Oscar Fish
Astronotus ocellatus · family Cichlidae
Parameters
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 5–19 °dGH
- Tank volume
- from 280 L
- Maximum size
- up to 35 cm
- Group size
- min 1, ideal 1
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Swimming zone
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
Description
The Oscar is a large charismatic cichlid with a dog-like personality: recognises its owner, eats from the hand, rearranges decor to its taste. Needs a huge tank.
Care
At least 280 L for one, 400+ L for a pair. Strong filtration (2–3× volume per hour), weekly 30–40 % water changes. Decor must be heavy and immovable.
Feeding
Predator: shrimp, bloodworm, lean fish, large cichlid pellets. Feed every other day, don't overfeed.
Compatibility
Compatibility data not yet available.
FAQ
- Can the Oscar be kept with other fish?
- Only with large cichlids (pacu, blood parrot) or a similarly sized catfish. Any small fish becomes food.
Goldie editorial team
Practising aquarists with a combined 30+ years of experience · Biologists and editors, fact-checking against FishBase and Seriously Fish · Every piece is reviewed by a qualified ichthyologist before publication
Scientific board — ichthyologists and veterinarians
Ichthyologists and veterinarians with university degrees · Reference FishBase, Seriously Fish and peer-reviewed literature · Sign every reviewed article with their credentials shown
Sources
- Wikipedia: Astronotus ocellatus · Wikipedia · 2026-05-22