Oscar Faq Page

Q	*Can I keep my Oscar in a 10-gallon tank? - TOP*
A	Absolutely not, Oscars grow to a maximum size of 14", and should never be kept in an aquarium smaller then 55 gallons.
Q	*How many Oscars can I keep in my aquarium? - TOP*
A	That depends on the size of the aquarium obviously, but the general rule of thumb is 55 gallons for the first Oscar and 20-30 gallons for every Oscar added after that. (IE. in a 75 gallon tank you could have 2 Oscars, while in a 120 gallon tank you could have 4).
Q	*My Oscar has little white specs on his body, that kind of looks like grains of salt. What is this and how do I cure it? - TOP*
A	Your fish has a disease called ICH, click here to read more about it. For mild or very new cases the best treatment is to raise the temp to 82* and add 1 tbs of kosher salt per 5 gallons of aquarium water. For more advanced cases where the life of the fish is in jeopardy a medication may be required. We at world cichlids try not to indorse specific products because of availability issues in different parts of the world, so simply look for a Methelyne Blue/Formalin mixture. It is the best and most effective way to cure advanced cases of Ich.
Q	*My Oscar has pits in his head and is not eating and acting sluggishly. What is wrong with him? - TOP*
A	Your Oscar likely has a case of HITH/HLLE. There is no short description of this disease or it's treatment so I recommend you click here and read this article
Q	*How many feeder fish can I feed my Oscar? - TOP*
A	Absolutely none, zip, zero, zilch, just forget about it. Feeders are not an adequate source of nutrition and have been link with HITH in long term feeding. They are also cesspools of disease, and commonly contaminate fish with Ich, and fungus, as well as leaches, gill flukes and various other bacterial diseases.
Q	*What kinds of things can I feed my Oscars other then prepared pellets? - TOP*
A	Beef heart, crickets, mealworms, crayfish, earthworms, moths, grasshoppers, peas, spinach, shrimp, scallops, squid, bloodworms, krill, and ghost shrimp to name just a few.
Q	*How do I tell the difference between male and female Oscars? - TOP*
A	Well the simple answer is... You don't. Oscars are very difficult to visibly sex through external features; even people who claim to be good at it have dismal track records when put to the test. The only sure way to do it is to look at the fishes vent, which is the sexual organ located directly behind the anus. In females it is larger and rounded, while in males it is smaller and pointed.
Q	*How do I breed my Oscars? - TOP*
A	First you need 1 male and 1 female ONLY in a minimum of a 55 gallon tank. A 75 gallon tank is recommended. Raise the temp to 80 degrees and provide a flat piece of slate for them to lay eggs on. Water should be as clean as possible. After that you should just let them do their thing, the less disruption they have the more likely they are to breed successfully.
Q	*My Oscars are fighting, locking lips, chasing each other and vibrating their tails at each other. What is going on and should I be worried? - TOP*
A	There are two possible outcomes for this type of behavior. First you have a male/female pair that are getting ready to breed (over 9" and 1 year old) or are "flirting" and pairing off for future mating (9" and under, they will do this even as small as 2"). Or secondly your fish are competing for dominance in the tank; generally the weaker fish will submit and nothing bad will happen, however Oscars can be very territorial and have been known to fight to the death over it. In either case be sure to watch them closely to make sure no serious damage is caused.
Q	*Where can I find this world famous home made beef heart recipe I have heard so much about? - TOP*
A	Well thanks to Tony, who is the man behind the "mess", we have it for you here
Q	*What kinds of fish can I keep with my oscars? - TOP*
A	Well, to be honest the best tank mates for oscars are other oscars. Plecostomus are usually very good additions as well as bottom dwelling fish and catfish, such as pictus cats and clown loaches. If you want to mix large aggressive cichlids be sure to only do it in large tanks, 75 gallons or larger. And never introduce more then one of each species to reduce the amount of aggression. Some compatible cichlids include texas cichlids, green terrors, severums, firemouths, and convicts. Some non compatible species are Dovii, red devils, red terrors, or jaguar cichlids.
Q	*What are these Blueberry and Strawberry Oscars, and should I get one? - TOP*
A	Absolutely not. These are plain ordinary albino or lutino oscars that have been forced to live in water saturated in dye, fed foods soaked in hormones and dye. And most times have been stuck with a hypodermic needle and injected with dye. Not only is this practice immoral unethical and out right wrong, it also dramaticly weakens the fish; which if lucky will live 2 months....if you are lucky enough to have one make it to 6 months you will be left with nothing more then a sickly albino oscar, because the dye slowly loses its intensity and finally goes away entirely, this usually takes 3-6 months. The longest I have ever heard of one of these living is 1 year.
Q	*What kind of filtration do I need and how much should I have for my Oscars? - TOP*
A	You will want to have all three types of filtration; mechanical, bilogical, and chemical. Most power filters and canister filters available have compartments or places to use all these forms. You should not rely on chemical filtration to take care of problems that water changes will solve. Carbon is discussed in another question. Ideally you should have your water circulating 10 times an hour for Oscars since they are very messy eater and will pollute the water quickly without adequate filtration. So on a 55 gallon tank, shoot for having 550 GPH of filtration. All filters should have a rating in gallons per hour (GPH), which tells you how many gallons of water they are rated to pump though the media inside, be aware that many companies tell you the GPH of the pump and not the actual GPH that the filter will process once filter pads and media are added. so for those of you who are really anal, take off about 10-20% from the GPH listed to figure out the actual GPH. Otherwise just go by what the package states and you will be fine.
Q	*Should I use carbon in my filter? - TOP*
A	This is a touchy subject... and generally speaking you either love it or you hate it. But here is my take on this issue. Carbon can be a good tool for beginners to get started in the hobby. It covers a multitude of sins, however I recommend discontinuing it's use once you are comfortable with the needs and demands of your fish. Why? Because carbon has a tendency to make people lazy in their tank maintenance, and also will cover up obvious signs that something is not right in the tank, such as discolored and smelly water. These are not legitimate uses for carbon... that is what the water change was invented for. If you are diligent in your tank maintenance then you will not have the problems that carbon is commonly recommended for and therefore will not need it. One thing that carbon's use is a must is when trying to remove medications after they have cured the diesease or when toxins/poisons have been accidentally added to the tank
Q	*I cleaned out my fish tank or added a new decoration/air stone and now my oscars are dying. What is going on? - TOP*
A	If you used a towel, or sponge that you have used to clean with or wash dishes with you have probably introduced some soap or cleaning products to the water. Or if you just put in an air stone or decoration that has been sitting around for a while, it may have pesticides/air freshner particles that have settled on it. Most of these are extremely toxic to fish and can lead to them dying very rapidly. Do an 80% water change and add carbon to help remove the toxins from the water. In future never use anything to clean the tank except for items specificly set aside for tank use only, and wash any items that have either never been used or that have been sitting around for any period of time.