How to Raise a Red Oscar

Red Oscars get very big

The fish known as Oscars are sold in several color varieties, perhaps the most common being the Red Oscar. They are usually sold as babies of 1" in length--sometimes even smaller. They grow to over 1' and their behavior changes greatly. Red Oscars are very cute as babies but become, quite frankly, very ugly adults. But if you are already prepared for their growth, they can be quite compelling fish to watch. And they never talk back to you!

Things You'll Need

• As big a tank as you can afford
• Tank stand (or incredibly sturdy and level chest of drawers)
• Filter
• Aerator
• Heater
• Thermometer
• Air pump
• Weighted-down lid (even if you have to weigh it down with a brick)
• Aquarium light
• Electrical outlet strip (optional but highly recommended)
• Separate tank and setup for feeder goldfish or minnows
• Cichlid pellets

Instructions

Oscar the Grouch

1. Gather your tank and the materials for it. Ideally, you should do this at least one month before you get your Red Oscar, or before your current baby Red Oscar begins to grow and eat all of the other fish in the tank.

2. Make sure your tank stand is level by pouring 1" of water into the tank and putting it on top of the stand. You should be able to quickly tell if the stand is level or not.

3. First, set the tank up with a couple of inches of gravel that has been rinsed off with cold water. Add a couple of decorations when the baby is small. Set up the filter, air pump, aerator (airstone), heater, lid and light. Add any biological treatments to the tank in order to get helpful bacteria growing. Water temperature should be 72 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Move the baby Oscar over after at least a month has passed, or when he starts harassing the other fish.

4. Become familiar with what an adult Red Oscar looks like, either by looking at pictures in books or on websites or by looking at other adult Red Oscars. They will grow bumps and lumps that are normal for them but can be a signal of illness in other breeds of fish. No two Oscars will look alike. Fins sticking to the sides, white cottony fuzz and open red sores are all bad signs and call for treatment.

5. Place a small weight on the lid to keep the Oscar from jumping out. As the Oscar gets bigger, you may need to use a brick.

6. When your Red Oscar becomes about as long as your palm, set up another, smaller tank for feeder goldfish. Red Oscars need meat. If you can't stomach feeding goldfish to him, fill the tank with daphnia (water fleas) or brine shrimp. Red Oscars also like earthworms, mealworms, flies (not sprayed with chemicals), feeder crickets and cichlid pellet food. Offer food every day. Red Oscars have been known to go up to three weeks without eating, just for the heck of it.

7. Keep up the good work for the 15 to 20 years of your Red Oscar's life.

Tips & Warnings

• Baby Oscars can live in community freshwater fish tanks and eat the same food the other fish does, but must be moved when they start to harass the other fish.

• Younger, smaller Oscars don't mind decorations in their tank, but usually will not tolerate them as they get older. It's as if they don't want anything obstructing your admiring gaze.

• Never feed your Oscar dead fish, because they could be filled with bad bacteria that could get your Red Oscar very sick.

Resources

• How Big Does a Red Oscar Get?
• So You Want an Oscar...