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Oscar, the Playful Fish
Oscars are tropical fish in the cichlid family that come from the waters of the Amazon and are also bred as Red/Gold, Albino, and Tiger Oscars. They range in color from olive-green, brown, and dark gray in nature, and they rapidly grow quite large. Although they are just about an inch long as babies, be prepared to keep a 30-gallon tank or larger, because they can grow to 13 inches and will not stay in cramped quarters for long. Although easy to maintain, they are messy and require frequent water changes and good filtration. They are hardy but still require proper water parameters and a varied diet with protein and vitamins to live a long and healthy life. They enjoy eating live goldfish and other live feeders, but it is not recommended because they may cause disease. This species is particularly susceptible to hole in the head disease. A better choice of diet includes vegetarian pellets, beef heart, earthworms, and shrimp.
These fish are extremely playful and have been compared to puppies. They will seem to beg for food as you approach and will even jump out of the water to grab the food, so be careful to secure the cover! Some can be trained to do tricks, may allow someone close to pet them, and appear to know their owners, and they can live as long as a dog, which makes them a popular choice for people who want more of a pet relationship with their fish. They have minds of their own and will dig up plants and rearrange the decor, even spitting things out of the tank to make the environment to their liking.
Oscars can be aggressive with smaller fish and sometimes will play dead to catch prey. They are territorial and are aggressive when spawning. They like to dig up the substrate to lay their eggs at spawning. Although protective of their own, they will eat other baby Oscars. They also have been known to fight each other to the death if not given enough space and will lock jaws during a fight at mating. These fish form lifelong pairs but do not get along with many other fish unless they are of similar size. Try other South American cichlids like Jack Dempseys, and large catfish, Silver Dollars, and Bala Sharks as tank mates.
These fish are extremely playful and have been compared to puppies. They will seem to beg for food as you approach and will even jump out of the water to grab the food, so be careful to secure the cover! Some can be trained to do tricks, may allow someone close to pet them, and appear to know their owners, and they can live as long as a dog, which makes them a popular choice for people who want more of a pet relationship with their fish. They have minds of their own and will dig up plants and rearrange the decor, even spitting things out of the tank to make the environment to their liking.
Oscars can be aggressive with smaller fish and sometimes will play dead to catch prey. They are territorial and are aggressive when spawning. They like to dig up the substrate to lay their eggs at spawning. Although protective of their own, they will eat other baby Oscars. They also have been known to fight each other to the death if not given enough space and will lock jaws during a fight at mating. These fish form lifelong pairs but do not get along with many other fish unless they are of similar size. Try other South American cichlids like Jack Dempseys, and large catfish, Silver Dollars, and Bala Sharks as tank mates.
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