One of the most popular aquarium fish species is the Oscar brilliantly coloured and quite smart, there’s a lot you didn’t know about these tough fish.
Some of the most common aquarium fish are called Oscars. Scientifically named Astronotus ocellatus, these fish are a cichlid, a more aggressive and territorial fish not best suited to a community tank. The interesting and unusual fact about Oscars is that although they may be tough fish, they come in various beautiful colors and fin types.
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Oscar Colors and Types:
You may have seen the run-of-the-mill brown variety, and if it is a well-cared-for fish, it will have beautiful markings on its sides. The brown or black Oscar is called a tiger Oscar. There is also a red Oscar that is quite striking. They are also available in an albino colour, which appears as a mostly white fish with pinkish eyes. Some refer to white Oscars with orange or red markings as albino, but these are a separate strain called a Lutino Oscar.
Oscar Fins:
As for fin types, the typical Oscar has short fins and resembles most of the other cichlids in its family, but there is also a gorgeous long-finned version. The long-finned Oscars encompass a tough guy personality with a pinch of a more delicate and graceful fish, like a betta.
Oscar Care:
Oscars are large cichlids, grow to about 12 to 14 inches long, and need a 100-gallon tank to be comfortable. They are intelligent fish and can be taught to do tricks for food, and have been known to form a relationship with their keepers. Some people can even pet their Oscars, and they like it!
The Oscar is an easy fish to care for, assuming it has the right size tank. They eat just about anything, but that doesn’t mean they should. Oscars enjoy crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects you can find outside. They also love live fish as food, but be cautious about where you get the feeder fish because diseases can and will spread if they are unhealthy. If you breed other fish, your Oscar will help eliminate the culls. They also will eat commercial fish food in any shape or form. Feed a varied diet for optimum health; your Oscar will grow and thrive quickly.
Breeding Oscars:
Breeding Oscars is not a simple process, though it can be done. Oscars show no differences between males and females that can be seen before breeding, so getting a pair can be difficult. Sexual maturity varies in these fish; they can be picky about choosing a mate. That means that even if a keeper is lucky enough to have a male and female, they may not choose to spawn with each other. Oscars are egg layers, so if your fish decide to spawn, that is what to look for. They can lay hundreds of eggs at a time, and survival is up to the environment.
For someone looking for a large fish to occupy a larger aquarium, an Oscar may be a great choice. They are fun to watch, beautiful to look at, and are intelligent. If treated well, they will give their keepers 10 to 13 years of life to amuse them.
