By csbea - eHow Contributing Writer
Oscar fish are monster fish with a reputation of not only growing to a huge size, but also some say they have even had their Oscars to let them be petted. They can be a very interesting and beautiful addition to your home aquarium.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need: Oscar fish & Fish tank
Step 1
Keep your tank the correct temperature. Your tank should remain between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Getting your tank anywhere above 80 degrees can be very harmful to your Oscar, so be sure to buy both a heater and a thermometer.
Step 2
Buy the correct amount of aquarium space. Oscars can grow to sixteen inches which is a huge fish for a home aquarium. Be sure to have at least 40 gallons of water per every Oscar that you have in your aquarium.
Step 3
Keep your tank clean. You need to replace at least 20 percent of your tank water every week to keep your tank clean. Unfortunately the Oscar fish is quite the defecator, so you may also want to invest in a few tank cleaner fish to help with your tank cleaning duties.
Step 4
Feed your Oscars correctly. Oscars seem to love blood worms. If you keep your fish well fed it will also be less likely to attack and bite at any other cichlids you have in your tank. As long as provide your Oscar with a high protein diet, they will grow just fine.
Step 5
Manage with other fish in your tank. Oscars are a cichlid. This means that they are an aggressive and territorial fish. They do get along with some other types of cichlids, but they will need to be raised together in the same tank, or moved into a new tank together where neither has claimed a territory. Remember that for every fish you need to recalculate the tank size needed. You can also invest in bottom dwellers and eels without too much worry about your Oscar beating them up.
Tips & Warnings
1. Oscars are more like a pet than a fish. They require more expensive food, large areas to roam around in and plenty of places to hide. Be sure to daily take care of them to keep your Oscar healthy, strong, and growing.
2. Oscars are aggressive fish. They will pick on and even eat many types of non-aggressive fish.
Recommended read
For a complete guide on oscar fish care & breeding, please download the ebook guide at www.oscarfishsecrets.com
