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-   -   Oscar Thread III (http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270533)

gavin 12-01-2007 10:27 AM

Oscar Thread III
 
Previous thread on Oscar is too long. it's v.difficult to search for info..

I'll help to summarise the info here again...:D

CHEERS!!!!

gavin 12-01-2007 10:28 AM

Oscarfish profile
 
Common Names: Oscar Fish

Size: 12-16 inches standard length and up to 3.5 pounds (though closer to 12+ inches is more typical in a home aquarium). When young, can grow at the impressive rate of up to 1+ inches per month. Don't be fooled by their small purchase size and get a small tank thinking you will have time to upgrade later; this is a common mistake.

Temperament: Oscars are mildly aggressive. They have a rumored vicious nature, but that just isn't the case. This rumor is derived from the fact that they are many times willing to attempt to eat anything in the tank they think will fit in their mouth. In all reality, the are pretty mellow compared to other cichlids, and are many times bullied by other more aggressive cichlid tankmates. They are territorial though, and a breeding pair may become highly aggressive towards tankmates when spawning. Also, providing too small of an aquarium can cause two Oscars in the same tank to constantly fight, sometimes to the point of being fatal.

A Brief Overview: Oscars are extremely intelligent fish capable of being conditioned to do many little tricks. They quickly learn to recognizing those that feed them and reacting accordingly (usually begging for food). They have a unique presence, intelligence, and attitude that makes owning them a true joy to those that love them. This combined with the fact that Oscar can live just as long as a dog makes them more like a pet than most other fish could ever be. Each fish seems to be an individual with its own unique nuances, making owning one of these fish even more appealing.:D

gavin 12-01-2007 10:31 AM

balance diet of oscars..
 
ur fish healthy.. u also happy
Many people feed an unbalanced diet that contributes to these nutritional deficiencies. Fish stores typically promote feeding solely of live feeder fish. There are two problems with this. First of all, only feeding fish can lead to nutritional deficiencies from lack of variation. Oscars are not piscivores (only eat fish), and have evolved to consume a wide diversity of foods, and really need to do so to be healthy. In the wild they typically eat more insects and crustaceans, but since they are opportunistic, they typically won't pass up anything that could be a possible meal. Secondly, live feeder fish from a fish store is almost a sure way to introduce parasites and other various pathogens into your tank that are harmful to your fish.

Other individuals only feed beefheart. Again, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies if it is the only or primary food given. However, another more serious problem can arise from the fact that fish are only capable of processing so much fat, especially saturated or or hard fats found in higher concentrations in most tissues of warm blooded animals. Luckily beefheart is relatively leaner that other beef (except liver), and in very sparing amounts feeding would be OK, however the tendency of the home aquarist is to overfeed with such a product can be a fatal mistake. Uncooked it is still extremely higher in saturated fat than other natural foods. The long term results of overfeeding saturated fats can be deadly, as this can attribute to what is commonly called fatty liver disease. This is a swelling of the liver and/or other internal organs. Even worse is that there are typically no external symptoms of this condition, right up until the point the fish just dies and an autopsy reveals the cause. This is an extremely likely cause of death for many Oscars that unexpectedly die sooner than 10 years that have otherwise been very well cared for. It is so easy to avoid potential problems like this, yet so many people fail to provide the necessary diet Oscars require. Providing a wide variety of foods, in the correct amounts, while feeding a staple of a quality cichlid pellet goes a long ways towards ensuring the health of your Oscar.:D

gavin 12-01-2007 10:34 AM

Points to take note when choosing Oscars
 
Wat make a oscar beautiful outsatnding...
1) broad & round body shape...
2) Colour and patterns on it's body..


For ppl who wanna buy oscar fish pls take note of this main points...:D

gavin 12-01-2007 10:36 AM

Info in Breeding Oscars
 
for bro who r into breeding oscar...
this might help....

During their spawning process, they will use their mouths to clean a flat rock, and the female will lay her eggs there. Not all the eggs are laid at once; the female will take breathers, at which time the male moves in and fertilizes the eggs. A female usually lays 1,000-2,000 eggs. The eggs are opaque at first, turning transparent in 24 hours. After the eggs are laid, both parents watch over the eggs, wafting the eggs with their fin and guarding them against predators. Occasionally they take the eggs in their mouth, which keeps them clean and turns up bad eggs, which are then destroyed.

If a constant tank temperature is maintained, the eggs should hatch in about 36 hours. At first, the fry cannot swim, but they squirm "en masse" on the rock, living off the egg sac, for about 4 days. The parents constantly attend to their young at this time. Feeding these fry is easier than other breeds, because of the baby Oscar's relatively large size. A good and simple plan is to crush regular processed flake food in your fingers, and just drop it in. Turn off filtration during fry feeding time to make it easier for them to find their bits of food.

How the parents act towards their fry depends entirely on each fish personality. Some have numerous spawn and never bother their fry; others easily eat their young. To be on the safe side, you can separate the fry from their parents. However I do not recommend this until the parents have had a few unsuccessful spawnings. The fry will reach 1.5 to 2 inches after 12 weeks

gavin 12-01-2007 10:41 AM

What Decorations are Apropriate for an Oscar Tank?
 
What to avoid

When setting up an oscar tank, a few things need to be kept in mind. First, Oscars love to redecorate. If it is small enough for the oscars to move, it probably will be moved at one point or another. This rules out anything that is remotely breakable, such as ceramic ornamentation. It also rules out most plants (real or fake), since they will be killed/destroyed over time by the oscars.

Another consideration is that oscars move around a lot and are fairly clumsy. This means that they bump into things a lot. That rules out anything with sharp edges and/or rough textures, such as lava rock.

Finally, remember that Oscars are softwater fish. Unless your water is extremely soft, you will want to avoid anything that will tend to raise the pH of the water in the tank. This rules out any calcium carbonate-based minerals such as coral, aragonite, limestone, marble, sea sand, and sea shells.

Acceptable Items

So, what does that leave us? A mainstay of oscar tanks is driftwood. The tanins in the driftwood tend to buffer the water to the lower pH range that Oscars prefer. it is difficult for the Oscars to move it.

Another good decoration is large river rocks. They tend to be smooth, so the oscars are not likely to injure themselves if they bump into a rock. They also give the tank more of a natural look.

Finally, every fishtank with egg-laying cichlids should have at least one piece of slate. This gives the fish a flat surface on which to spawn.

CHEERS!!!

Hikari07 12-01-2007 01:41 PM

hi,

isn't oscar supposed to be in cichlid forum?:confused:

kelvinnwk 12-01-2007 02:30 PM

hi bro gavin, thats some good info ya !! currently my oscars are fed mainly BWs & small pellets, hope thats fine for healthy growth.

got a few qns to seek yur advice, any other bro & sis as well, cos my baby oscars are still very young, abt 2-3cm. wats the size when we can roughly tell the sex, & abt when will they form pairs ?? i'm currently housing them in a 3x1.5x1.5 clear tank with normal dolphin OHF, current is pretty strong, is it ok for the litthle oscars ??

thanks x1000 !! :)

gavin 12-01-2007 03:03 PM

How Can I Tell The Sex Of My Oscars?
 
One of the most common questions asked is how to tell whether an Oscar is male or female. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Many people who are new to oscars, and even some experienced oscar keepers will come up with various "surefire" ways to sex an oscar. These methods are usually based on some minor diffferences in finnage, color, spots, shape, size, etc. Unfortunately, none of them are any more reliable than flipping a coin. The bottom line is that Oscars, unlike most other cichlids, exhibit no external sexual dimorphism. In other words, you cannot tell the sex of an Oscar by any external features.

So, you ask, how can I tell if I have a male or a female? Well, the only reliable method is to observe a pair when they are breeding and the breeding tubes are extended. The female's tube is bigger, and rounded at the end, while the male's tube is smaller, and pointed at the end. Also, obviously, the female is the one with all the eggs coming out of her. Note that it is not uncommon for two female Oscars to pair up and mate together. In this case, both breeding tubes will look the same, and both will have eggs coming out. Also, the unfertilized eggs will be white in color. Fertilized eggs are amber (yellow) in color.:D

kelvinnwk 12-01-2007 07:03 PM

do they prefer strong water current ?? :confused:


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