Hello all. I am new to oscars, but I have been keeping tropical fish for a long time.
I had a 70 gallon tank I used to keep severums in. They died of old age.
The tank quickly became overrun with guppies and sword tails. I wen't to a pet store to buy a firemouth, and walked out with the koolest veiltail oscar I have seen.He was only a couple inches long.
In a matter of days ALL the guppies were gone, and the sword tails #s were few. I bought feeder guppies ( I now know this is a bad idea). He could eat a doezen in a couple days.

I quit buying feeder fish and now the oscar is all alone except for 1 little sword tail. This fish swims where ever it wants, and the oscar doesn't pay any attention whatsoever.

I think I have heard of this sort of thing, but seeing it is believing.
Does anyone have an explanation why this oscar doesn't gobble this little fish up. I know it isn't from lack of appetite. Fred

Sometimes, Oscars don't play a lot of interest to smaller fish. I have got three 2 1/2 inch jurupari in with 2 eight inch Oscars. The jurupari were in there a few weeks before I put the Oscars in and the Oscars haven't really paid any attention to them, although they could probably fit them in their mouths quite easily. I haven't noticed the Oscars trying to eat them whatsoever. The jurupari are quite aware that the Oscars are there and for the first few days gave them a very wide berth. They are now a little more brave and don't hide away quite as much. However, I'm quite sure that given the chance, the Oscar might have a go. I think it's good that the jurupari are growing very quickly. I think that give it two months, the Oscars won't be able to eat them because the jurupari will be too big.

Your Oscar is quite small at the moment and depending on how big the sword tail is, might not bother. However, when it gets a little bigger, the sword tail might have to watch his back. Having said that, they might live in harmony from the next few years, you just don't know. Just don't ever trust Oscars with small fish, however well you think they get on

This fish isn't small anymore, it's probably 6 inches long now. A lot of that is tail.
It has eaten the smallest babies up to 1 big sword he had sticking out of his mouth a couple days. This fish is an eating machine. It has probably consumed about 100 feeders in a 1 month period. Not to mention the bag and 1/2 of ciclid staple.

He has had plenty of chances to eat this fish. He completely ignores it.

I keep hearing such stories every so often, funny stuff!
Remembering I heard one as well where an Oscar lived with such a small tankmate, and when his little "buddy" died of old age, it was replaced with one of the same species, looking the same as the old one, but the Oscar would just gobble it down instantly.
I have no idea why they do that occasionally, but it's amazing.

Some days ago, I added some baby cichlids between 1 and 2" to my Oscar tank, hoping they'd have a chance to grow up in there by hiding away from the big boys until they reach a decent size. The small convict and now even the salvini decided to just swim with the big fish between 4 and 11" though, and none of them cares. I break in cold sweat though whenever I see that, checking as first thing every morning if they're still there. An Oscar's mouth just doesn't look trustworthy to me.

Crossing fingers for your swordtail, that would be a funny sight once the Oscar's all grown up.

I guess I should have added, this oscar has been out of feeders for almost a week. There was a horseface loach ive had for 10 years in there. I havn't seen it for at least 3 days, but I think that loach is still in there. There have been times when I didn't see any(I used to have 2) for a month or so. I found a dead one and thought it might have starved because the severums were gone. I bought them both at the same time.
This oscar only sleeps and eats. I am sure he hunts at night when the horseface comes out. I am watching him right now and yup he is hungry. I need to cook up a beef heart recipe. I did this a long time ago and it didn't work out. I havn't tried the one on this websight yet but I will try to get to it tomorrow.