Oscar fish

Oscars form part of the cichlid family. They are native to south America. Even that they are very popular in many homes, Oscar is not a fish to buy without thinking as this fish can get up to 30 cm quickly and will need a fairly big aquarium also they can live up to 12 years, being a big responsibility. 

Oscars are difficult to sex because they are monomorphic (Both male and female have the same appearance). They have a long oval body. The dorsal and anal fins extend along the body to the caudal fin, which forms a fan at the rear.

Tank Conditions:

The most suitable aquarium would be a 285 L if you want to have two Oscars. But if you want only one Oscar then you can get along with a 200 L aquarium. The only problem will be as Oscar grow big, it will rapidly lack space leading to stress and unhealthiness of the fish. Equip the tank with a lid as Oscars can jump out of the tank. 

Also remember the bigger aquarium the better it is for your fish*

As they originate from the amazon regions, you will need to replicate their natural habitat that is a neutral pH of 7, a temperature in between 23 to 27.5°C and a KH between 5 to 20. At the base of the tank, there should be a soft fine grained substrate. Oscar like to dig in the substrate this way they cannot get injured while digging in the substrate.

Rocks and driftwood should make the main pieces of the aquarium layout. You can include live plants but those are at risk to getup rooted frequently as the fish digs. Also you must make some caves where the fish will feel comfortable while hiding its territory. Any decorations must be firmly fixed so that not to hurt the fish.

Oscar are sensitive to water changes and ammonia spikes thus you will need to have a good filter. Also, Oscars are quite messy fish so the good filtration system is a must. Your filtration system should be strong enough to turn over the entire volume of your water three to five times per hour.

Oscars prefer a moderate lighting. So a simple aquarium light will do great being on for 12 hours per day to create a daylight cycle. If you got high light demanding plants in your tank, then you should look for a more appropriate light. This won’t bother your fish.

Diet:

In the wild Oscars tend to eat insects, smaller fish, worms, plants, etc. In your tank, any complete flake food will be the main diet but remember to vary their diet. For that live food do great. Anything from prawns to any high protein and fiber food will be good. 

Tank mates:

Oscar fish tend to be territorial by nature but when the breeding time comes, they can get more violent with other fish. Oscars do well in a big tank where they all have they territories. 

However, you can keep some cichlids with Oscars given that they are of the similar size and that they aren’t too passive nor too aggressive and obviously that all of your fish have enough space.

Oscar Breeding:

Breeding Oscars is not an easy task as they are very picky when choosing mates and also Oscars attend sexual maturity at about 2 years old. One of the easiest option to breed Oscars is to buy an established couple. Another option is to buy a group of juveniles, this way they will grow together and will tend to have a good connection and form a couple.

Having got your couple, you will have to do certain change to your tank in order to accomplish breeding. Oscars in nature breed during the rainy seasons. To give alert about the rainy season, you will need to decrease of a couple degrees the temperature on your tank.

When the fish are ready to spawn they’ll flare their gill and use their fins to indicate to their mate. This could be simple fin waggling. The pair will clean a rock surface for the eggs to be laid on. The female can lay up to 3,000 opaque white eggs. Both the male and the female will guard the eggs until hatching time (i.e. Two to three days).

To increase the survival chances of the fry, move them to another tank equipped with a sponge filter. Feed them 2 to 3 times a day micro food for the first weeks. When they get bigger, you will have to separate them as the tank will get too small for all of them. 

Care Level: Medium

Temperament: Aggressive(Territorial) 

Color Form:  Various

Lifespan: Up to 15 Years

Size: Up to 30 cm

Diet :Omnivore

Family: Cichlidae 

Minimum Tank Size: 200 L

Tank Set-Up: Freshwater Rocky and Cave Tank

Compatibility: Large and Passive Fish