# Help with Oscars?



## GSXKod (Feb 6, 2005)

I am just beginning an aquarium with an oscar.  I was wondering if anyone can give any helpful tips on keeping them healthy and if there are any special caring needs.  Is there a special temperature the water needs to be?  Thanks for all the help


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## Gunnie (Jan 20, 2005)

GSXKod, welcome to FishForums! Oscars are pretty easy fish to keep if you just apply basic fish care, and keep them in a tank appropriate for their adult size. I have 2 oscars about 8 inches long each at the moment and they look very healthy. 76 degrees is the temperature they live in and they seem fine. You may have to clean his tank more than once a week though. Oscars are big poopers and messy eaters. The general consensus is to house an oscar in a minimum of a 55 gal. tank. Most 55 gal. tanks aren't very deep from front to back though, and when the oscar grows up, it will have problems trying to turn around in the tank. 75 gals. is better. I currently have my 2 in a 100 gal. tank with 2 jack dempseys and a common pleco. They are all fine right now, but I don't see all those fish in that tank forever. Vary their diet as you should with any fish. They are usually not picky eaters. I feed mine Omega One cichlid pellets as their staple, and supplement with shrimp, earthworms, freeze dried krill. On rare occasion, I will feed with rosy reds, but you should quarantine these fish before feeding to your oscar so they don't spread disease to your baby. Feeders are not usually very nutritious, but if you quarantine, then you have a chance to feed them and make them better for your oscar. I feed the feeders just to perk them up a bit. They get kind of lethargic getting pellet food every day. Some folks also feed live crickets, but mine never seemed too interested, and the crickets are masters in escaping from the tank if not eaten quickly. HTH! :wink: [/url]


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## hogan (Jan 18, 2005)

Get a big tank basically, and DONT listen to your lfs about oscars ive never heard one tell the truth about these guys. Do your research online, just type in oscar care and youll get a great number of websites about them.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Just one hint to a successful oscar tank, don't over feed it!


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## GSXKod (Feb 6, 2005)

thanks for the generous help so far. i will certainly use all your advice.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

yup, they sure are pigs!


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