by John Sarkis

Created on: October 19, 2008   Last Updated: November 26, 2010

The first thing one must know about Oscar's: they require a very large tank. If you're into aquariums, and especially into Oscars, you'll need at least a 100 gallon tank in order to make them feel at home. You'll need introspect too, a great deal of it. After you set up your aquarium (try not to put too many plants, Oscar's need a great deal of space in order to swim around and be happy) with rocks (preferably sand if you can), and a few hiding places...ditto!

I would talk about the PH level of the water if it mattered; but it doesn't that much anymore, however: the water should be kept clean at all times! Let me explain: Oscar's have been in captivity for well over 100 years; after having been bred in captivity for so long, they have adapted well and the water PH level is not that important anymore. One thing which does matter is water temperature: the temperature should never be kept below 78 degrees F; Oscar's come from the Amazon Jungle in South America, tropical weather and rain forests seldom allow the temperature toget below 75 degrees F, so you should be considerate towards your Oscar's, they certainly deserve it, and are loving enough; so keep the temperature at 78 F.

Once you've set up your aquarium, let the filter run for a about a week or so before introducing them (Oscars or otherwise); then go to you nearest aquarium and buy 4 baby Oscars. They shouldn't be more than 6 inches long. Take them home and after 1 year or so, you'll notice them pairing up. If well feed, at this time you'll notice how big they've gotten, 9 inches or more. Hopefully there aren't any skirmishes as is often the case with Cichlids, and you can keep them all together in one peace.

Because of the great quantities of the food which Oscar's consume, you'll find yourself cleaning the aquarium more often than you would; had you bought other fish...but they are worth it! Oscar's have been called the "dog" of aquarium world because of the great deal of love/affection they show towards their owners. Live fish isn't as messy, but some people don't like to see their Oscar's devouring their prey, so it's ultimately up to the keeper what he/she wants to do? You can feed the Oscar pieces of meat/fish, etc...but the aquarium will need cleaning more often than if you feed them live prey...and clean water is a must...Aqua clear works well!

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