THE IDEAL TANK SETUP FOR OSCARS Known by the scientific name Astronotus ocellatus, Oscars belong to the cichlid family of fishes which contains over 2,000 separate species. Other names for this species include velvet cichlid, tiger Oscar and marble cichlid. The natural habitat of these fish is South America where they can be found throughout the Amazon River basin in slow-moving waters, typically hiding amongst submerged branches and aquatic vegetation. Because this species does not tolerate cool water temperatures, its distribution is fairly limited – temperatures below 55°F can actually be lethal for Oscars. Tank Size and Requirements Do not buy any fish that is small enough to fit into your Oscar’s mouth (nothing smaller than 5 inches is ideal) Look for fish that will not be overly timid – they must be able to compete for food in the tank Avoid fish that are very timid or shy – the Oscar may chase them around the tank, causing them stress Consider bottom-dwelling fish that will stay out of your Oscar’s way (Oscars prefer the top to mid-level areas)

It may seem like a lot of extra work to do the research necessary to find the ideal tank mate for your Oscar, but it is definitely worth it. fish tank shops norwichThe last thing you want to do is introduce a new fish into your tank only to have your Oscar bully it around (or worse, eat it). fluval roma fish tanks for saleGiven the requirements listed above, some of the best species for Oscar tank mates include catfish, Silver Dollar fish, Firemouth cichlids, Convict cichlids and blue acara. plywood fish tanks for saleAvoid larger cichlids like Texas cichlid and terrors because these fish are likely to cause aggression problems in the tank.fish tank store boston

While many cichlid species can be considered “messy,” the Oscar is particularly known for this trait. best water for your fish tankDue to their size, Oscars produce a significant amount of waste which can contribute to high levels of ammonia and nitrate in the tank if you are not careful. aquarium to buy fishFor this reason, it is essential that you equip your tank with a high-quality filtration system and that you perform regular water changes to maintain high water quality. While mechanical filtration is important for removing solid wastes from the tank water, chemical filtration is essential for removing toxins like ammonia and nitrite. Many Oscar enthusiasts recommend canister filters for Oscar tanks because they are easy to use and they provide very efficient filtration -- you can also customize them by choosing your own filter media depending on the needs of your tank.

In addition to filtration, heating is also very important in an Oscar tank. Because these fish come from a tropical habitat, they require warm water, generally within the 77° to 80°F range. To achieve this, you will need to equip your tank with a quality aquarium heater. Ideally, you should place a submersible heater near the return valve of your filter or use an in-line heater that can be connected to your canister filter so the water is heated as soon as it is returned to the tank. If you use a submersible or hang-on heater, be sure to purchase one that is shatterproof because Oscars can be destructive in the home aquarium. In terms of aquarium lighting, Oscars do not have any specific requirements but, if you plan to keep live plants in the tank, you will need some kind of lighting. The natural environment of wild Oscars, however, tends to be dim and murky so your Oscars may also enjoy this type of environment. Other Tips and Info Oscars are a carnivorous species by nature so they should be fed commercial foods that are primarily meat-based. 

Live foods such as insects, worms, crayfish, feeder fish and aquatic invertebrates are a good food source for this species though, in the wild, they feed primarily on small fish and insects. Some Oscars will also accept frozen foods as long as they have been thawed first. When feeding your Oscar feeder fish like goldfish, it is best to raise the feeder fish yourself so you can ensure that they are healthy – if you feed your Oscar feeder fish that have been exposed to disease, they could pass it on to your Oscar. Most Recent Forum Discussions How fast do American Flagfish breed? - By kate_kuhli, 04/20/17 09:45:07 pm (2 replies)I wanted some fast breeding native fish for my pond and these seem like a great match but I'm not sure just how quickly or ...- By _fins_, 04/20/17 06:38:28 pm (2 replies)I got some neon tetras earlier this week but they died after only having them a couple of days. What would have caused this?United Airlines - By xxluckxx, 04/16/17 06:23:00 pm (2 replies)What is going on with them?!

They're getting a ton of bad press lately! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ALL-IN-ONE AQUARIUMS SIMPLE TIPS FOR BUILDING A SALTWATER TANK WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK AQUARIUM NEWS: FIVE NEW SPECIES OF DWARFGOBIES DISCOVEREDAn Oscar fish will quite easily reach 12 inches in as little as 18 months. They are also bulky fish that can reach weights of over 2LB. However if you want to give your fish the best chance in life, give it a healthy environment to live in then it is absolutely paramount that it starts its life off in the correct sized aquarium. Keeping any large fish in a tank that is too small will almost certainly result in poor water quality. Oscars produce a large amount of waste that can easily take hold of an aquarium if it's not big enough. Any fish that is forced to live in dirty and polluted water will either die, or will become unhealthy. Even if your fish doesn't die straightaway, exposing fish to poor water quality can damage the immune system which may mean that your fish develops problems later on in life.

Oscars that have been kept in aquariums that are too small will often not grow properly and may become stunted. So instead of your adult Oscar reaching 11 or 12 inches, it may not get any bigger than 6 inches. People often ask how big the aquarium should be for one or two Oscars. My advice would be to give your fish the biggest aquarium that you can both house and afford. The rule of thumb and what is uniformly accepted throughout the Oscar fish community is that a single adult Oscar must have an absolute minimum of 55 gallons to itself. This means the fish must have the entire aquarium to itself, no tank mates at all. So if you want to keep even one tank mates as well, you're going to need to start looking for aquariums in excess of 75 gallons. Once you start getting into the realms of more than one Oscar, you're looking at aquariums sizes of 100 gallons and upwards. It shouldn't be difficult to do the calculations, the more Oscars you have the bigger the aquarium. Four Oscars will require an extremely large aquarium of at least 200 gallons.

Also remember that large aquariums need to have filtration to match. Once you start getting into the world of really big fish tanks, you need lots of filtration which doesn't come cheap. You will also need to heat your aquarium as well, a 55 gallon tank can be heated easily with 200 W. However once you start getting over 150 gallons, you're looking at a fair amount of heat that will need to be running 24/7. Remember that all this is going to cost money, lots of money if you are heating large amounts of water. Before you think about buying an Oscar, make sure you ask yourself a few questions first. Are you going to be able to provide a tank that is big enough? Can you afford the electricity that it will take to run the aquarium day and night, every single day of the year? Oscars are adorable fish and it's no wonder people fall in love with them. Unfortunately it's rather like puppies, people often get Oscars without putting much thought into how they are going to look after them. Remember that an Oscar fish can live as long as a dog.