Oscar’s are a freshwater fish of the Cichlid family and is found in parts of South America. The Oscar’s intelligent personality and attractive coloring makes it an appealing aquarium fish for the intermediate aquarist. It is most commonly sold inaquariums as juvenilesbut they grow very quickly and are an efficient predator. They require good filtration as they dig in aquarium substrate and can be messy eaters. Oscar’s are known to interact beyond the tank with their keepers, and are popular for this reason.

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Features of Oscar Cichlid Fish:

• Oscar Cichlid fish are more interactive & intelligent than your average aquarium fish
• Come is a range of colours and patterns from reds, blacks, oranges, yellows & more
• With large, oval-shaped bodies, Oscar Cichlid fish are a stocky aquarium fish species growing up to 25-30cm
• Average Life span is : 8-15yrs

The Best Aquarium Size for Oscar Cichlid Fish:

Oscar Cichlids are a popular species of freshwater aquarium fish known for their large size and dog-like personalities. Oscar Cichlids typically grow aboutup to 30cm. The minimum tank size recommended for a single Oscar Cichlid is200 litres. If you plan to keep more than one, you will need a larger aquarium.

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Oscar Cichlid Fish Tank Mate Compatibility:

Due to their aggressive and territorial personalities, Oscar Cichlid fish shouldnt be housed with the majority of fish species. They are a predatory species that will eat smaller fish that fit in their mouth. Also ensure your aquarium is not crowded and offers ample hiding spaces for other species if you choose to keep other species.

Great tank mates for Oscar Cichlid’s include:

• Firemouth cichlids
• Silver Dollars
• Sailfin Plecos
• Convict Cichlids
• Severum Cichlids
• Jack Dempsey
• Clown loaches

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Oscar Cichlid Fish Diet :

Oscar Cichlid fish are omnivores and eat a varied diet of larvae, small fish, and plant matter. Feed Oscar Cichlid fish a combination of pellets or flakes, live/frozen food likebrine shrimp,bloodwormsand plant-based foods likealgae wafersor green vegetables. Oscar Cichlid fish have natural hunting instincts and enjoy catching and eating live food.

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Oscar Cichlid Fish Tank Setup:

Aquarium Filtration

A goodfiltration system, such ascanister filters, are required for Oscar Cichlid fish. Keep in mind that Oscar Cichlids are large fish that are messy easters and produce a larger volume of waste.

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Aquarium Lighting

Oscar Cichlid fish prefer moderate to lowaquarium light. Lighting should be set on a daily cycle to mimic the natural day and night cycle. 8-12 hours of light is sufficient.LED lightingwill help display the Oscar Cichlids colours, we recommendZetlight.

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Aquarium Plants

Oscar Cichlid fish enjoy digging in the substrate and rearranging the tank, so plants should be hardy and firmly rooted. Consider plants growing on driftwood such as anubias, to avoid uprooting of plants. Anubias also have a tougher leaf & tolerate lower levels of lighting making this the perfect plant for your aquarium with Oscar’s.

• Anubias on driftwood
• Java Moss
• Java Fern

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Aquarium Decorations & Ornaments

Oscar Cichlids grow into large fish and will be strong enough to shift small objects.In general, most Oscar Cichlid tanks are decorated very minimally. Large rocks ordriftwoodsare ideal ornaments for your Oscars.

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Aquarium Substrate

To replicatethe natural environment of your Oscar Cichlid’s,use a sandy substrate mixed with small rocks, pebbles, and gravel to provide a more natural look. Oscar fish do enjoy digging, so be prepared for shifting substate.

• Kirby Pebbles
• Aqua One Gravel
• Dymax Gravel 2kg

A variety of Substratesare available at Coburg Aquarium.