no severums so...

Question
Hi Karen,
4 more days and i will recover fully. And i went to the Aquarists' today. There were no severums avilable anywhere so i had to be content with the oscars. You know i am a great fan of scavengers(corys and loaches) so i want to have a big one in the 350 gallon tank. But i think the oscar is definite to chase the cory. So please tell me if any other type of cat fish can be added. Also can i add Malawi cichlids?

Now coming to dogs...i am in a sort of an apartment and a bunglow. There are totally three houses. So i prefer to own a quiet dog. So are great danes good? The dog should not be hyper active. There are no herding dogs available for direct sale in india. But there is an Indian Hound named Rajapalayam. Can you please please get me information on it?

...Srinivas

Answer
Hey!

I'm so glad to hear you are recovering very quickly! That must be a big relief to you too!! :)

Okay about scavengers and loaches-
Sorry you couldn't get severums, there are many other fish that can be just as great to keep with oscars. Here are some that are often recommended for oscar tanks:
White tip sharks (actually a catfish)
Tinfoil Barbs (I love these fish! Very beautiful and neat looking!)
Clown knifefish
Black barred tiger fish
A group of large clown loaches
and some eels such as the snowflake eel... Of course other cichlids recommended for oscars by a very knowledgable website are: Large neotropical cichlids such as texas cichlids, Jack dempseys and Salvini.... I am really unsure about keeping Texas cichlids or Jack dempseys with oscars....These fish are so aggressive. The only way that I think you would really know if they got along, is if you simply try it out for yourself, but beware.  Large Plecostomus seem to always be kept with oscars of course...These are all suggestions and aren't always guranteed to be successful matches....Like i've said before, keeping cichlids are always a gamble, you never know when things will work out or when your oscar bites into one fish!!! Yes, you're right by the way, Oscars will surely eat little peaceful Cories.

I don't think it's safe to add Malawi cichlids to your Oscar tank. The results could go either way, the Malawis could bully your Oscars badly if they were small--or the oscars may grow large enough to attack and          ....Sorry for the bad news, Malawis are beautiful and interesting fish, but they best belong in their own dedicated aquarium....

~Now for the dogs~
First off I wanted to say I did whats called a "Dogmatch" on the internet where you answer questions about dogs to find the best breed to match your personality and preferance...Well I answered for a dog with a docile temperament, was easy to train, a very low energy level, and didn't bark a lot.....It was funny because the results for 100% was a Toy Fox terrier! These dogs are good with older children, but they don't require a lot of exercise or a lot of attention. They are well suited for apartments, are easy to train, moderately protective (which usually means they won't yap at every sound like most terriers), only need 10 minutes of exercise everyday...and are very tiny! Four pounds to 7 pounds! They are also cute too. I don't know if you like tiny dogs but this one would probably be best suited for your apartment sort of living.

On down the list was the dog with the weird name- Bouvier des Flandres... These are a much larger breed of dog that weighs up to 95 pounds and isn't well suited for apartment life at all... Next on down at 100% was the Mastiff (huge dog!), Saint Bernard (great dog, giant too!), a large herding dog name a Beauceron, Uusally the hard to find Canaan dogs (another herding breed), the cute Pug came in at 96%, the Bichon Frise at 95%, Pharoah hound, and the Whippet came at 93%. One dog that came to my mind was the Greyhound...they do get big at up to 70 pounds, but are tranquil inside the home and very good with children, they are very clean, easy to train and not that protective so their wouldn't much of a worry of a big dog barking at the sound of the neighbors going out their door! They do need at least 45 minutes a day of exercise to stay fit.
Yes! I found information on the Rajapalayam, I myself had never heard of that breed of dog but here is information have found about them-
Also called the Indian boarhound, it was traditionally bred to hunt hares and wild boars and other game found in india. It was often used as a war dog as well. Now today this breed is being bred down to a friendlier disposition and smaller size. They are often seen competing in local dog shows it is reportedly a tireless worker. Calm, trainable and loyal, the Rajapalayam is a reliable family dog. Their average height is about 20 inches at the shoulder. Now about the Majestic Great danes, they are a dignified, kind, sweet and affectionate breed of dog are are also gentle and playful around children. The Great dane does not bark a lot and only become aggressive when the circumstances require it to. Brave and Loyal, but because of their large size, they do need to have thorough, patient training as a puppy in order to be managable as fully grown dogs. They need to be taught not to lean against people as they sometimes do (they weigh up to 200 pounds!) They will do fine in Apartments if they are sufficiently exercised. They are relatively inactive indoors, but you should still exercise them...At the very least a long daily walk. I love these dogs, they are so cool, but the only drawback is their lifespan, it usually under 10 years. Not that I am telling you not to get one, they are great dogs. Just be sure you train them well with lots of patience with a puppy.

Well, I hope I helped...Remember as always, if you need anymore info on fish OR breeds of dogs, just email me again and I will be so very happy to tell you all I know about them or research as much as I can! I hope you find the right dog for you! I am here to help you all I can! :)

~Good luck on your Oscars!! :):):):):)
Wishing the best for your new 350 gallon and the very quick recovery of your Chicken Pox! :(

Take care Srinivas, and happy fishkeeping!
Karen~