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Description: Oscars are an omnivorous cichlid from South America . They are regarded as one of the most intelligent tropical fish species and are aware of the world outside of their aquarium. Oscars can recognize their owners from across a room and will often beg for food. The oscar fish grows very quickly and will reach up to 14 inches within a few years. It is not uncommon to have an oscar grow from 1 inch to 9 inches in a single year! Because of the size of these fish and their messy eating habits, a single oscar fish should have a 55 gallon tank at the bare minimum! A pair of oscars can be housed in a 75 gallon tank.
Breeding Information: They reach sexual maturity at 4 inches and will form life long pairs. Keep the water temperature around 82°F (28°C) and provide a spot for them to place the eggs. A large rock would work well.
Sexing Information: Oscars are very difficult to sex. The only reliable ways are to wait until they spawn or through venting. Venting is very traumatic to the fish and should really never be attempted with a pet.
Diet: Flake foods, pellet foods, live foods, blood worms, earth worms, vegetables such as romaine lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini. Most experts agree that oscars should not be fed feeder fish. They are not particularly nutritous and carry a huge risk of disease transmission.
Temperament: Oscars will eat anything that fits into their mouths. Although Oscar fish are not as aggressive as some other cichlids they will fight a lot amongst each other and mating rituals can be down right viscious!
Common Diseases: Oscars are subsceptible to HITH (Hole in the Head disiease). The 2 most recognized possible causes are poor water quality and poor diet.
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