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Has anyone ever noticed that most larger cichlids hate oscars and try to kill them? Why is this?

they're all just jealous because they know how popular oscars are all over the world.



ok seriously, in most cases I'd say it's because of having too many large cichlids in too small a tank. in most cases, if you have an oscar grow up together with another large-growing cichlid or 2 in a 180 or larger tank then they should get along fine even as they grow to adulthood. when I say this though I'm not including the hyper-aggressive cichlids like red terrors, dovii, umbees etc.

would you consider a talapia butterkofferi a highly agressive cichlid?

absolutely.



Last edited by Jason_R_S at 14-Nov-2005 23:46

And, being as most oscars or big wimps, they tend to get beaten on often by even semi-aggressvie fish and especially other cichlids. When a fish cannot hold its own at all, they tend to really get beaten up, a lot more than other fish that will defend themselves. Heck, I watched a breeding pair of convicts kill off two full grown oscars in a 125 gal tank once. Was not my tank, I just went to visit and saw it happen. I can say, I have never owned an oscar, and probably never will, lol. Sorry guys, like others pick on discus keepers, I like to pick on the oscar keepers. lol.

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There is always a bigger fish...

In general I would say most SA cichlids are wimps. Though there are a few exceptions.

that's a pretty broad generalization considering there's the festae, umbriferum and all other Caquetaia for that matter, the entire Cichla genus (peacock bass) and the Crenicichla genus (pikes).

Yes, I am in agreement with Jason, and to add to his comment, IMO, some of the most powerful and most aggressive cichlids in the world come from SA. Many of them don't only fight hard for their territories, but do in fact kill for them! The pike cichlids have hardly any fw fish that could compare to them.

All in all, the SA cichlids and other SA fish as well, are some of the meanest and nastiest fish in the world. Just that some are not.

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There is always a bigger fish...

I said that there are exceptions, and those are the exceptions. I would disagree about Peacock bass though. They are more predatory than agressive, but ya SA still does have some nasty ones.

But greenmonkey, I would say the opposite of you. Basically there are a few wimps, but most SA are very aggressive fish. Especially the cichlids as compared to most other cichlids of the world. Probably the only exception would be the Madagascar cichlids. They are probably the meanest of all, in a general statement.

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There is always a bigger fish...

What about Central americans. Doviis,jags, and RDs/Midas can compete with anybody else. I guess when I think about it I think about top to bottom. SA has acaras(cept GT), severums, and eartheaters who would be mid-level agressiveness for south americans. While CAs has JDs, Cons, and Texas for there mid-levels. I do agree though that SA has some mean suckers. Although Peacock bass wouldn't be considered agressive, but mostly just predatory.

I was not the one to claim anything about the peacock bass. But yes, the CA are just as bad as the SA, and I kinda tend to usually include them in with the SA.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Yes I know that you didn't mention the peacock bass, just had to get it in. Also if your talking pure agression then you have to include the malawi mbuna. Some of them are demons.

Personaly, think that each group needs to be compared on their own basis. That is unless we are going to start putting fish together in tanks and let them duke it out. I don't think thats a good idea though.

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In general I would say most SA cichlids are wimps

you said that most SA cichlids are wimps and I would not consider peacock bass to be wimps simply because of their size and strength. no where did I say they were aggressive.

I originally had two Oscars, the one I have now killed off the other when they were both still pretty tiny. Even then, while this one is three quarters the way grown now, and thinks he's tough stuff, he was TERRIFIED of my Chocolate who was only half his size. As far as mine go, any attitude is only a front they put on, they are big babies underneath.

Last edited by Taurus01979 at 17-Nov-2005 14:43