How to Breed Tiger Oscars
Tiger Oscars are members of the Cichlid family. They are fresh-water fish coming from the Amazon and can become fairly large in size, often reaching up to 16 inches long at adulthood. Tiger Oscars have become very popular among fish breeders, as they can produce hundreds of eggs at a time, all of which can hatch. Breeding Tiger Oscars is a process that requires little intervention on the part of the breeder. Maintaining the proper environment for the fish to breed in is key in successfully breeding Tiger Oscars.
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Things You'll Need
- Pair of adult breeders
- 100 gallon fish tank
- Flat slate or rock
- Two filters
- 500 watt adjustable heater
- Siphoning tube
- Fish food
- Fish net
Instructions
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Establish a pair of breeding Tiger Oscars. It is difficult to determine the sex of these fish, so you may need to put six or more in a tank together and let them select a mate on their own. You could also purchase a pair of proven adult breeders from a trusted vendor. In this case, the two fish have mated before so the vendor knows for certain there is one male and one female.
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Use a fish tank that has a capacity of at least 100 gallons. Tiger Oscars are large fish and need plenty of room to move. Keep the tank free of gravel, decorations and plants. You should put one piece of flat slate or rock on the bottom of the tank where the fish can lay the eggs. The tank should also have two filters on the outside and a 500 watt adjustable heater.
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3
Remove and replace 10 to 20 percent of the water daily, using a siphoning tube. Tiger Oscars are messy fish and it is important to keep the water clean for optimal breeding. Maintain a pH of around 6.8 and a water temperature of 80 to 82 degrees.
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4
Feed the Tiger Oscars three times a day. In addition to feeding them Cichlid pellets, you can give them foods such as chicken, turkey and vegetables. Avoid overfeeding the fish. They should be able to eat all the food you put in the tank within two minutes. If not, you know you are feeding them too much.
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5
Observe the pair to see the mating ritual begin. You may notice the fish chasing one another, wagging their fins a lot or even kissing. These are clear signs that mating has begun. If they become too aggressive, separate them so that one does not injure the other. Several months may pass from the first notice of mating to the time the Tiger Oscar actually begins laying eggs.
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Watch the fish to observe when they begin to lay eggs. The female may not lay all the eggs at once. You should check the eggs to see if any are infertile. If you notice a white cotton-like fungus growing on the eggs, that is a sign of infertility. You should carefully remove these eggs from the tank using a net, so that the fungus does not spread to the good eggs. The fish themselves may eat some of the bad eggs. The good eggs take about three days to hatch. After the eggs hatch, do not be alarmed if the parents eat some of the babies. This is typical among Tiger Oscar fish.
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