Chrissy - 2011-08-06 My oscar "boss" is an absolute doll. Allows me to pet him, and hand feed him. He's currently housed in a 30 gal, but will soon be moved into a 55. Nothing quite like having your water baby swim up to the glass to greet you wagging its tail!
Small tip? I like to make him homemade foods to use along side with pellets. I mix a combination of fish (whatever is on sale at the store...found he LOVES trout), blood worms, garlic, paprika, shrimp, and any type of veggie (except corn)...chop super fine, separately: boil (with very little water) a couple packets of unflavored gelatin..while dissolving an adult multi vitamin..mix it all together over low heat...and I put it in mini ice cube trays to refrigerate. I freeze what I know I can't use in 5 days or so..and he absolutely LOVES them. It's a good thing my filtration is so great...He is only 6 months old and I'm stuck already looking for a new tank! XD
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Jay - 2011-09-19 I make a very similar fish food for my albino red tiger stripe. He's almost two years old now and in a 70 gallon tank. I grind cichlid pellets in a coffee grinders and mix in blood worms and non flavored gelatin. I didn't think about adding some fish to the mix. I also freeze them in mini cube trays. He makes quite a mess with these cubes but he likes them more than the hard pellets. I'm glad to see someone else has had luck with making their own food.
Pascal - 2009-06-02 I have always loved oscars since I was a young boy. My first oscar was a wild one caught in Miami FL. I was fishing with my brother and I caught a two inch baby with a net. I yelled to my brother "I caught a Oscar" I didn't know they had them in cannals in DADE COUNTY in 1984. I kept it in a bucket till I was to return to New York two days later. To make a long story short. I kept Tucco for 12 year and he grew to thirteen inches and lived in a 29gl, 55gl, 75gl tank. He was not all that colorful but full of sponk. He never bit me nor did he have any tankmates but everyday after school and work he would be so happy to see me or the food I was to give him and this went on for years, even when I moved out of my parents home. He never got sick cause I never fed him live foods only cichlid pellets or sticks. Oscars are a wonderful pet if you are willing to give them what they need and don't fall for the "they got to eat gold fish" thing. Tell the truth I always wanted to give Tucco goldfish but I was always scared he would get some sickness and I would lose my pet. I would get teased by my brother about this but tucco was mine and I raised him and he was my responsibility. I chose to take Him from his home in FL and bring him to NYC in a cooler even though my Dad said "he would die before we even got to VA". Tucco proved him very wrong. All in All if you have the time to raise an Oscar, wild or store bought, do it right. Feed it, water changes, stay away from live foods. You will have a very healthy pet and one that will in my opinion love you dearly for it. Oh and Tucco never had HITHD or any other sickness. Just fat and happy. R.I.P. Tucco. you are truly missed buddy.
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Tom Odell - 2011-03-01 Wow..... you are so lucky, living in the states. In the uk, we get carp, carp and you guessed it.... carp. I'd love to be able to catch fish and be able to take them home. Thanks' Tom :)
Carol Watch\r\n - 2011-07-18 This piece of info is very useful for me, thank you!
Tim Luna - 2010-02-28 I bought two red oscars at petsmart. They told me that that these oscars will only get up to 8 inches long. Are there species of the oscar that only get to this size? Also, i bought 4 tiger oscars when they were 1 inch long. 3 of them are 4 inches long now. The other one is still an inch but better looking than the others. Are some oscars midgets?
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Katie - 2010-03-05 That is incorrect. All Oscars should reach 12". Most likely, the smallest Oscar isn't getting his adequate share of food. You may have to feed the others until they're full, then feed the smaller one. Also, if your tank is too small, it could be stunting his growth. Keep in mind that for 6 Oscars, you're going to need a minimum of a 60 gallon tank (absolute MINIMUM!).
Tarah - 2010-11-05 With all due respect to Katie, there is absolutely no fantasy in which I could conceivably imagine 6 Oscars being housed in a 60 gallon aquarium. If we were to all agree that the bare minimum housing for one Oscar is a 55 gallon, then 6 Oscars would require a bare minimum of something between 330 and 400 gallons. I can only assume that the suggestion that 60 gallons for is an adequate minimum for 6 Oscars was a typo.
John Luciano Nocerino - 2011-05-27 Can I put 1 Oscar in a 20 Long for its life spand?
ike jenkins - 2011-06-09 Oscars grow with the tank, depending on the tank size, but most oscars get between 10-13 inches, if you have a huge tank they might get bigger, I've seen oscars 17 inches before, 55 gallons per oscar, 75 recommended.
pstowe - 2011-06-21 Yes a 60 gallon is way too small for 6 oscars!! Just to everyone out there be careful of the info you get from the warehouse pet chains. When I bought my oscar he was 1 inch and petsmart told me he could be housed in a 10 gal tank for his lifespan. I soon found out differently and moved him to a 30. And yes they will grow bigger than their tank size so long as they are healthy. My oscar is about 7 months old and is almost 11 inches. I am in the process of moving him to a 55 gal. What I found to be more of a problem with galonl size is not the size of the tank it is the waste they produce that is not being filtered enough. But 55 should be sufficient for one oscar and no other fish. I love my oscar! he is happy and lively!
Brien - 2011-07-06 Don't waste your time and money by getting a slightly larger tank each time. For 6 oscars the tank size is going to be huge so I would recomend going down to 3 tops. At least then you could probably get away with a something between 120 and 180. 120 will be a little small but it could work. I have two in a 90 and they seem happy.
pstowe - 2011-06-21 Just a notice to all new oscar owners!! I currently own my second oscar and I want to let you know just how big these little guys get and how fast. If they are healthy and taken care of properly they will grow very fast. I bought my oscar when he was 1 inch and now about 7 months later he is 11 inches!! AND STILL GROWING!!!! It is amazing how fast they do grow. He is currently in a 30 and is in the process of transfering to a 55 where I am sure he will continue to grow. These are wonderful pets and love attention. If they are cared for properly, you the owner, will not be disappointed!!
Anonymous - 2010-06-18 I just got 4 new small handsized oscars 3 tiger and 1 albino, 1 tiger is mostly orange. They got along great then while watching t.v. 1 night though 3 tigers attacked the albino and before I could get my net and separate them they tore him to shreds, kinda kool to watch but 12$ down the tube.
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Tarah - 2010-12-18 Anonymous, If you thought watching three Oscars tear another one to shreds was "kinda kool" to watch, then you should perhaps surrender your fish to someone with a better appreciation of fish and care, and perhaps take up a hobby in something that don't involve live animals...like Oprahs book club...I'm just saying...
Sam - 2011-06-13 Lighten up. it is cool watching things kill each other, its also part of nature. I would say that in 90% of nature shows they include animals killing each other. it happens.
John Lee - 2011-03-14 My oscars Liger and Tigon are the smartest fishes ever. They are very hardy and eat from your hand. In the Book Tophero Son of Smilodon there is a Oscar and is a really good book.
jason5 - 2011-03-11 My oscar fish is nine inches and I have hoplosternum littorale that is a 9 inches and syndontis ocellifer that is 8 inches and a common pleco that is 9 inches and they all eat the feeder fish but the pleco. My hoplo catfish begs me for food. The fish tank is 55 gallon.
dustyn - 2011-01-26 I have three oscars in a 20 gal tank with a penguin 100 filter these fish mean a lot to me. Even though I'm a kid I still know a lot I feed them krill every day they enjoy it.
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Tom Odell - 2011-02-21 3 oscars in a 20 gallon aquarium? Even though I'm still a kid (15), I still know that even a single oscar would outgrow an aquarium of that size in a short time. I would suggest you find new homes for at least two of these fish, or find a larger tank. Thanks for reading and taking this into consideration.
marilyn thompson - 2010-10-10 I had 2 oscars both about the same size, only if you see them together you could see the size difference, well when they got, one 4" and the other around 5" the bigger one killed the other one, will this continue to happen, with any compatible fish I add to the tank, even if I put fish the same size?
A classic in every sense of the term, the Oscar Cichlid has long been heralded as one of the most spectactular and iconic of the aquarium fish!
My oscar "boss" is an absolute doll. Allows me to pet him, and hand feed him. He's currently housed in a 30 gal, but will soon be moved into a 55. Nothing quite like having your water baby swim up to the glass to greet you wagging its tail!
Small tip? I like to make him homemade foods to use along side with pellets. I mix a combination of fish (whatever is on sale at the store...found he LOVES trout), blood worms, garlic, paprika, shrimp, and any type of veggie (except corn)...chop super fine, separately: boil (with very little water) a couple packets of unflavored gelatin..while dissolving an adult multi vitamin..mix it all together over low heat...and I put it in mini ice cube trays to refrigerate. I freeze what I know I can't use in 5 days or so..and he absolutely LOVES them. It's a good thing my filtration is so great...He is only 6 months old and I'm stuck already looking for a new tank! XD
I make a very similar fish food for my albino red tiger stripe. He's almost two years old now and in a 70 gallon tank. I grind cichlid pellets in a coffee grinders and mix in blood worms and non flavored gelatin. I didn't think about adding some fish to the mix. I also freeze them in mini cube trays. He makes quite a mess with these cubes but he likes them more than the hard pellets. I'm glad to see someone else has had luck with making their own food.
Oscars are awesome. Although I had one and it got its face ripped off by a pacu.
That's not good.
I have always loved oscars since I was a young boy. My first oscar was a wild one caught in Miami FL. I was fishing with my brother and I caught a two inch baby with a net. I yelled to my brother "I caught a Oscar" I didn't know they had them in cannals in DADE COUNTY in 1984. I kept it in a bucket till I was to return to New York two days later. To make a long story short. I kept Tucco for 12 year and he grew to thirteen inches and lived in a 29gl, 55gl, 75gl tank. He was not all that colorful but full of sponk. He never bit me nor did he have any tankmates but everyday after school and work he would be so happy to see me or the food I was to give him and this went on for years, even when I moved out of my parents home. He never got sick cause I never fed him live foods only cichlid pellets or sticks. Oscars are a wonderful pet if you are willing to give them what they need and don't fall for the "they got to eat gold fish" thing. Tell the truth I always wanted to give Tucco goldfish but I was always scared he would get some sickness and I would lose my pet. I would get teased by my brother about this but tucco was mine and I raised him and he was my responsibility. I chose to take Him from his home in FL and bring him to NYC in a cooler even though my Dad said "he would die before we even got to VA". Tucco proved him very wrong. All in All if you have the time to raise an Oscar, wild or store bought, do it right. Feed it, water changes, stay away from live foods. You will have a very healthy pet and one that will in my opinion love you dearly for it. Oh and Tucco never had HITHD or any other sickness. Just fat and happy. R.I.P. Tucco. you are truly missed buddy.
Wow..... you are so lucky, living in the states. In the uk, we get carp, carp and you guessed it.... carp. I'd love to be able to catch fish and be able to take them home.
Thanks'
Tom :)
This piece of info is very useful for me, thank you!
I bought two red oscars at petsmart. They told me that that these oscars will only get up to 8 inches long. Are there species of the oscar that only get to this size? Also, i bought 4 tiger oscars when they were 1 inch long. 3 of them are 4 inches long now. The other one is still an inch but better looking than the others. Are some oscars midgets?
That is incorrect. All Oscars should reach 12". Most likely, the smallest Oscar isn't getting his adequate share of food. You may have to feed the others until they're full, then feed the smaller one. Also, if your tank is too small, it could be stunting his growth. Keep in mind that for 6 Oscars, you're going to need a minimum of a 60 gallon tank (absolute MINIMUM!).
With all due respect to Katie, there is absolutely no fantasy in which I could conceivably imagine 6 Oscars being housed in a 60 gallon aquarium. If we were to all agree that the bare minimum housing for one Oscar is a 55 gallon, then 6 Oscars would require a bare minimum of something between 330 and 400 gallons. I can only assume that the suggestion that 60 gallons for is an adequate minimum for 6 Oscars was a typo.
Can I put 1 Oscar in a 20 Long for its life spand?
Oscars grow with the tank, depending on the tank size, but most oscars get between 10-13 inches, if you have a huge tank they might get bigger, I've seen oscars 17 inches before, 55 gallons per oscar, 75 recommended.
Yes a 60 gallon is way too small for 6 oscars!! Just to everyone out there be careful of the info you get from the warehouse pet chains. When I bought my oscar he was 1 inch and petsmart told me he could be housed in a 10 gal tank for his lifespan. I soon found out differently and moved him to a 30. And yes they will grow bigger than their tank size so long as they are healthy. My oscar is about 7 months old and is almost 11 inches. I am in the process of moving him to a 55 gal. What I found to be more of a problem with galonl size is not the size of the tank it is the waste they produce that is not being filtered enough. But 55 should be sufficient for one oscar and no other fish. I love my oscar! he is happy and lively!
Don't waste your time and money by getting a slightly larger tank each time. For 6 oscars the tank size is going to be huge so I would recomend going down to 3 tops. At least then you could probably get away with a something between 120 and 180. 120 will be a little small but it could work. I have two in a 90 and they seem happy.
Just a notice to all new oscar owners!! I currently own my second oscar and I want to let you know just how big these little guys get and how fast. If they are healthy and taken care of properly they will grow very fast. I bought my oscar when he was 1 inch and now about 7 months later he is 11 inches!! AND STILL GROWING!!!! It is amazing how fast they do grow. He is currently in a 30 and is in the process of transfering to a 55 where I am sure he will continue to grow. These are wonderful pets and love attention. If they are cared for properly, you the owner, will not be disappointed!!
I just got 4 new small handsized oscars 3 tiger and 1 albino, 1 tiger is mostly orange. They got along great then while watching t.v. 1 night though 3 tigers attacked the albino and before I could get my net and separate them they tore him to shreds, kinda kool to watch but 12$ down the tube.
Anonymous, If you thought watching three Oscars tear another one to shreds was "kinda kool" to watch, then you should perhaps surrender your fish to someone with a better appreciation of fish and care, and perhaps take up a hobby in something that don't involve live animals...like Oprahs book club...I'm just saying...
Lighten up. it is cool watching things kill each other, its also part of nature. I would say that in 90% of nature shows they include animals killing each other. it happens.
My oscars Liger and Tigon are the smartest fishes ever. They are very hardy and eat from your hand. In the Book Tophero Son of Smilodon there is a Oscar and is a really good book.
My oscar fish is nine inches and I have hoplosternum littorale that is a 9 inches and syndontis ocellifer that is 8 inches and a common pleco that is 9 inches and they all eat the feeder fish but the pleco. My hoplo catfish begs me for food. The fish tank is 55 gallon.
I have three oscars in a 20 gal tank with a penguin 100 filter these fish mean a lot to me. Even though I'm a kid I still know a lot I feed them krill every day they enjoy it.
3 oscars in a 20 gallon aquarium? Even though I'm still a kid (15), I still know that even a single oscar would outgrow an aquarium of that size in a short time. I would suggest you find new homes for at least two of these fish, or find a larger tank.
Thanks for reading and taking this into consideration.
I had 2 oscars both about the same size, only if you see them together you could see the size difference, well when they got, one 4" and the other around 5" the bigger one killed the other one, will this continue to happen, with any compatible fish I add to the tank, even if I put fish the same size?