Baby iridescent shark and oscar

Question
QUESTION: I recently bought a very young iridescent shark and an oscar, both from the same tank at a local Wal Mart. They sales lady said they should be fine together and sold them to me in the same bag. Now I am not so sure this is a good idea. Some people have told me that the oscar will grow faster than the shark and eat the shark when it is capable of doing so. Other people say that is not so and as long as they where together all their lives they should be fine. I would like some information about this situation, as i love both fish and wish to see them live happily together. Thanks
ANSWER: Hi Robyn,
 Sorry, but it isn't a matter of if the oscar will eat the shark, it is a matter of when.  That's what oscars do and they are very good at it.  Oscars are great fish but they regard all tankmates as lunch.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So I guess the theory is if it fits in its mouth then it is supper? because i thought that other cichlids could live with oscars without fear of digestion. I realize that an iridescent shark is not a cichlid, but what are my options if I wanted to have two seperate tanks, one with oscars and like fish, and one with the id shark and like fish?

Answer
Hi Robyn,
 Generally, you can't keep anything with an oscar.  People start out with an oscar and a bunch of other fish but almost inevitably end up with only the oscar in the tank.  An oscar will eat anything that it can fit in its (very large) mouth.  He may not do it today or tommorrow, but I can pretty much guarantee it in the long term.   By the way, people feel bad saying "the oscar won't have any friends"...   Oscars don't need friends. They are perfectly happy to be by themselves.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>