What a wonderful fish, I have to say that there is no doubt in my mind that they are one of the most intelligent fish to ever be kept by hobbyists. They learn very fast and will become attached to their owners. Although I don’t believe that fish show emotion Oscars make me doubt my belief. They seem to be happy and greet you when they see you. They will sulk if something has changed or isn’t right with their living conditions. Re-arranging their living space is one of their favorite past times.
My dad had Oscars when I was a teenager and ever since then I've had a soft spot in my heart for these wonderful fish. I've owned seven of them so far the first pair, two Tiger O's, I had to give up because of a move my wife and I made. The sencond pair, two more Tigers, didn't get along very well so I re-homed one of them. I later added a Lutino O in with the Tiger I kept and they were wonderful together. Unfortunatly mother nature can be very cruel at times. In December of 08 there was a massive ice storm and we were without power for 14 days and I lost both of them.
So that brings us up to date (03-17-09) I now have two more O's one Tiger and one Lutino. Who at the moment are best buds. Also in the tank are 5 Silver Dollars, 5 Buenos Aries Tetras, and 1 Snow King Pleco.
Oscars are native to Peru, Colombia, Brazil and French Guiana and occur in the Amazon river basin, along the Amazonas, Icá, Negro, Solimões and Ucayali river systems, and also in the Approuague and Oyapock drainages. Feral populations also occur in China, northern Australia, and Florida, USA as a by-product of the ornamental fish trade. The species is limited in its distribution by its intolerance of cooler water temperatures, the lower lethal limit for the species is 55.2 °F (12.9 °C).
Although the species is widely regarded as sexually monomorphic, it has also been suggested that males grow more quickly, and in some naturally occurring strains, males are noted to possess dark blotches on the base of the dorsal fin. The species reaches sexual maturity at approximately 1 year of age and continues to reproduce for 9-10 years. Frequency and timing of spawning may be related to the occurrence of rain. A. ocellatus are biparental substrate spawners though detailed information regarding their reproduction in the wild are scarce. In captivity pairs are known to select and clean generally flattened horizontal or vertical surfaces on which to lay their 1000 to 3000 eggs.
A number of ornamental varieties of A. ocellatus have been developed for the aquarium industry. These include the Tiger Oscar, Red Oscar, Albino (true albinos are very rare), Lutino or Tiger Albino, and Lemon Oscar. You will occasionally see what's called a Blueberry Oscar but this is not a natural strain these fish unfortunatly are created by injecting a dye under the skin. This process called painting or dying is horrible and should be stopped. In recent years long-finned varieties have also been developed.
Oscars are popular as pets, regarded as intelligent by aquarists, and are one of the hardiest freshwater fish in the aquarium trade. They learn to associate their owners with food and are able to distinguish their owner from strangers.
Despite their large size and predatory nature Oscars are relatively placid aquarium residents best housed with other fishes too large to be considered food items.
Oscars are known to uproot plants, and move other objects in aquariums and are best maintained in volumes of 75 or more gallons (280 litres). They are relatively tolerant of a range of typical aquarium water chemistries, though its large size and messy feeding habits necessitates that efficient filtration be installed on the aquarium. Oscars are undemanding to feed in captivity and will accept a range of foods that include pieces of fish, veggies, and prepared cichlid foods. Oscars may also tend to jump out of an aquarium if the lid isn't supported sufficiently.
Oscars are known to beg for food when their owners approach the tank (the feed me dance). They can be fed by hand and even petted but be aware, however, that doing so can harm their protective slime coat
