Oscar fish is one of the predatory fish that is widely kept, usually because of its unique body color. But actually Oscar fish is a smart fish and seems to have a personality, if it is likened to an Oscar fish, it looks like a dog.
In this article I will discuss about Oscar fish which will be useful for beginners who want to keep Oscar fish later.
Oscar fish Appearance
| Level of difficulty | Currently |
| Nature | Territorial and aggressive |
| Family | Cichlidae |
| Size | Up to 30 cm |
| Food | Omnivore |
| Age | Up to 20 years |
| Aquarium Size | Minimum 55 gallons/208 liters |
Origin and natural habitat of Oscar fish
Oscar fish is a type of cichlid fish, therefore Oscar fish belongs to the Cichlidae family . Cichlid fish usually come from two regions, namely Africa and South America.
Oscar fish comes from South America, precisely around the Amazon river area. Because it comes from the South American region, making Oscar fish a tropical fish.
Its natural habitat is the Amazon river whose water is brown in color. Usually this area is filled with fallen plant stems and sand/mud at the bottom.
How long does it take for Oscar fish to grow up
Oscar fish can grow to about 12 inches or about 30 cm. Oscar fish are said to be able to grow 1 inch (2.5cm)/month long if given proper care and food.
Before you decide to buy Oscar fish, you should think again whether you can use an aquarium with a size of at least 208 liters later.
When the Oscar fish is small, the size of this fish is similar to other cichlid fish so many people who don’t know will be surprised because this fish grows so big and the aquarium can’t hold the Oscar fish anymore.
In addition to the size that can reach about 30 cm, Oscar fish can also live for a long time, which is about 20 years. So, you have to be fully committed before finally raising Oscar fish.
How many times do Oscar fish eat a day?
Oscar fish that have grown up should be fed at least once a day, or twice a day in the morning and evening.
However, if the Oscar fish are still small, feeding can be done up to 3 times a day because the small fish are still in the growth stage and require more nutrients.
How long can Oscar fish survive without eating?
Oscar fish can survive from 3 days to 3 weeks without food. But this depends on the size of the Oscar fish itself. If the Oscar fish is still small, it will likely only last less than a week.
Adult Oscar fish have more resistance and can last up to 3 weeks. But this also depends on the condition of your aquarium.
If you’re traveling, it’s best to ask your family to feed your fish or use the many automatic feeders on the market.
Also Read = Paradise Fish Care, Breeding, Tank Mates Complete Guide
Best food for Oscar fish
Many are misguided and think that Oscar fish are carnivorous/predatory fish. Oscar fish can indeed eat small fish and insects, but Oscar fish can not only eat these things.
Can Oscar fish eat pellets?
Oscar fish can be fed pellets. You have to make sure the pellets provided meet the nutrition of Oscar fish (a lot of protein).
If the Oscar fish is still small, you should find a pellet size that matches the size of its mouth so that the small Oscar fish can eat it.
But when the Oscar fish has a maximum size (adult) you should give pellets with a large size too. Giving small – medium size pellets can cause water to get dirty quickly because of the large number of pellets given.
However, if the size of the pellet is large, it only takes a few fruits and does not make the water dirty due to food residue.
Pellets can be given as the main food for Oscar fish and combined with other foods to meet the nutritional needs of Oscar fish.
What are the benefits of crickets for Oscar fish?
In addition to pellets, Oscar fish can also be fed live crickets. Giving these live crickets will train the Oscar fish’s natural instincts to keep it honed. In addition, crickets contain protein that is needed by Oscar fish to grow.
In addition to crickets, Oscar fish can be given other live foods such as worms, shrimp, and small fish. Do not give live food to Oscar fish too often because it can cause several things.
Live food can transmit disease to Oscar fish, besides if you always give live food, Oscar fish may not want to eat other foods.
Therefore, live food should only be used as an interlude for pellet food. For example, give live food a maximum of 2-4x a week.
Good food for Oscar fish color
One of the charms of many people to keep Oscar fish is because of the pattern and color. In general, foods that contain Astaxanthin will be useful for increasing the color of Oscar fish. Usually the compatriot of shrimp ( krill ) contains a lot of Astaxanthin .
Currently there are quite a lot of fish food that comes from krill , so you can try giving this food to increase the color of your fish.
Vegetables for Oscar fish food
Oscar fish can not only eat pellets or live food, but Oscar fish can also eat vegetables. This is because in the wild Oscar fish also sometimes eat plants.
Vegetables that can be given are cucumbers, peas, carrots, and spinach. Before being given to Oscar fish, vegetables should be boiled and cooled first.
Do Oscar fish like the current
Oscar fish like strong currents. Oscar fish come from the amazon river which does have a strong current. So, it is better to provide a strong enough current when keeping Oscar fish in the aquarium to match their natural habitat.
A strong current can be generated from a filter that brings water in, or using a powerhead placed in the aquarium.
Also Read = Crowntail Betta Fish Care, Breeding, Tank Mates Complete Guide
Can Oscar fish be aquascaped?
Oscar fish can be placed in the aquascape. However, if the size of the aquarium is mediocre or small, it is likely that Oscar fish will damage the aquascape due to lack of space to move.
If the size of the aquarium is large enough, you should use plants with large sizes so that Oscar fish are not easy to damage. Or you can also use only hard scapes such as stone or wood.
Diseases that often occur in Oscar fish
Just like other fish, Oscar fish can be affected by diseases such as ich (white spot), fin rot (fin rot), and white fungus.
In addition to these diseases, Oscar fish can also be affected by hole in the head disease . Usually this disease is found in cichlid fish .
Until now the cause of this disease is still unknown. However, there are several estimates, one of which is due to the flagellate parasite hexamita .
The emergence of these parasites is also inseparable from the poor quality of the water in the aquarium and poor nutrition as well.
As the name suggests, there will be a hole around the head of the Oscar fish. If left unchecked, the hole will get bigger and spread, followed by infection from other types of parasites that can eventually kill Oscar fish if not treated.
Then how to cure the disease of the hole in the head of the Oscar fish?
In general, the drug that is often used is an antibiotic containing metronidazole. Until I wrote this article, I have not found a product on the market that has this ingredient, except for the General Cure API.
The product from the API does indicate that it can cure diseases such as a hole in Oscar’s head. The price of these products is quite expensive because they are made abroad. If you know of a local product that can also cure this disease, maybe you can leave a comment below so people in need know too.
How long can Oscar fish survive without oxygen?
There is no definite answer to this question, the possibility is that Oscar fish can survive in a matter of hours or days depending on the conditions of the aquarium.
To avoid this problem, you should prepare a battery powered aerator so that when the lights go out, you can still use an aerator that will move the water so that there is an exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Can Oscar fish be combined with other fish?
Oscar fish are quite aggressive and territorial fish, but Oscar fish can be combined with other fish. You have to make sure the fish is not small because if it is small, the Oscar fish will likely eat it.
Oscar fish should be combined with fish that have the same size. It is recommended that Oscar fish are combined with other South American cichlids, such as the convict cichlid, firemouth cichlid, severum cichlid, arowana, and bichir .
Usually these fish can survive an aggressive Oscar so nothing will happen. In addition, all these fish have the same type of food and aquarium conditions.