new cichlid tank

[THEKINGCOBRA]

3 days  ago, my 75 gal tank split the corner seam at 2:30am Sunday morning   I was very upset because I was in the process of stocking the tank with new fish. I did manage to save the fish by putting them in a empty 29 gal I had on hand. Sunday I purchased a new 55 gal tank and started the new setup. I moved my existing filter right from the split tank onto the new tank, added the gravel straight from the split tank to the new one and returned almost 60% of the original water too. after topping it up with new water I was suprised to see how clear it was and how happy the fish seemed
Anyway...in the new tank I have an odd selection of fish (all of which are very young). I have: 1 red Oscar, 3 tiger oscars, 2 jack dempsies, 2 african jewel cichlids, 1 red devil, 1 large adult pleco(6 in) and 2 leftover feeder gold fish from a previous tank.
I know I should not be mixing the africans with the south/central american cichlids...but they should all be comparitively around the same size at full grown. At this size, and for the past month they all seem to get along great. Can I expect problems down the road?
And yes I do have a backup solution for the fish as they outgrow this tank. Whats the best food for this kind of selection. Pellets seem to hard, and by the time they get soggy they become messy. Flake food is also messy. The goldfish food i throw in for the goldies seems to be a favorite of all the fish
Any and all comments welcome.

[BigDaddy]

You will definately see problems down the road.  4 oscars, 2 dempsies, 2 jewels and a red devil will not get along in that small a tank for very long.

Hope you have space/money for additional tanks very soon.  CA cichlids need their space...

[Adam]

I think the rule is something like 1 oscar for a 55 gallon, 2 for a 75, and it continues on.  That's if they are the only fish in there.  I hope you have a couple 125s or some more 75s to put them when they are larger.  And they grow quickly from what I hear, some oscars growing more than an inch a month.

Adam

[darkdep]

It's all true.  Personally I think oscars shouldn't be sold in pet stores because most of the time people just aren't able to provide the proper space for them.

1 oscar for a 55 is a very bare minimum, 1 for a 75 is more comfortable, and two or three to a 125. 

[mseguin]

I don't see that Oscars as a fish that shouldn't be sold, since their requirements aren't unreasonable. As you say, many people don't have the appropriate size tank, but a 55 gal is not an especially difficult to find or keep tank.
As mentionned, you will have some beaten up fish soon, the red devil and oscars epsecially are gonna be problematic.

[THEKINGCOBRA]

I am now down to 1 Oscar 
This is not by choice. My power filter tube seems to be hungry.
I have had this problem in the past with smaller fish getting eaten by the dreaded power filter, but i didnt expect it of 1 - 1 1/2 inch Oscars!
How can I avoid this in the future? Or do I just have to hope they avoid the tube til thier big enough to not worry about the suction?



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[repeej]

Sponge filter on the end of the intake tube should prevent this.