The Fish Net Tiger Oscar Page

Tiger Oscar

Oscars (Astronotus ocellatus) are popular South American fish that have been aquarium favorites for decades. Their popularity stems from their size and color as well as

their tendancy to become "tame". The most important thing to know about these fish is that they grow very large, very fast. How fast they grow depends on water quality, how much you feed your Oscar, and tank size.

Oscars need a large tank to be healthy and happy. It is not recommended to keep even a single Oscar in a tank smaller than 55 gallons, and some say not smaller than 75 gallons! Keeping them in a smaller tank may stunt their growth, cause deformities, and shorten their lifespan.

Oscar temperament can vary greatly between individuals. Some Oscars can become very aggressive and territorial, thus they are best kept alone or with other Oscars in a very large tank. Males, in particular, can fight each other for dominance in the aquarium which may lead to injuries or fatalities in your aquarium.

Oscars will eat pretty much anything that will fit in their mouth. To keep them healthy it best to feed them a variety of flake, pellet, and frozen foods. Good choices include: Spectrum pellet foods, mysis shrimp, krill, beef heart, bloodworms, and night crawlers. We recommend not feeding live foods as a primary food source for your Oscars. Feeder goldfish can carry parasites and diseases, and are not a complete source of nutrition.