A very popular species of cichlid, the tiger oscar, is a very fun and interactive fish that any freshwater hobbyist can appreciate. These rather mild mannered fish are great for hobbyist who wants to try their skills at keeping a large freshwater fish. Here is a spotlight on the care and requirements to properly keep a tiger oscar.
Scientific Names:Astronotus ocellatus, Acara ocellatus, Cychla rubroocellata, Hydrogonus ocellatus, Lobotes ocellatus
Origin: Amazon River Basin
Life Span:13 years
Water Parameters: water pH range of 6.0 to 8.0 and water temperature range of 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tiger oscars reach an adult size of 14 inches which prevents them from being properly kept in any aquarium less than 55 gallons. Oscars are very personable fish and are highly active meaning they not only need a large aquarium for space reasons but also to stretch their fins!
Oscars are very messy fish, so extra filtration for these guys is a must. The tiger oscar is strictly a carnivore (hence the messiness) meaning a meat only diet. Any quality dried fish food or frozen food high in protein would be perfect for these aquatic tigers along with occasional treats of feeder fish (heavily gut loaded with vitamins), insects and invertebrates.
Breeding tiger oscars can be done in the home aquarium as long as adequate space is available. Oscars form breeding pairs so it is better to start out with six so they can pair up by themselves. Once pairs have been established make sure to remove all pairs except the one you are interested in producing offspring. Spawning will occur eventually between the pair and they will raise the fry. It is said that the only way to push spawning forward is to keep the water clean and stable.
Tiger oscars are found in every pet store today. I would recommend any interested hobbyist to prepare for a large fish that requires lots of space and filtration. You can find the typical tiger oscar which is orange and black or the albino version. Both oscars make great companions and I would highly recommend them to any hobbyist who wants to try keeping large fish.
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