Red Oscar

General information

These fish are large reaching up to 12 inches. In the wild they are dark with orange around the gills and with a black spot at the base of the caudal fin. Oscars are very popular in the hobby which led to a lot of different color and fin varieties to be developed. The Red Oscar is one of the most popular varieties, it is entirely red with black markings. One of their most attractive traits is their personality, their  are able to recognize their owner and can be taught to do tricks for food. To keep these fish in captivity, water pH should be between 6.5 and 7.2 and water temperature should range from 72°F to 77°F. The tank should have a sandy substrate, driftwood, rocks and hiding places. They like to rearrange and mess with the décor so fragile equipment should be placed externally or it should be well hidden, also, the tank should have a cover to prevent them from jumping off. They shouldn’t be kept in community aquariums since they may try to eat their tankmates, however, keeping them with larger fish in a large aquarium ( at least 200 gallons) is a way of having them in a community aquarium. They can be either kept singly or in pairs.

This species is omnivorous. In the wild it feeds on insects, crustaceans and small fish, if no prey is around it may eat vegetable matter. It can be fed with dried foods or with live or frozen foods like prawns, worms or small fish.

To breed this species in captivity it is best to start by getting a group of 6 and allow it to pair off naturally and once a pair has formed the other fish should be removed. The breeding tank, 100 gallons, should have open areas for swimming, flat rocks and water temperature ranging from 78.8°F to 86°F.

Large Cichlids, like the Red Oscar, are prone to get “Hole in the Head” disease. This disease is very common in poor water conditions and poorly fed fish. Its symptoms include cavities in the head and face.

This species can be found in the Amazon, , Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. This species has been introduced in China, Australia and US. It inhabits slow-moving or still waters in forested areas.