When adding a convict, use a 75-gallon tank and add a rock cave or a few pieces of wood for a bit of cover. While not the most popular fish at the pet store, the Oscar fish is a favorite among fish keepers for their variety of beautiful colors and their bountiful personalities. Those who are brave enough to keep them may initially be attracted by their appearance and colors, but quickly come to appreciate their intelligence and social behaviors. Most varieties grow to be large, reaching up to 12 inches. They are semi-aquatic, but spend most of their time on land rather than in water. Oscars like to dig so a coarse substrate would scratch them. This site is part of the Amazon affiliate program. I think I might have over killed the tank size a little, but got one hell of a deal on it, and those two should be happy in it for years to come. They’re omnivores and will eat pretty much anything you give them.

This disease is caused by the parasite ‘Hexamita’ and can be fatal if not caught early enough. Oscars (Astronotus ocellatus) are a species of cichlid, so it won’t surprise you that they’re from the Cichlidae family. Most aquarium lights are suitable too. Rather resilient at six inches long, this cichlid is a safe choice to be a tank mate for your Oscar. Captive oscars are commonly observed to rest on the substrate at night. Individuals with greatly elongated fins have also been produced for the aquarium hobby. These fresh water cichlids prefer slow-moving water with sunken branches and logs to hide behind. I know this isn’t the ideal situation, but he was small when I got him and being clueless, I had no idea he would grow so large. It’s important to an Oscar fish to have a balanced diet of commercial granules, frozen worms, brine shrimp, and beef liver, but it’s very healthy for that diet to be supplemented with live snacks. Well, I have a 7″ tiger oscar (Diesel) and he will not allow anything else in the tank with him – 75 gallons. Make a couple of caves for each fish so that they have somewhere to hide away within their territory. It takes a close look at the genitals to tell them apart. Here, you can find out everything you need to know about keeping fish and aquarium maintenance. Unlike your Oscar, however, silver dollars are not comfortable by themselves and should have at least two other silver dollars for company. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They can be found along the Amazon river and its surrounding areas, which is one of the most bio diverse environments in the world. Simply put, you won’t have a big chance of getting two Oscar fish who act alike. The IGFA record caught in Florida was an exceptional fish reported to weigh 3.5 lbs; oscars caught in the Everglades average 10 inches and 3/4th of a pound; biologists do not know how long oscars typically live. Water temperature should be 77° F (23° C) and should have little fluctuation. Like most cichlids, oscars tend and guard their young. Thanks for supporting our site.
Considering the tank to house your Oscar should be large, we’d highly recommend buying a large canister filter to keep the water quality as high as possible. Also known as Hexamita, symptoms include white stringy feces, faded color and loss of appetite. An Oscar only tank is probably the best idea if you want these cichlids. Originating in the waters of the Amazon, this cichlid is another extremely popular fish. Most live between 8-12 years, however given the right care, tank conditions and diet, they can live up to 15 years.

While they like strong currents in the wild, the filter outlet should create a strong enough current, so you shouldn’t need a water/air pump. Get a tank no smaller than 125-gallons to minimize the chance of the two becoming aggressive and attacking each other. Put in 3-5 inches of substrate or sand in your tank, and then gently pour in your conditioned water. Individuals are very picky when choosing a mate, so you can’t assume that putting any old male and female together will result in juveniles. Although my tiger oscar tends to chase and nip at my albino oscar, they mostly get along fine. Thanks, Robert. Juveniles are strikingly marked fishes characterized by a series of prominent wavy white and orange bars and numerous small white spots randomly distributed on the head. They make an excellent choice as a tank mate for your Oscar. Or you can use them to make your own homemade fish foods. Once the tank is up and running you shouldn’t experience many problems. The freshwaters of South America are warm with a neutral pH, so Oscars can’t handle extremes in acidity or alkalinity. I’ve only just received an Oscar from my mum as a gift and I have no clue about them??
Many varieties have been created through selective breeding.

We’re thrilled to have you as part of our community. And thats all the interesting moments I have with them, but now the pleco is 16″ or 17″ long. If you have some spare green vegetables around your kitchen then you can chop them up and put them in the tank.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These conspicuous bilateral ocelli or “eye-spots” (some individuals may possess more than one per side) serve in an anti-predator capacity, causing confusion as to which end of the fish is the head. Floating plants should be safe from damage, a good option is hornwort. They reach this size quite quickly in their lifetime, growing one inch a month until fully grown. Little is known regarding the parasites and diseases of wild oscars. In South America they live in some of the most diverse areas of the world, so they are used to lots of other fish. Oscars are often described as having a great or big personality. We are open! Breeding them may be a challenge but it’s not impossible. Not many people can claim they do more with their fish than just stare at it!

Fish Keeping World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and any other affiliated sites. If so, which ones? You’ll find it difficult to sex this species as they’re monomorphic, which means that both sexes have the same appearance. At the base of the tank should be a layer of soft substrate. The first dorsal fin is spinous; the second is composed of soft rays and has a rounded shape. Most cichlids are from either Africa or South America, these are from the latter. This could be simple fin waggling or vibrations. We earn commission for purchases made through our links. They’re aggressive enough to endure living with a larger fish but tough enough in case a chase breaks out between the two. Teeth in the jaws are small and used for grasping while those in the throat (the pharyngeal teeth) manipulate and process prey items.The type and arrangement of teeth on the pharyngeal jaw plates are one of many important characters useful to systematists in deciphering the evolutionary relationships of cichlids and much study on this important feature has been published. Featured image is by Jón Helgi Jónsson (Amything) (CC BY-SA 2.5 licence). Eyespots or disruptive coloration associated with the actual eyes are fairly common traits amongst fishes, and such characteristics have independently evolved along many separate evolutionary lines. Captive oscars are known to be quite susceptible to “hole in the head” disease, a condition caused by the protozoan Hexamita. Most of their time will be spent swimming in the mid-levels of the tank, though they’ll often head down to the substrate in search of food. And although adults require large aquaria, oscars breed readily when maintained properly and are often characterized as very “personable” pets by their keepers. Red and lemon Oscar fish have bodies that are almost completely solid red or yellow respectively. Ideal water conditions are in the range of 74-81°F, 6-8 pH, and 5-20 KH. The first thing you need to understand is that adding any tank mates – no matter the size – will require a bigger tank than the minimal 55-gallon. Considering the size of the Oscar fish, try not to fill your tank to the brim. I had to give Ghost plenty of hiding places because an oscar will gut out a pleco’s belly. You don’t need any special equipment to keep the water healthy, just a filter to clean it and a heater to maintain the ideal temperature range.

Thanks, Robert, I’ve had one in a 20 gallon tank in my classroom for about a year. This species will dig around objects when looking for food which can dislodge them. Hatching of eggs is temperature dependent, but typically occurs within 3 to 4 days. A large black spot surrounded by an orange ring present on either side of the base of the upper caudal peduncle is a striking characteristic of this species. Oscar fish are freshwater, meaning that you’ll have add a chlorine neutralizer tablet if your faucet water contains chlorine. The firemouth is far from combative and will avoid confrontation with an Oscar. Both the base of the soft dorsal and anal fins are scaled. They are all around same size, about 3 to 4 inches long but tiger grows faster than other fish in my tank. Use hardy plants so they can survive the trauma. These are temperamental creatures that should only be looked after by experienced fish keepers. How To Take Care Of A Box Turtle – Ultimate Breed Guide List, The Most Beautiful Parrotfish Species and 7 Amazing Facts About Them, The Ultimate Hermit Crab Care Guide: Habitat, Food And Much More…, 15+ Best Freshwater Shrimps For Aquariums, Eastern Box Turtle Complete Care Guide: Diet, Habitat And More…. They are arguably the most important fish in the Caribbean coral reefs as they keep the reef clean. In the wild, they mostly live off a diet of small insects and crustaceans, supplemented by some live fish and dead plant matter. Let us know about your setups in the comments section below…, Anubias Nana: The Full Guide To Caring, Planting and Propagation, The question of what fish eat cannot be answered with one specific and generic fish food, as many fish stores will have you believe.

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This is definitely a species worthy of a place in your home; their complex behaviors will captivate you for hours.


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