SC> I have recently started an agressive 20 gal tank.  Starting off I added
SC> 1 Oscar and 1 Jack Dempsey.  Oscar being about 3" and the Dempsey about
SC> 2".  Then I also added 1 Red Zebra, and 1 Cobalt Blue or Pindanni
SC> (African), and 1 Pleco.  The only fish out of the 5 in the tank that
SC> worries me is the Oscar.  Every Oscar I have seen or heard of is very
SC> active.  Mine however just lays around when I am around the tank or
SC> hides behind a piece of driftwood I have in the tank.  He will only eat
SC> shrimp pellets when I drop them in front of his face, and he will only
SC> eat his Hikari cichlid pellets that float on the surface when I turn the
SC> light off.  He seems very lazy.  He was obviously stressed when I put
SC> him in the tank because soon after he developed Ick which was treated.
SC> Now he has a fungus growth on his eye which is being treated and is
SC> getting better.  Can anyone tell me why he is so lazy???
What pH and hardness are you keeping the tank in? Since you have fish
that require opposite water conditions. (S. Amer vs African Rift lake
cichlids)
Oscars really have a bad rap, they are more aptly named the gentle
giants. I've noticed that an oscar kept with other fish and no other
oscars, is very likely to be bullied, by any aggressive fish.
Even when kept with other oscars, they may be bullied. I have 3 albino
oscars 3 1/2" and they were almost killed by 2 Tiger oscars 3 3/4". I
was forced to remove the tigers to another tank.  While the bullying was
going on, some of the other fish also joined in, as soon as I removed
the 2 tigers, the other fish stopped, so the tank is relatively peaceful
at this time.
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