Tropical Fish - the Oscar

With their protruding eyes, hardy shape and endearing pet like qualities the Oscar stands out and earns itself a place in many home aquariums. Although not as brightly colored, nor ornate as other tropical fish, this fish holds a certain amount of undeniable appeal and charm. For nearly ten years I have owned an orange Tiger Oscar. I have watched him grow from a tiny, shy, one inch fry that darted around the tank, into a confident intelligent larger than life fish that begs for food and rearranges his tank whenever he sees fit. It is amazing to watch the transformation. While Oscars are young and eating heavily you can almost watch them grow. There are however a few obstacles and considerations that come to light when introducing such a large fish into a home aquarium. If you decide you can accommodate their needs and are willing to give an Oscar an appropriate tank, this fun loving clever fish may be the right choice for you.

Tank Size- Although as a fry an Oscar can live in a ten or twenty gallon starter tank, they will soon outgrow their surroundings and need to be upgrade to a larger tank. A 50 to 150gallon tank would be better suited to an adult Oscar, especially if you intend to keep a pair of Oscars. When considering tank size the larger the better, both for the company and health of the fish as well as the water quality. Do take into account the weight of the tank when filled with water, fish and gravel. The placement of the tank in your home should be appropriate to the weight of the tank.

Diet - Unless you are planning to feed your Oscar exclusively live food, it is a good idea to get your fish introduced to a variety of foods including pellets and dry food. Oscars tend to have large appetites, especially while young and growing. It is a good idea to introduce this variety in order to not create a finicky fish. Sometimes fish raised on only live food will refuse dry food altogether. A feeding regiment of both live and commercial foods will bring a good mixture of food to your fish. When speaking of live food, feeder fish (goldfish) may come first to mind, but they are by far the only live food to feed your fish. In fact, because of the slight risk that feeder fish may carry disease, some Oscar owners choose to forego feeder fish altogether. Some great food alternatives include, but are not limited to; brine shrimp, earthworms, beef heart, mealworms, bits of chicken, frozen peas, night crawlers, bloodworms, crickets and grasshoppers. Pet stores often carry a variety of frozen fish food as well as freeze dried foods. Feed your fish as needed, but try not to overfeed as this is not good for your fish, or your tank water, which leads us to our next consideration, filtration.

Aquarium Filtration - I personally own an Eheim canister filter. It has worked well over the years. The refill material (carbon, floss) is more expensive as well as the actual filter. It has however performed and held strong for nine years with the job of filtering for three large fish whom eat an array of messy food. The canister type filters work well in both circulation and cleaning ability. An undergravel filter will clog too quickly becoming ineffective with this type of fish. The standard type of filter that hangs on the side of the tank will filter a tank; it simply does not do as well of a job, nor create the aeration and flow of a canister type filter. This is an area of fish keeping in which the investment of a good filter will make the hobby more pleasurable. The fish will live longer and your tank's appearance will benefit.

Water Quality and Lighting - Oscars will be mildly forgiving at times, but they do have basic water requirements. The water must be well filtered and range in temperature between 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit. An aquarium thermometer and heater appropriate to tank will help make sure you are in general range. They are brackish and aquarium salt can be added to help with water quality and fish health. Lighting is essential for nutrient absorption and to mimic nature, but can be varied with these fish. If your fish seems overly aggressive, you are getting algae growth, or the fish seems uncomfortable you may want to adjust the length of time light is on.

Decoration and Gravel - Small artificial plants and decorations may be uprooted by your Oscar. They tend to eat live plants and redecorate your tank at will. That is not to say that decorations can't be used, it is simply a matter of choosing the right ones. Large heavy rocks, both natural and artificial purchased at the pet store, as well as large rock pebbles would be well suited to an Oscar tank. Oscars tend to pick up pebbles and stones in their mouths and they move them, therefore rounded smooth edges on the rocks are best. As for gravel, I use natural pebbles to mimic a river bed, but any gravel intended for aquarium use will work well. Simply make sure it is thoroughly washed before using in your aquarium.

Size - Although they start out relatively small, the Oscar can grow in a home aquarium upwards of thirteen and a half inches.

Tank mates - Oscars are a bit territorial, as some Cichlids can be. Small fish will quickly become dinner if placed in the company of an Oscar, therefore tank mates must be chosen very wisely. Additionally medium to large calm, quiet fish may be harassed and become stressed. Space is also a consideration in the selection of a tank mate. The other fish must be compatible with the Oscar. Within the Cichlid family there are a handful of fish that could coexist with the Oscar, it is simply a combination of space and compatibility. My Oscar has lived with a Jack Dempsey (Nandopsis octofasciatus) and a Pleco (Plecostomus) with rarely any incidents and no injury to any fish for nearly ten years. I have however heard of many bad tank combinations in which fish keepers are forced to maintain more than one tank in order to keep the peace.

There are many beautiful varieties of Oscars. There are red Oscars, "wild" Oscars, bronze Oscars, tiger Oscars, albino Oscars and several ranges within. Oscars are smart, it is believed they see in color, play games with water toys and tend to connect with their fish keepers more so than other fish. All this, combined with personality makes it worth the extra effort of keeping an oversized fish in your home aquarium.