Oscars and Bichers?

[Mighty Prawn]

I just got some oscar juveniles, 2 of em. I am going to house them in a 55 gallon, until they outgrow it. I understand they can grow to be a foot long, so I figure the 55 long will not be enough for them once they are "teenagers". I'll probably eventually upgrade them to whatever is optimal for them, still being able to keep a couple other things.

I'd love to keep a bichir or 2 if I can. I read somewhere that they can be kept with Oscars, but I can't find that resource any longer. It was probably incorrect with my luck.

Anyways, I'd love to keep something with my 2 oscars. Something "eel like" such as a dojo or bichir, dragon goby or anything that will survive and also not attack them.

Do I have any options at all? What about other tank mates that can live peacefully? A jack dempsey maybe? The Petland in Country Hills has an Oscar with a Jack Dempsey, and the Oscar and the Jack seem to quarrel a lot. Mind you they are in a 10 gallon and they're pretty big, 8-10 inches at least.

So what do you guys think, do I have any fun options? What are Oscars like for planted tanks? Should it be lightly planted? Light hiding spots, heavy hiding spots? I plan on breeding guppies for them, in addition to NLS Cichlid pellets and various other treats I read they can have.

And does anyone know how long it takes for them to grow to be 12 inches? I read that they can grow an inch per month up until adult hood. But that was on some geocities page some kid threw up for a school project. I imagine it's probably more like an inch a month for the first few months.

Thanks in advance, as usual.

-Hideo

[Toirtis]

With really good food, space, and water-quality, an oscar can manage 14"-16", but 12"-14" is more likely. I would suggest a good 120 gallons for 2. Growth will be quick, so long as very frequent (couple times weekly) water-changes (got to keep those nitrates down) are done, good filtration and optimal temperatures are kept, and a wide variety of quality foods are fed. I would guess 12" within 12-14 months.

If the oscar is docile enough, you could possibly keep him with an ornate bichir, a saddled bichir, or a congo bichir, but I would suggest only specimens of 18"+ (ornates get to 26", saddled and congos to 36"-40")....only the ornate is commonly available, and at a reasonable price (usually $25-$100, depending on size).

A dojo loach would end up as quick lunch for the oscars, as would a dragon goby (which is a cool-water, brackish fish anyways).

A dempsy may do OK with the oscars, although some sparring would not be unexpected.

I once kept a large jade goby with some oscars quite safely.

I have yet to see a planted tank with oscars over 6" that did not have the plants all uprooted, but small, sturdy plants, like anubias, downoi, etc might work OK.