Caring for Your Oscars (Fish)

Getting to know Oscars

While the popular American pets remain to be man’s best friend and the purring feline house cat, people are beginning to become more familiar with another pet that lives within the confines of a glassed Aquarium. Oscars, are the most popular fish among pet owners in America because of there large size and very sharp personality. Many of you may be interested in the Oscar and would like to have one inside your brand spanking new fish tank. However, there are a few things you should know about the gullible looking fish before you invest money and time in them. Unlike goldfish, these tank mates require lots of time, money and energy to ensure that they live a long time. There are important things that you should know before buying an Oscar.

Purchasing an Oscar

Most pet stores carry Oscars at a very small size. Petsmart and Petco are good stores to go to when looking for an Oscar because their prices are pretty cheap. The average price range of an Oscar is $4.99 to $6.99. Small Oscars are very active and full of personality. With any fish that you purchase, look for the one with the most energy. As they grow older, Oscars will settle down and become more docile.

Tank Size

The size of a small Oscar can be very deceiving. Their size can range from 1-3 inches long. However, they have a rapid growth rate of about an inch per month until they reach their adult size of about 12-14 inches. It is very important that you have an aquarium big enough to hold an Oscar. A 30 gallon fish tank for one Oscar is sufficient. Holding more than one of these cichlids in a 30 gallon tank may result in very murky water due to constant bowel movements from eating and fighting. Oscars are aggressive and territorial fish. They need enough space of their own in a tank to coexist with other fish of their size. I recommend that the minimum size for at least two Oscars is a 55 gallon fish tank.

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