Oscar fish (also known as Velvet Cichlids) are not the easiest fish to care for, so we only recommend them to aquarists who have a bit of experience under their belts. There are lots of variations of the Oscar fish, including the Black Oscar, Albino Oscar, Red Oscar, Tiger Oscar, to name a few. Their popularity is largely due to their intelligence levels, their playful behavior, and their beautiful colorings. Everyone "aw's" over my Oscars and can't believe how large they are.The Oscar fish (or Oscar Cichlid) is an incredibly popular tropical freshwater fish that hails from the Amazon river basin of South America. They are the coolest fish when they are big, healthy, and happy. You need lots of filtration and a large aquarium. They swim side by side along the length of the tank :) Anyone who buys cute little Oscars, beware. Then I bought the 125 gallon aquarium when they were less than 1 year old! I was finally able to enjoy mine and it was clear to see they were much healthier and happier. The two canisters helped tremendously with nitrates, but they were getting aggressive towards each other the larger they got because they did not have enough room to swim around. NOT ENOUGH! Then I bought a second canister filter to help out. NOTE: When I first got them, as babies, I had a 55 gallon aquarium with 1 filter. A 125 gallon aquarium is usually too small for fish as large as these, but they have 6 ft. I may check their water for nitrates only once every six months and it always comes out great. The Purigen, sand, and 3 filters seem to keep the nitrates low. Argonite sand is mixed in their gravel as well. I do not rinse thier bio media, ever! (keeping good bacteria alive is extremely important) I also use Purigen bags and use twice as much as recommended. The filter pads are also changed once a month, but not at the same time I change their water. I change 25 percent of their water only once a month. I never use carbon, only bio media and filter pads. I use 3 canister filters which pumps 1,100 gallons per hour. I have had them all for 6 years and only feed them pellets. All are 14 to 16" long, including my sucker fish which looks like a dragon now. I have three Oscars in a 125 gallon (6 feet long) aquarium with one large sucker fish. Photo Credit : Photos copyright JJPhoto.dkįish Lore Forum : Oscar Forum | Oscar Fish Photos Oscar Comments and Tips The female is usually smaller and less colorful than a male of the same age. Give them a varied diet with lots of protein. However, don't put in any fish that are small enough to fit in the mouth of this fish.įood : Omnivore, will eat flakes, pellets, freeze dried and live foods. Tank Mates : Not many - Bala Shark, Silver Dollar, Pleco and Jack Dempsey fish are some acceptable tank mates. Keep the water temperature around 82☏ (28☌) and provide a spot for them to place the eggs. They have an "eyespot" near the caudal fin and it is hypothesized that this eyespot helps prevent predation from piranhas.īreeding / Mating / Reproduction : They reach reproductive maturity at 4 inches and will form life long pairs. Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive if not given a large enough aquarium. There is a non-native population of oscars is well established in South Florida, USA. Origin / Habitat : Slow moving waters in the Amazon river. Common Names : Albino, Tiger and Red, Marbled CichlidĬare Level : Easy, good for freshwater beginners with a large enough tank and those with an adequate aquarium filter and those willing to perform frequent partial Water changes.
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