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The Basics of Caring for Oscar Fish
Native to the South American Amazon Basin, this tropical fish can make a great addition to your aquarium. Fish enthusiasts prefer this cichlid for its longevity and beauty, ranging in various colors and patterns from red or albino to mottled or tiger stripes. The staff at Aquatic Warehouse, a trusted aquarium supplier, wants to share this guide to ensure your new Oscar fish is happy and healthy.
Tank Parameters
Making sure you have the proper tank setup is key for any aquarium. Here’s what you need to consider for an Oscar fish:
Size
Oscars are a large fish, sometimes growing up to 45 centimeters, and they get big quick. The tank should be able to accommodate not only the fish but also other essentials. For one Oscar, the aquarium must be at least 60 gallons. If you’ve decided on having two, the tank should then be 90 gallons. For three, increase the size anywhere from 120 gallons on up.
Correct pH Levels
The Oscar fish is extremely sensitive to changes in the water, so you should make sure to avoid pH imbalances. In the wild, these fish are able to withstand pH levels of 6.0 to 8.0, while captive-bred Oscars thrive best in aquariums with pH levels of 7.5 or less, but consistency and good water quality are the most important things.
Substrate
It’s common to see these fish digging to find food. Providing a softer substrate at the bottom of the tank is ideal. Avoid coarse options, as these can scratch your Oscar. Instead, opt for fine-grained substrate.
Filtration
With the preference of digging, Oscars often break their filters and/or hearts. To prevent this problem, invest in a canister filter like Oase BioMaster Thermo with the heater built right into it:
It’s also essential to get a filtration system that turns over the entire volume of the water at roughly three to four times per hour. Consider implementing a canister filter with a backup hang on the back (HOB) filter to ensure your fish isn’t affected by sudden water and ammonia changes because of the large amounts of food they consume.
Lighting
Although Oscar fish don’t require any specific type of lighting, they do prefer moderate to low lighting. Using a standard aquarium light is adequate as long as it isn’t turned on for too long. LEDs work well because of the low heat output, and the nice colors they give off accentuate the Oscar’s color.
Tank Accessories
Adding decorations and plants to a tank is often one of the most enjoyable experiences. However, Oscar fish make decorating an aquarium tricky. Being avid diggers, it’s best to avoid any items that may be rough or sharp. They’re also capable of uprooting real plants. The solution for this is to add fake plants and décor made out of PVC pipes. Adding rocks or weights to the decorations keeps them in the substrate.
Feeding
When in the wild, Oscars enjoy eating insects, plants, worms, and even fruit that drops in the water. Feeding a diet made of high-quality and high-protein foods is best for a healthy Oscar fish. Fish food made specifically for carnivorous species should make up 80 percent of the diet. Though you wouldn’t catch us doing this, you can also choose to add live options such as crickets (yuk), worms, or grasshoppers (another yuk). Just keep in mind that subjecting these predators to live fish like goldfish (which are huge carriers of multiple pathogens, by the way) builds hormones and encourages aggression, which could cause them to turn on their tank-mates!
Whether you have Oscars or other types of fish, it’s important to ensure your tank is set up properly to keep the fish healthy. From aquarium controllers to canister filters (https://www.aquaticwarehouse.com/filtration/canister-filters), you can find what you need at Aquatic Warehouse. Take a look at our website, stop by our store in Kearny Mesa, or give us a call today at 858-467-9297.