# My Oscar's a Pansy?



## big_fishee16 (Jan 7, 2009)

So Oscars are supposed to be these really aggressive fish? Mine gets bullied by the othercichlids in our 100 gal. He has quite a few nips in his fins, but he's very healthy. He's about 6-7 inches. But he never chases the other fish or anything. Is he just an exception to the rule? And he's a huge eater, I feed him pellets usually and he fits 7 or 8 in his mouth at once. He has not problem getting food. He's just a "nice guy". Weird?


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

what other fish are in with him?


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## big_fishee16 (Jan 7, 2009)

some electric yellows, 2 dempseys, blue dolphin, some convicts, blood parrot, and a pleco. He is the 2nd biggest in the tank. Only the blue dolphin is bigger and he doesn't hardly do anything but look pretty  So I don't think its about room. The other fish are tiny - only the dempseys and dolphin are about his size.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Oscars are mild for S. Americans. They will be nice to neighbors until they swallow them. People assume predators are mean, but in reality its the opposite. Predators know they can always kill you later. Some plant eaters will kill any intruders in their "farm". Hippos kill more people than lions. Fish with names like "Jack Dempsey", "Green Terror", and "Convict" are killers. Blood parrots are a hybrid of mean fish and some of them are terrors. But they vary alot. All cichlids get meaner with age and size.

I know you didn't ask for stocking advice, but unless your tank is over a hundred gallon, I think you will see aggression trouble in the future with this mix. Its generally not recommended to mix New World and Old World cichlids. The reason given that like they don't "speak" the same language and can't negotiate truces and boundaries.


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

a 100g imo would definately suffice


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## lovejonesx (Feb 5, 2008)

That has always been one of the biggest myths about Oscars. They _(on a whole) _are *FAR *from being an aggressive fish, around other fish that they can not eat & tio be honest , even around some that they possibly could.

I'd say that Oscars are aggressive _( & messy) _eaters & total gluttons more than many other fish & they will launch themselves at food fish in wreckless abandon, but they are not the aggressive species that people seem to make them out to be.

LJx


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## Kurtfr0 (Nov 2, 2008)

My oscar is wild, and IS what people make out to be. he will bite fingers kill any fish even if its 3 times his size.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Cichids are individuals. You will always get a range of behaviors. And cichlids are territorial, whether they kill takemates usually depends on the size of the tank.


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