AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 6/23/2008 Subject: introducing new oscars
Question Hi Ron
iam down in Australia and have just started keeping oscars. i have a great tank set up with a 3inch albino oscar and an 2inch. i would like to add two more oscars, i bought one and after being released into the tank my small oscar just chased it around until it died. the new fish was half its sizes. i have found a shop with fish the same size as my large oscar do you think i would have the same prob with two new larger fish bing killed by the smaller? thank you for any help you can provide.
Answer Hi Ryan,
It all depends on how large a tank it is and how much structure (rock/wood/plants) there are in the tank. Keep in mind that oscars are not social fish -- they basically don't like each other. I would never keep more than 2 oscars in anything less than a 50 gallon tank.
Also, keep in mind that an adult oscar is 12-16 inches in length and they can reach that in a little over a year if kept well.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
