Oscar Fish Care Guide

Oscar Fish Care Guide & Specie Profile

The oscar fish, otherwise known as the oscar cichlid, is a freshwater fish of the cichlid family.

The oscar fish’s intelligent personality and attractive, marbled-orange coloring makes it an appealing aquarium fish. However, because of the oscar fish’s aggressive temperament, the fish is difficult to house in a community tank and unsuitable for beginners.

~~FAQs~~

~Can oscars eat guppies?~

es, oscars can eat guppies. Oscars are opportunistic feeders, so they’ll eat anything that’s small enough to fit into their mouths, including guppies.

However, it’s generally not recommended to feed guppies to your oscars. Feeder fish bought from pet stores, including guppies, are usually riddled with diseases and parasites. Eating these sick guppies may negatively impact your oscars’ health in the long run. Unless you breed your own guppies, you shouldn’t give any to your oscars.

~Why is my oscar fish laying on its side?~

Your oscar fish is laying on its side because of stress or illness. Your oscar might lay on its side after being transferred to a new tank or if it feels uncomfortable with its surroundings.

Oscar fish also lay on their sides as a display of submission if they have just lost a fight or feel unable to defend its territory from intruders.

On rare occasions, your oscar fish might also be laying on its side because it’s sick. If your fish is also showing symptoms of illness, such as gasping and lack of appetite, check and treat it immediately. Also, be sure to check the water quality, as well as the ammonia and nitrite levels.

~How do I know if my oscar fish is dying?~

You know your oscar fish is dying if it shows these symptoms:

-Loss of appetite

-Gasping for air

-Loss of color from the scales

-Fins clamped at the side of the body

-Frayed, injured fins

-Frantic swimming

-Abnormal skittish behavior

-Hiding almost constantly

Oscar fish are usually very hardy and can withstand tough conditions. However, untreated illnesses and parasites can kill even the toughest oscar fish. If you suspect your fish may be sick, treat it immediately and quarantine it so the illness doesn’t spread. Also, make sure to feed your fish properly and maintain the tank regularly to prevent diseases in the first place.

~How can I tell if my oscar fish is male or female?~

You can tell if your oscar fish is male or female by assessing its reproductive area after they turn one year old. Male and female oscar fish have two holes in their reproductive area, the anus and the sexual organ. In male oscar fish, the sexual organ resembles a small spike. Meanwhile, in female oscars, the organ appears blunt and slightly wider.

With that said, determining the sex of an oscar fish by analyzing its sexual organs is extremely hard. Even experts occasionally have problems with this.

There are no other ways of sexing oscar fish. Oscar fish are monomorphic, which means the males and females look exactly the same. Thus, it’s impossible to tell the sex of an oscar fish by just looking at its color, shape, or size.

~What size tank do you need for an oscar?~

You need a 55-gallon tank or bigger for an oscar. Oscars grow to be very large, with the average oscar growing to around 12 inches long when mature. Some oscars can even grow to be 16 inches long. For that reason, an oscar needs plenty of space to live comfortably.

A 55-gallon tank is a minimum requirement for a single oscar fish. If you wish to keep more oscars in your tank, add around 20-30 gallons of space per fish.

If you can afford to get a bigger tank, you should do so, especially if you decide to get tankmates for your oscar. Oscars are territorial, and small, overcrowded tanks will stress them out and provoke their aggression.

these are just some FAQs. there are still many FAQs and info in the application about Oscar Fish