
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Blue Acara |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Andinoacara pulcher |
| FAMILY | Cichlidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 7 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 10 years |
| DIET | Omnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 68-82°F |
| WATER pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 6-20 dH |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 30 Gallons |
Blue Acara is a very hardy fish and can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
This fish is very easy to care for.
It belongs to the Cichlids family and it is moderately aggressive so they can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Besides, Blue acara can grow relatively large so they will not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish.
Tank
Blue acara can grow up to 7 inches and they require at least a 30-gallon tank.
Blue acara spends most of its time in its territory hiding behind plants and ornaments like driftwood and rock, etc.
So you should keep them in a heavily planted tank.
You should also keep driftwood and rocks which will provide them more hiding places.
As mentioned earlier, Blue Acara can tolerate a wide range of water parameters especially the temperature.
That being said, the ideal temperature range for Blue Acara is between 68-82° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6-7.5 and the hardness tolerance range is between 6 to 20 DH.
Food
Blue acara is omnivorous and in the wild, they mostly feed on invertebrates and small fish.
Their diet mostly consists of meaty food. So you should feed them meaty foods like frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.
On a daily basis, you should feed them Cichlids flakes and pellets.
As Blue Acara is an omnivorous fish, you should also feed them vegetarian flakes, boiled peas, spinach, lettuce, etc.
You can also keep some fast growing plants in your aquarium and occasionally Blue Acara will nibble on them.
Why Blue Acara is a good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Blue Acara can grow up to 7 inches so it will not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and get eaten.
It belongs to the Cichlids family so it is moderately aggressive and can hold their own against Oscar Fish.
Blue Acara can tolerate a wide range of water parameters especially the temperature.
And its ideal water parameters range is very similar to that of Oscar Fish so you can easily keep them together in the same tank.
11. Black Banded Leporinus
Image by Carnat Joel under CC BY 2.0
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Black Banded Leporinus |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Leporinus fasciatus |
| FAMILY | Anostomidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Difficult |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 12 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 5+ years |
| DIET | Herbivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 72-79° F |
| WATER pH | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| WATER HARDNESS | up to 20 dGH |
| BREEDING | Egg Layer |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 55 gallons |
Black Banded Leporinus is one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby.
This fish features black and yellow stripes that really stands out in the aquarium and instantly grabs your attention.
This fish can get pretty large similar to the size of your Oscar Fish.
Besides, Black Banded Leporinus is a very active algae eater fish so it will help to keep algae in control in your aquarium.
Tank
Black Banded Leporinus can grow up to 12 inches so it requires a larger tank of at least 55 gallons.
In the wild, it lives in the area where there are strong currents so you should try to emulate the same and use a powerhead to create a strong current in your tank.
Oscar Fish also prefers a strong current.
This fish can jump out of the tank so you should always keep a lid on your aquarium to prevent it jumping out of the tank.
This fish also like to hide behind the ornaments so it will also appreciate a few pieces of driftwood and rocks.
The ideal water temperature for Black Banded Leporinus is between 70 to 79° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5.5 to 7.5 and it can tolerate hardness up to 20 GH.
Food
Black Banded Leporinus is herbivorous so its diet consists of plant-based foods.
In The wild, it feeds on plant leaves and algae.
In your aquarium, it will feed on algae and help to keep algae in control.
You should also feed eat plant-based fish food like flakes on daily basis.
You can also feed eat cooked peas, blanched vegetables like spinach, lettuce, carrot, etc.
Why Black Banded Leporinus is a good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Black Banded Leporinus can grow pretty large up to 7 inches so it will not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and will not get eaten.
Also, there is an overlap between the ideal water parameters range that Black Banded Leporinus require and Oscar Fish require so you can keep them in the same tank if you maintain the water parameters
12. Pleco
Image by Lauricdd under CC BY-SA 4.0
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| FISH | Pleco |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Hypostomus plecostomus |
| FAMILY | Loricariidae |
| CARE LEVEL | Medium |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 24 inches |
| AVERAGE LIFESPAN | 10-15 Years |
| DIET | Omnivore |
| WATER TEMPERATURE | 74-80°F |
| WATER pH | 7-8 |
| WATER HARDNESS | 3-10 |
| BREEDING | Egg layers |
| MINIMUM TANK CAPACITY | 30+ Gallons |
Pleco is the best cleaner fish you can keep in your Oscar fish tank.
It is one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby.
There are about 150 species of Plecos.
Pleco is a bottom-dweller fish so it will spend most of its time near the bottom of the tank and will not bother you Oscar Fish.
It is also a nocturnal fish which means that it will stay active during the night and hide behind any ornament like driftwood, rock or near plants during the day.
So it will not bother you Oscar Fish.
Tank
There are over 150 species of pleco fish. And they can live up to 15 years!
So depending on the species you are going to keep in your tank, you will have to choose a suitable tank size for it.
Below is a chart that shows different species of popular Pleco fish and their tank size requirements.
Plecos are nocturnal fish and they are inactive during the day and usually hide behind ornaments like driftwood or rock or near plant matters.
So you should keep up some ornaments like driftwood, rock, and plants in your tank to provide them hiding places.
Besides, the ideal water parameter range for Pleco is between 74 to 80° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 7 to 8 and the hardness tolerance range is between 3 to 10 KH.
Food
People usually consider Pleco herbivorous and feed them mostly plant-based diet.
But Plecos are omnivorous fish and you should not only feed them plant-based diet but occasionally, you should also feed them meaty foods like frozen or live bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.
Their diet mostly consists of plant-based foods and they will feed on the algae in your tank and help to keep your aquarium clean.
You can also feed them plant-based sinking flakes.
Why Pleco is a good tank mate for Oscar Fish?
Usually, Pleco can get very large. It can grow up to 24 inches so it will not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish and get eaten.
Pleco is also bottom dweller and nocturnal fish so it will spend most of its time near the bottom of the tank and will only stay active during the night so they will not bother you Oscar Fish.
Besides, the ideal water parameters range that Pleco require is quite similar to that of Oscar fish, so you can easily keep them together in the same tank.
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FAQ
What fish go well with Oscars?
Large, passive or moderately aggressive fish can go well with Oscars.
The fish you are thinking about keeping with Oscar Fish should be large enough to not fit into the mouth of your Oscar Fish or else it will most likely going to get eaten by the Oscar.
It should also be passive or moderately aggressive fish so that it can hold its own against Oscar.
Besides, the ideal water parameters range that the fish require should match the ideal water parameters range of Oscar Fish to keep them together in the same tank.
Do Oscars need tank mates?
It is not necessary to keep tank mates in an Oscar fish tank.
Oscar Fish can do just fine without any tank mates.
Oscar fish have personality and keeping some tank mates with oscar fish is recommended to encourage social interactions.
Ideally, you should keep other Oscars of the same size in the tank.
But you can also keep other large, passive to moderately aggressive fish in your Oscar fish tank.
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Conclusion
So these are the best tank mates for Oscar fish.
Remember, Oscar fish have personality and every Oscar Fish is different from the other.
So don’t get surprised if you found your Oscar Fish is not bothering any of fish no matter what fish you keep with it.
Or your Oscar is bullying any fish you are keeping in the tank.
It really depends on the Oscar fish how it will behave but if you choose any of the above fish then your chances of success will definitely increase.
I hope you found this article helpful.
If you do, please share it.
As always, happy fish keeping!
