Oscar Fish
Common Name: Oscar, Marble Cichlid, Velvet Cichlid
Scientific Name: Astronotus ocellatus
Maximum Size: 14 inches
Temperature Range: 72 - 81 °F
pH Range: 6.0 - 8.0
Temperament: Peaceful
Origin: Amazon River
The Oscar originated in the Amazon River of South America, but today most all Oscars sold are tank bred.
Aquarium Setup:
An Oscar is a big fish and needs a lot of water and space. They also don’t like to be alone so you should consider getting a pair, at the least. A general rule of thumb is 35 gallons per fish, that’s 70 gallons for a pair.
Oscars seem to enjoy redecorating their home. They will pull up plants, push ornaments around and dig through the rocks, so plants and decorations won’t be a good idea. Sometimes an Oscar will actually grab a plant or a rock and spit it out of the aquarium! Note: If you establish a large plant and cover the root structure with sufficent rocks your Oscar may learn to leave it alone.
A simple setup works best for this fish. All you need for a perfect Oscar tank is two to three inches of sand or very fine gravel and a few rocks. Large rocks are best and they should be placed directly on the bottom of the tank with the substrate filled in around them. The idea is to deter the Oscars from digging up the rocks and over turning them.
Tank Mates/Community:
Oscars are voracious eaters and will consider anything smaller than themselves as food. Here are a few ideal tank mates (Be sure they are similar in size to your Oscar):
- Loaches
- Other South American Cichids
- Plecos
- Scavenger Catfish
- Sharks
Diet:
An Oscar will eat almost anything you offer it, including table scraps. From personal experience I can tell you that they love earthworms. Visit a bait shop from time to time or better yet start a small worm farm of your own.
For convenience most people will use a commercially prepared pellet food formulated specifically for Oscars, bloodworms and tubifex worms. If you decide to use pellets, which is a wise choice, it is a good idea to supplement your Oscars diet with live earthworms, minnows, and crayfish. Some may be tempted to feed their Oscar with live goldfish or guppies. This is not a good idea as there is a high risk of transferring parasites to your fish.
Behavior:
The Oscar is often cited as the smartest fish. An Oscar actually learns to recognize its owner and can be taught to do tricks. This fish even enjoys being rubbed on the head and will often wag like a dog when you pet and touch it. Remember, if you ever want to touch your Oscar make sure your hands are clean and free of soap residue.
Oscars are voracious eaters and will consider anything smaller than themselves as food.
Coloring:
Oscars exhibit several different color patterns.
- Albino - Very light shades of orange and pink, sometimes almost white. The Albino Oscar often lacks the eye spot.
- Red - Orange to red with some dark gray shades and a prominent eye spot.
- Tiger - Vivid orange and red patterns on a bluish background and brightly colored eye spot.
- Zebra - Black and white patterns on a gray background and a prominent eye spot.
Breeding:
The keys to having your Oscars mate successfully are clean water and the correct temperature. Experts recommend that you change about one-fourth of the water every day. The temperature of the water should 
be increased to 80°F.
The female will want a large flat rock on which to lay her eggs, so make sure an appropriate one is available for her. She will lay around 1000 eggs on the upper surface of the rock and the male will fertilize them. At first the eggs will appear opaque, but after about 24 hours they will become transparent. Hatching occurs in only two or three days.
Soon after the eggs are laid the Oscars will go to work preparing nursery pits where the hatchlings will be moved to.
It should be noted that in some matings the male Oscar will kill his mate.
