Oscar Fish- The Complete Care Guide
- Jun 10, 2022
- Anshika Mishra
- 249 0 0
Oscars are one of the most commonly sold aquarium fish and can be found in tropical fish stores worldwide. However, they are also some of the largest freshwater aquarium fish sold, which poses some challenges.
In this article, we will be sharing a simple care guide whether you already have or are thinking about getting these beautiful pets.
One of the reasons why the Oscars are so famous is because of their unique personality. They have excellent striking looks with the big beautiful bubble eyes, but they also have a character that matches their faces. So, sometimes people refer to them as their wet pets because they will reach you the in front of the glass, you can train them to eat out of your hand, and they'll even get moody and sink to the bottom of the aquarium if something changes like a water change or if you move decorations around and they are not happy about it.
The one thing to know about Oscars is they get to be very large. So when you first see them at the aquarium store, you might see them at two to three inches and think they will be the perfect first for your aquarium. But do know that they grow very quickly and will soon outgrow your small aquarium within the first year.
Tank Size
The adult Oscar can quickly grow to be 10 to 12 inches in length and sometimes even more significant than that. So, it is suggested that you get at least a 55-gallon tank at a minimum for a single Oscar.
Getting a 75-gallon tank if you keep one Oscar is always recommended, as it gives them more swimming room to turn around and have more swimming space.
However, if you keep more than one Oscar, you will need a much bigger tank. We suggest at least a tank 5-6 feet in length and upwards of 100 gallons.
Male or Female?
So, how do you know if your Oscar Cichlids is a male or a female?
With Oscars, it is almost indistinguishable between a male and a female. This is because they have the same size, coloration, and body type. However, if you are planning to breed them, you'll have to vent when they're younger. Otherwise, it is challenging to determine their gender.
Price
Oscars are readily available in the hobby, easily bred at a fish farm. So, you can get them for as low as $10.
How Many Oscars Can You Keep Together?
For one fish, a 75-gallon tank is fine. For a pair, preferably, a 5-foot tank is best. But do know, even if you have a huge tank, you might get one or two very territorial fish who'll bully other Oscars in the tank.
Oscars come in a variety of different colors. Usually, you can get tiger oscar and olive-colored fish. However, they are also bred to have other color variants like Albino and black and white Oscars.
These fish are from South America and live in a tropical climate. Som is important to make sure that you do have a heater for your Oscar tank. So, the ideal water chemistry for this fish is:
- Temperature: 74-80
- pH: 6-8
- Lifespan: 10-12 year
Furthermore, it is essential to have adequate filtration in your aquarium, and the type of filtration doesn't matter. You can use air-driven filters like sponge filters or any other filter that can manage the bioload Oscars are going to produce
Diet
The Oscars are omnivore. So, they will eat various food from animal protein to plant material.
Feeding them quality pellets and various freeze-dried foods like insects are recommended. However, because Oscars note true Piscivores, it is not recommended to feed your Oscars feeder fish.
Decorations of your Oscar tank can be a challenge. They are vast and robust fish and can be destructive, and they've been known to uproot plants.
Therefore, having simple decorations in your Oscar tank that won't injure them would be suggested. Also, it is essential to ensure you don't have too many decorations in your Oscar tanks as it could impede their movements and take up valuable swimming space.
Now, despite their size and appearances, Oscars are not that aggressive fishes. However, they can be a bit territorial at times.
Other large fish can also pick on them, so carefully choosing the right tank bait should be done. When pairing them with suitable tank mates, keeping a considerable schooling dither fish is suggested. You can also pair them with other medium-sized Central or Southern American fish.
Breeding
While breeding Oscars, you want to be sure they are in a tank by themselves and that there are no other fish with them. Because they'll be very aggressive while guarding their eggs, and you don't want anything eating the newly hatched fry.
The females will lay eggs on a flat surface, and the male will guard the eggs. So, once the eggs hatch, the fry, you know, kind of free swimming, this is where you'll have to do some work; you might have to suck out the newly hatched fry with a hose and put them in a separate grow-out tank. Or you'll have to remove the adults, which is not easy.
You want to separate the fry from the adults because the parents can predate upon them once they swim freely.
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