meeting dolphins in vanuatu with oscar?

[Corona]

Not a good idea.

Appreciate the input. I was thinking of doing something different with an Oscar and tankmates that aren't so common. I was actually considering some Lake Malawi cichlids, but seems like that's not the way to go.

[willie32]

I'm setting up a 125 gallon tank and I'm planning to keep an Oscar, I'm thinking of adding a venustus cichlid and a blue tursio cichlid to it, do you guys think that's a good idea.

The thing is, Oscars are just so common that people tend to put them with anything, but that doesn't always mean it's the best for the fish. In terms of animal welfare, you've got to consider that Oscars can be a bit of a handful - they're capable of eating a lot of other fish in one bite.

Maybe you could look into some of the lesser-known cichlids, like the Pike Cichlids? I think some of the medium-sized, more laid-back ones like Saxatilis or Zebrina could work well. Alternatively, you could pair the Oscar with some interesting Characins, like a larger Annostomus or Leporinus species. If you're looking for something from Africa, you might want to consider species from the Congo or other riverine habitats, rather than the rift lakes. A trio of Synodontis Decorus could be quite nice.

It's worth remembering that just because you don't see certain mixes very often, it doesn't mean it's because people haven't tried it - it's usually because it's been tried and hasn't worked out.