Oscar fish is an intelligent fish that can learn different tricks. These are exciting species and can attract the attention of any person near their tank. The most exciting thing about this species is its cleverness. Although Oscar fish’s brains are small, they learn things very quickly. Once Oscar fish adapt to their environment, they observe, explore, and get familiar with the surroundings. They form solid bonds with their owner and their aquarium.
Oscar fish have a wide range of striking and dramatic colors. These are widely available in the pet shops. People keep different varieties of Oscar fish to show their unique aesthetic sense. Oscar fish are very easy to handle, so people keep them as pets.
The native area of Oscar fish is the Amazon River in South America. These are considered one of the most popular species of cichlid fish.
| Scientific name | Astronotus ocellatus |
| Oscar Fish Size | 45 cm |
| Astronotus Lifespan | 10 to 20 years |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Common names | Oscar cichlid, Tiger Oscar, Velvet cichlid, Marble cichlid |
| Oscar Fish Behavior | Social, peaceful, and aggressive when in danger |
Popular Types of Oscar Fish
There are different types of Oscar fish depending on their color, breeding, and size. Here are some freshwater Oscar Fish types. You will find a brief description of the types of Oscar fish with pictures.
Blue Oscar Fish
The Blue Oscar fish have blue pigments and different combinations of blue color on the body. This fish type is produced by selective crossbreeding. The blue lining on the scales makes them different from other types of Oscar fish. These are known as Blueberry Oscars due to their resemblance with the blueberry color.
The blue Oscar fish are 12 to 15 inches in size and have a lifespan of about ten years.
Super Red Oscar
Super Red Oscars are known as Velvet Oscars or Blood Parrot cichlids. The bodies of Super Red Oscar have a mixture of bright scarlet red and black. These colors merge with each other on the back of the fish. The eyes of Red Oscar have orange rim over them.
Super Red Oscar is included as one of the rare and most beautiful types of Oscar species. It is actually produced by the crossbreeding of Midas cichlid and Red devil cichlid.
Furthermore, its size ranges from 12 to 15 inches.
Veil Tail Oscar
Veil tail Oscar is so elegant and distinct due to its long, flowy fins. Their whole body has a range of colors from orange to black with a tinge of white. Their identifying characteristic is a transparent, long, thread-like tail. That’s why these are also known as Long Finned Oscars.
You can observe orange dots or lines on the body of Veil tail Oscar.
Moreover, these have a size of 12 to 15 inches and a life span of about ten years.
Lemon Oscar Fish
Lemon Oscar fish have a lemon yellow color on their white bodies. In the natural environment, they can grow up to 14 inches. Lemon Oscars are famous predators. Their entire body has different patterns and linings. The range of colors depends on the environment, mood, and food.
They have prominent foreheads and broader mouths than other Oscar fish types.
They prefer to live in small groups in their juvenile stage in slow-moving waters like canals, ponds, and rivers.
Copper Oscar Fish
Copper Oscar Fish have vibrant orange colors on their bodies. Their heads are dark-colored. These fish are territorial and don’t like other species of fish. Copper Oscar fish don’t like to play. Their bodies have dark spots that extend to the posterior portion of the body.
The dark steaks on the orange wings make them the oldest fish species.
Albino Oscar
Albino Oscar is a white-colored Oscar. They have linings of orange or red patterns on the end of the body. Every Albino Oscar is unique in patterns of color on their body.
Albino Oscar is famous for the red irises in their eyes, which make them stunning. These are shy and live in small groups, especially juveniles.
Albino Oscar is included in the parental species of Oscar fish. Their size is 12 to 15 inches, and they can live up to 10 years.
Albino fish have albinism. They have an absence of melanin in their tissues, which makes them quite white.
Golden Oscar Fish
Golden Oscar fish have a golden hue. They are considered very similar to the Copper Oscar. But they are slightly more golden. Their faces and wings are grayish. They give an amazing look when they are placed along a darker substrate.
White Oscar Fish
White Oscar is similar to the Albino Oscar fish. But they don’t have patterns. Their whole body is white from the head to the tail. White Oscar fish are lovely in nature, and can live longer than normal Oscar fish. The pinkish hue, blended with the white color, makes them stand out in the tank. Their tank is usually made darker than normal.
They can live up to 20 years. Their size is between 12 and 15 inches.
Wild Oscar Fish
Wild Oscar fish are the parental species of Astronotus ocelatus. All other types of
Oscar fish are derived from Wild Oscar fish. Wild Oscar Fish are called the River dogs as they are very loyal to their owner. They make a strong bond with their keepers.
Wild Oscar fish come in yellow, orange, and gray color with white markings. Their complete body has charcoal or black spots. These colors give them a wild appearance, which helps them hide from hunters. Black or charcoal spots give eye-like symbol on the posterior part of the body.
Solid Black Oscar Fish
Solid black Oscar fish have black-colored bodies with white linings running on the whole body. Sometimes, these patterns give them a tiger’s appearance. These are the rarest types of Oscar fish. Their orange or red eyes are covered with a rim.
Black Oscar fish have a slightly longer life span. They can live up to 20 years.
Their bellies are lighter than black fins. Every black Oscar fish is different in appearance from the others due to unique whitish patterns. There are different colors and patterns of tiger Oscar fish, and each has its own price. The tiger Oscar fish price ranges from 10 to 40 dollars.
Short Body Oscar Fish
Short-body Oscars are characterized by their short and compact body. These are small from their spinal level. They are also rare because scientific breeding creates them.
They come in a variety of colors and markings. But primarily, they are dark grayish or brownish with bright orange and yellow markings.
Green Oscar Fish
These are also called the nuclear green Oscar fish. Green Oscar is also one of the rarest species of Oscar fish. The first Green Oscar was created in 2012 by scientific breeding.
Their bodies are green, with black fins and white margins. And they have orange or red eyes. These things make them unique and mesmerizing. Eyes-like black circles are there on the posterior part of the body. It gives this beautiful fish an unusual appearance.
Bumblebee Oscar
Bumblebee Oscar is a fast-moving and energetic tropical fish. These fish are great swimmers. They have dark gray and yellow stripes on their body. And these dark markings grow darker with age.
Their size is between 10 and 12 inches. Bumblebees are freshwater species and have sharp edges for protection. Bumblebees are found in small groups in their childhood and become solitary in maturity.
Tiger oscar
Tiger Oscar fish is a very rare type of Oscar fish. It looks like a tiger with a typical and attractive color pattern, so it is called a tiger Oscar fish. The weight of a tiger Oscar is about 1.6kg.
The size of a tiger Oscar is about 10 to 14 inches, which is normally equal to 25 to 35 cm. It is naturally found in South America. When he lives alone then they do their best.
Black Tiger Oscar Fish
Black tiger iscar is an exceptional type of Oscar fish. The black tiger Oscar fish has a black and blue background. It has an orange-red pattern. The weight of black tiger Oscar fish is up to 1.6kg.
The growth rate is about 45 cm, which is approximately 18 inches. They are found in South America, including Argentina, Brazil, etc.
Red Oscar Fish
Red Oscar fish is a special and rare type of fish with a red tail and multicoloured variations. This species is from the cichlid family and has different names, such as velvet cichlid.
The growth rate is up to a minimum of 30 cm. The weight of the red Oscar fish is about 3.5 lb, which is approximately equal to 1.6 kg.
Albino Red Oscar
Albino red Oscar is a very rare type of Oscar fish. It can grow to 30 cm long and needs a tank of water up to 380 litres. This species color variation can be white and red/orange. The weight of albino red Oscar fish is a minimum of 1kg.
Nuclear Green Oscar Fish
This is a common type of Oscar fish, found in North America and Europe. As we know, the adult nuclear green Oscar fish requires a large aquarium.
You can also teach them to eat out of your hand.
Florida Oscar Fish
Florida Oscar Fish is a special type of fish found in Japan, China, and South America.
The color of Oscar’s fish is a combination of black and orange.
The growth rate is about 12 to 14 inches. The weight of Florida Oscar fish is about 1.5kg.
Lutino Oscar Fish
This is a special type of Oscar fish found in North America. Its different color variations look attractive, such as dark brown with light red-orange.
The growth rate is about 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 cm). The adult size of lutino Oscar fish is a maximum of 45 cm.
The weight of this species is around 1 to 1.6 kg.
Oscar Fish Care and Maintenance
The natural environment provides the best care. So, if you want to take care of your Oscar fish, mimic the natural environment. Therefore, you must be well aware of all the wild conditions in which Oscar fish thrive.
Oscar fish live in strong-flowing water and in sandy rivers. They prefer to live in environments that have debris, woods, rocks, and vegetation. Due to their large size, they need a wide area for hanging out.
When you are setting a tank for your Oscar fish, keep the following things in mind.
- Oscar Fish tank Size should be enough to accommodate a minimum of 55 gallons of water.
- Due to their large size, Oscar fish produce a lot of waste. So you must change water regularly.
- Oscar fish are diggers. That’s why put sand or silt instead of hard and sharp rocks.
- Install canister filters, which can remove wastes from the tank water easily.
- Put a few pebbles, plants, and some other decorative accessories in the water tank. Oscar Fish will use all these things to feel at home.
- The ideal Oscar fish pH is 6 to 8.
- Oscar fish farming requires soft, acidic, hard, and alkaline water.
Oscar fish food
In the wild environment, Oscar fish are voracious eaters. They are omnivores and can eat every edible thing.
In the natural environment, they eat tiny insects, other fish, and insect larvae. You can feed them with feeder fish, pellets, and flakes, which have all the nutrients. Some people use live foods such as insects and shrimp. There are some feeds for Oscar fish.
- Frozen peas
- Krill
- Blood worm
- Brine shrimp
- Algae wafers
- Cichlid pellets
- Cichlid flakes/ wafers
Oscar Fish Compatibility With Tankmates
Are Oscar fish aggressive in nature? Yes. That’s why you should carefully choose the tank mates of Oscar fish. Mostly, they are very peaceful and social animals. Baby Oscar fish prefer to live in small groups and never harm each other. But when they are threatened, they will become aggressive. So, select tank mates who have the same temperament. And if you are unable to select compatible tank mates, it will result in fights, injuries, and sometimes death.
- Jack Dempsey and Oscar will not prove good tank mates. Both are territorial and have an aggressive nature.
- Green Terror is mostly kept in the same tank as both require the same conditions. But make sure to provide them with enough food and space to avoid fights.
- Oscars and Angelfish will prove good tank mates if you provide them with more food and space.
- Some other Oscar fish tank mates are Bala sharks, Arowanas, Plecostomus, etc.
Understanding Oscar Fish Behavior and Breeding
Oscar fish, even larger in size than normal pet fish, have their own uniqueness. They are aggressive and social at the same time. Experts recommend keeping these fish in either pairs or five if you have enough room in your tank.
When they are kept in a new tank, they will be very curious about their new shelter. They are very good problem solvers, as they can find food easily. They learn new tricks easily.
It is Oscar Fish’s advice to never change the conditions suddenly. This will make your fish angry. There is melancholy and mystery in the Oscar fish. You can’t judge their behavior. In a moment, they will be friendly and playing, and in the very next moment, they will tear apart everything in the tank.
Oscar fish are monogamous and breed in permanent pairs. They are very difficult to breed. If you want their reproduction, then let them make pairs when they are juveniles. Oscar fish lay eggs in open and clear water. The female Oscar fish can spawn 1000 to 2000 eggs on clean rocks.
The best thing about them is that both the parents protect their eggs and fry.
Comparison of Oscar Fish with Other Species of Fish
Oscar Fish VS Piranha
Oscar fish have bright colors and are omnivores. They are peaceful with other fish. While Piranha are silver-colored, they are carnivores and aggressive in nature.
Betta Fish VS Oscar Fish
Betta fish are smaller than Oscar fish. The maximum size of the Betta fish is about 3 inches. At the same time, Oscar can grow up to 15 inches.
Jack Dempsey Fish VS Oscar Fish
Oscar fish come in larger sizes than Jack Dempsey. But both are aggressive in nature and territorial.
Male VS Female Oscar Fish
The Oscar fish are monomorphic, and it is very difficult to distinguish between the male and female. The males’ reproductive parts have a little spike while females have blunt areas. This is differentiated only when the Oscar is above one year.
Oscar Fish VS Flowerhorn
Oscar fish have oval-shaped bodies, while flower horns have rectangular bodies. Oscar fish have rounded fins. The fins of flower horn fish are long steamers-like.
Oscar Fish VS Parrot Fish
Oscar fish is smarter and more beautiful than parrot fish. However, both have an aggressive nature.
Red Devil Fish VS Oscar
The red devil is considered more aggressive than Oscar. Both have almost the same size.
Snakehead Fish VS Oscar
Snakehead fish have a long body with a head similar to a snake. At the same time, Oscar fish have flat bodies.
Dovii Fish VS Oscar
Dovii fish are more territorial than Oscar fish. They can kill Oscar fish when they are fully mature.
Lutino VS Albino Oscar
Lutino Oscar is yellow colored while Albino Oscar is white colored.
Conclusion
The above discussion covers everything about Oscar fish. This blog post explains various types of Oscar fish in a comprehensive manner. You will not only know about the types of Oscar fish but also about the suitable conditions, tank mates, food, and behavior.
Let me know which thing proves beneficial for you!