Oscars - the Gentle Giants of Your Aquarium

Oscars have a reputation among freshwater aquarium owners of being a very aggressive fish. This reputation is not without its reasons. Oscars, when kept in small groups, can become very aggressive and will quarrel often with their tank mates. Oscars do best when kept in groups of other Oscars in large aquariums. The best advice to keeping Oscars is to either keep one, or six, but not nothing in between.

Oscars become very large in captivity, so they need a large tank to live in. They need at least fifty gallons of room to be healthy. There are some fish that do well with Oscars. The biggest issue when pairing fish with Oscars is the size. They need to be housed with other large species if they are not going to make lunch out of their companions. Large Plecostomus, large cichlids, white tip sharks, tinfoil barbs, clown knife fish, clown loaches, and large eels all make appropriate tank mates for Oscars. Keep in mind, though, that you will need an extremely large tank to put six Oscars and some other species in the same tank.

Small Oscars can eat standard fish food flakes, but once they get larger than three inches, they need a more specific diet. They are often fed feeder goldfish, but cichlid pellet food is much better for them, since this type of food is designed to bring out the bright coloring of the Oscars. Live food is another option, but it is more expensive, and pellets do just as well.

Oscars that are for sale are usually between 2 ½ inches to 3 inches. This can be a problem, because people do not realize how big they will grow, even in captivity. Keep in mind that fish will grow their entire lives, unlike mammals. In the wild, Oscars will grow close to twenty inches long. In captivity, however, they tend to top out at twelve inches. They will live a long time as well. They can live ten to twenty years if kept in the right environment.

For some reason, Oscars tend to be very susceptible to hole in the head disease. This disease starts with small sores on the fish's head above its eyes. As the sores grow, it eventually penetrates through the skin, creating a hole. It is believed that hole in the head is a result of poor water quality.

Oscars need a temperature that is between 78 and 82 degrees. They can be kept in outdoor ponds, as long as the temperature is between 78 and 82. Make sure to clean the pond frequently and monitor the water quality. Outdoor ponds can have a lot more things that affect the water quality.

If you introduce Oscars to your aquarium, do not be surprised if they hide for a few days. They can be shy at first in a new environment. Give them time to adjust to their new home, and consider increasing the temperature a little bit to coax them out. Just know that this is normal. These giants are shy at first, which is totally against their stereotype! After giving them some time, they can make a colorful, active part of your aquarium.