Oscar

Distribution:
   The Oscar was described by Agassiz in 1831. They are found in South America; the Amazon River Basin, the Parana, the Rio Paraguay, and the Rio Negro. They inhabit slow moving waters of rivers, canals and ponds with muddy or sandy bottoms, feeding on small fish, crayfish, worms and insect larvae.
   They have been introduced into natural waterways in China, Australia, and Florida USA as a by-product of the aquarium trade. Expansion into many non-native areas is somewhat restricted as they are intolerant of cooler water temperatures. They are a highly valued as a food fish in South America.

Status:
   This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
   The Oscar Cichlid has a rather oval shaped body and large thick lips. The wild caught species are typically dark colored with some orange around the gill area and on the sides towards the back, and an orange-ringed black spot at the base of the caudal fin. They can change colors rapidly when becoming territorial or combative. Juveniles have white and orange wavy bands or stripes and have spots on their heads. There are many varied color forms of captive bred Oscars. They can be marbled, mottled, blotched, red and black, all red, and all black.

Size - Weight:
   These fish get up to inches 12" (33 cm) in the wild, though usually a bit smaller in the aquarium. They grow very rapidly and will quickly outgrow a small aquarium.

Care and feeding:
   Since they are carnivorous Oscars prefer a variety of meaty foods. They will eat all types of live, dry, and frozen foods. They get quite large so they should be fed a high quality pelleted food and large chunk foods such as cut up beef heart and earthworms. They particularly enjoy fish and worms and are hearty eaters. Live guppies and then goldfish will also suffice when they get bigger.
   Though you can start younger oscars in a smaller aquarium, they grow quickly and will soon need a large home. A 30 gallon aquarium with very good maintenance and filtration is okay for juveniles, but a 100 gallon aquarium or larger is better for adults. They will need frequent water changes. Oscars do splash water in their enthusiasm for eating, so it is good to have the aquarium covered.
   These are curious fish that love to play, they will have definite ideas about the interior arrangement and will move things around. Rocks securely placed on the bottom work well while plants will be uprooted. Some suggestions are to put plants in pots with the roots covered with rocks, use plastic plants and securely anchor them on the bottom with silicone cement, or floating plants can work well. Because they like to explore, you can occasionally offer them a 'toy' such as a plastic ornament. Get several and rotate a new one in every so often.
   The only disease they are particularly vulnerable to is Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE), which use to be called "hole-in-the-head" disease. This looks like cavities or pits on the head and face. It is believed this may be a nutritional deficiency of one or more of: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus. It is thought to be caused by a poor diet or lack of variety, lack of partial water changes, or over filtration with chemical media such as activated carbon.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 10° dGH
   Ph: 6.5 - 7.2
   Temp: 72 -77° F (22-25° C)

Social Behaviors:
   They are not a community fish. Though they are not belligerent to tank mates, they are predatory. If you start your aquarium with an assortment of fish, eventually you will have only one type of fish left, the Oscar. They will generally burrow and they will dig up plants.

Sexual Differences:
   They are difficult to sex. The easiest method is to obtain six to eight juveniles and let them pair off on their own as they reach sexual maturity.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Oscars are egg layers and open spawners. They forms pairs and will attach their eggs to rocks or the glass. They are excellent parents and both will tend the young, even chewing up food for the fry to eat.
   See the description of how these fish breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish for monogamist cichlids.

Buy Tiger Oscar From LiveAquaria.com

Buy Red Oscar From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Oscar is readily available, either as a wild caught fish or in tank bred color varieties. The are usually not very expensive, with juveniles ranging from about $5.00 - $20.00 USD depending on the variety. Adults range from about $20.00 - $40.00 USD.

Author: Clarice Brough, CFS