About Raising Oscars

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Many people see the flashy Oscar fish in the store and think that it would be a great addition to their ten-gallon tank. What people don’t understand is that these fish get very big and although their tank size is listed at ten gallons they will outgrow this in short order. It is most common to setup a single oscar to live in a 90 to 100 gallon tank. If you plan on having three Oscars (two Oscars are typically not a good idea) you will need closer to a 150 to 200 gallon tank.

They are a tropical fish which prefer temperatures in the mid seventies, making water heaters a must. How many   you need will depend on the size of tank.

You tank may require you to purchase two heaters. The size of tank may also require you to upgrade to a canister filter. The traditional hang on back filter will not be sufficient for an oscar. They are incredibly dirty fish and messy eaters. It is much better to over filter their tank then under filtering. Plan on getting a filter that is rated for a 150 gallon tank or higher and putting it into your 100 gallon tank. A good biological filter for an oscar is ideal.

They also seem to prefer rock and drift wood decorations over plastic or even real plants. It is preferable to make your tank full of things that are unmovable, or bare of things like plants. You should go with a fine rock substrate over larger washed river stone when possible. This is because oscars love to be able to move the bottoms of their tank around as they desire.

It is definiately recommended to do a bit of research before purchasing this unique cichlid. You can learn how to keep your oscar happy and healthy for it's full life by following this great book: Aquarium Care of Oscars.