Fish Profiles at Pet Resources -- Oscar

Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)

Synonyms:	Velvet Cichlid, Albino, Tiger or Red Oscar	8 month old Tiger Oscar Image courtesy of Lucas Rankin
Stats:	Adult Size: 14" (20 cm) Temp: 79-86 F (26-30 C) Tank: 48" (120 cm) minimum
Requirements:	Very Large Aquaria. Oscars get big, and comparatively are very messy eaters, creating large amounts of waste. Oscars are hard on decor, rearrange plants, and can break heaters in their moves. pH: 7, hardness: not particular.
Diet:	Many people feed oscars feeders, but this is not the healthiest option. Most can be trained to large cichlid pellets, and there is no chance of food bourne disease with that diet.
Breeding:	...
Sociability:	Peaceful for a cichlid. No other fish that can fit in its mouth are safe, and large fish that are capeable of protecting themselves, but not extremely aggressive should make good tankmates.
Related Spec:	...
Special Info:	This fish comes in several color varieties, and all can interbreed with no trouble.