Well, I had 2 Os together but I just brought 1 back to the lfs. I am trying to decide at this point whether to get half a dozen tiger barbs or a pair of convicts to go along with my O in a 55...I do plan on upgrading in the next couple I months.

Any advice on which species would be a better match?

From my experience Tiger barbs will not last very long in with Oscars once they are big enough to eat them. When I first got Oscar's I bought a four Tiger barbs with them. At the time the Oscars were only around 2 1/2 inches and the Tiger barbs around 1 inch I suppose. Anyway, Tiger barbs max out at about 2 inches but once the Oscars got to around 8 inches, the Tiger barbs disappeared mysteriously. If I was you, I would stick with convicts, but obviously make sure that you get one that isn't going to become a tasty snack.

But keep in mind that convicts can be pretty brutal at times!
I was thinking of putting the tiger barbs in with my o. for he'd been living with a small ceylon barb for some months.
But the weekend i planned to get some more barbs, my Gar started liking the barb a bit too much...


So i guess that plan got cancelled.And now i have a new tiger O that will eat anything that hits the water.
LOL, i have to push him away when i want to feed my Gar now.
The tiger is 4 weeks in the tank and he's become totally unafraid of me and my hands in the water.

If you want some schooling fish, then go for Silver Dollars! They get to a reasonable size and their quick so O's won't catch them. I would definitely have some once I get my upgrade.

i am enjoying my tiger barbs together with red zebra in a separate tank,
not with oscar... even the red tail bala shark impressed me when swimming
alongside with the school of barbs... and i love the way they make a hole
in a slice cucumber.

i.m.o neither, tiger barbs wont last long and convicts can be stupidly agressive...id go for sevs, s.d's even j.d's

Well I guess I'll resist and get neither the barbs nor the convicts. The O will be ok by himself...there is a male bristlenose pleco in the tank that I might get a female for though. Which would be better? One or two additional female plecos?

I might want to breed the bristlenose in the future.

The Curious wrote:

2 females is your best option, but again they need their own tank to see the babies them grow. Lovely sight, all those tiny plecos in one tank, but your O will defenitely try to eat them.

Yeah, from researching bristlenose pleco breeding it seems they spawn mainly in the early winter. I'll most likely get a couple females and when that time o year comes round I'll just move the plecos into a breeder tank.

I Want that too.

imho a couple of female bristlenose would be a nice addition to your oscar tank. and like you said when they mature a a breeding project is cool project to get into.
good luck with them.........

Yep Yep Yep, I think it has been decided. A couple female bristlenose and the tank is complete. Will the male choose one of the females or will having two females mean he will be fertilizing twice the amount of eggs?