Basic Facts About Oscars
| Scientific Family: | Cichlid |
| Number of Betta Fish Species Types: | There are 2000+ different types of Oscar Fish. |
| Average Life Span: | Oscars in fish tanks typically live to be 10 years old. |
| Typical Size: | A typical Oscar fish will grow to be about a foot long. The common range is between 10 and 15 inches. They will typically do most of their growing within the first year, but will reach maximum size around 3 years old. |
| Colors: | You can find Oscars in a lot of different colors. They most commonly will have splotches of color over top of a duller base layer. The most common have a darker base color, typically black or grey. |
| Native To: | South America. Oscars are commonly found in the Amazon river. These are freshwater fish. |
| Water Conditions Needed: | Temperature (Farenheit): 72-82°F. It’s really important not to let your aquarium get too cold for these fish. PH Level: 7.0 (Neutral) |
| What Do Oscars Eat?: | In the wild, Oscars eat a lot of insects. We recommend basing the diet around cichlid pellets. You can supplement the pellets with live insects such as crickets/grasshoppers/locusts, mealworms, and garden worms. You can also supplement the pellets with cockles, mussels, prawns, shrimps, chopped tuna, and chopped salmon. Once they get about a year old, you can feed them once a day, but we recommend feeding Oscars twice a day to start. |
| Fish-Keeping Experience Level: | Moderate. You should have some experience to keep Oscars. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | Oscars get big. For one Oscar, you’ll see some ranges of minimum tank size if you research elsewhere, with some folks saying 55 gallons is the minimum. However, we recommend a minimum tank size of 75 gallons. |
| Tank Accessory Requirements: | Heater and Filter. Hiding Places – either artificial or natural are also needed. |
| Compatibility – Other Species: | The best tank mate for an Oscar may be another Oscar. However, if you are going to pair multiple Oscars together, make sure you have a fish tank that is at least 100+ gallons. Other species of cichlids like Chocolate, Firemouth, Black Convict, Jack Dempsey, Blue Acara, Demon Earth Eater, and Green Terror cichlids also make good tank mates. Silver Dollars, because they are so active can be nice additions too. There are numerous other potential tank mates as well, but these are our top recommendations. |
| Compatibility – Plants: | Oscars can live with freshwater plants, just make sure that you plant these effectively and cover the roots, or the Oscar will dig them up! Therefore, we recommend floating plants – like the Hornwort. |
| Compatibility – Do not Keep With These Species: | Please do not keep with small fish (small fish is any fish less than 5 inches in this scenario). Therefore, stay away from goldfish and guppies. Oscars will just eat these smaller fish. Delicate fish like Angelfish are also not recommended. |
| Can you breed them? | Yes, you can breed Oscar Fish. As always, make sure you have the appropriate tank conditions. |
| Fun Fact: | Oscars will change colors in the wild if they feel threatened. Hopefully, you won’t see that behavior in the aquarium! |
| Cost: | $10 – most Oscars will be a relative bargain. |
How will a Oscar Fish behave in your aquarium?
Oscar Fish have some really cool behavioral tendencies, which is why they are so popular. There are many stories of Oscars recognizing owners when they come in the room, and much like dogs, even “wagging” their tails. Make sure you give them plenty of attention, just like you would a puppy! Sometimes, Oscars will attack their reflection, which is indicative of the potential aggression they will show to other Oscars or even other fish in the same aquarium. if you are going to give the Oscar tank mates, make sure you are ready to monitor and control the behavior. Another trait of Oscars is that they also like to hide, so make sure to give them ample hiding places in the aquarium. If you ever see your Oscar start to change colors, that’s not a good sign, and means they feel they are endangered. An other important thing to note, Oscars like to jump. So make sure that your aquarium has a tight fitting hood. Lastly, if you pair Oscars with plants, make sure that you really cover the roots well, as Oscars are known to dig up plants in your aquarium.
How to acclimate your Oscars to your fish tank?
Step 1: Fill up your tank with tap water. Add water conditioner. Make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle of the water conditioner.
Step 2: Place the bag with the Oscar Fish in it in your fish tank and let it float. Don’t open the bag yet. Let the bag float for about 15 minutes. Doing this will let the temperature of the water in the bag to match the temperature of the water in your aquarium.
Step 3: Once you’ve had the bag in the water for 15 minutes, cut a small hole in the bag (if there’s a metal clip, cut the hole right below the metal clip). Open the hole wide enough, and then pour in a cup of your aquarium water to the bag. Let this sit for 15 minutes, and then do it again.
Step 4: After the second round of adding the aquarium to your Oscar Fish’s bag and letting it sit, release your Oscar Fish into your aquarium!
Which Species Are Best To Pair With Your Oscar?
- Other Oscars
- Cichlids – Chocolate, Firemouth, Black Convict, Jack Dempseys, Blue Acaras, Demon Earth Eaters, Green Terrors
- Silver Dollars
- Bichirs
- Arowanas
- Plecos
- Banded Leporinus
Most Common Types of Oscar Fish
- Tiger Oscar Fish
- Red Oscar Fish
- Albino Oscar Fish
Ohfishal Oscar Fish Tank Set Up
This is our ultimate checklist for a fish tank with a Betta Fish. Of course, you can do this with less parts, or different parts, but this is our all-in ohfishal recommendation. This set-up will run you around $1200 (market prices will vary). The tank makes up the bulk of this, and we went with a very nice tank since you will have the Oscar so long.
- Fish Tank – 75 Gallon Clear4Life with Filtering– $1000+
- Species – 2 Oscar Fish ($20), A dozen Hornworts ($27)
- Light – Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Light – $70
- Heaters – Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater – $65
Frequently Asked Questions about Oscar Fish
Most Oscar fish will get to be between 10-12 inches within one year, with some maxing out at 15-20 inches. It will take an Oscar about 3 years to get to full size.
In certain circumstances, yes, but paired with the right fish and properly kept, the Oscar fish is a delight to your aquarium. To avoid aggression, make sure that you have plenty of space for your Oscar and its tank mates. Ensure that you have ample hiding places throughout the fish tank as well. Avoid keeping fish 5 inches or less with your Oscar as well, as these will become an Oscar snack.
For one Oscar fish, you need a tank that is at least 55 gallons, but a 75 gallon tank will make a better home for your Oscar.
Yes. You just need to make sure that there is plenty of room for however many Oscars you have in the same tank. For 2 Oscars, you should have at least a 100 gallon fish tank.
