Oscar Fish

[Angele44]

Does anyone else own one, or more than one of these giants? I own one tiger oscar, and I can tell you, he has got a HUGE personality to match his huge appetite.

So if you own one, tell me of your experiences, good or bad?


My oscar has this pink pingpong ball that he plays with when I put it in the tank. He refuses to play with ping pong balls of other colors, just the pink one. He can amuse himself for hours on that thing.

Also, he has bonded really well with me (I rescued him, so hes about 5 now), whenever I come through the door he swims really fast to great me. Hes huge now, about a foot long.

I'll post pictures later!

[birdsnreps]

i love oscars!! they are like little fish-puppies :) they are so cute and they really love people :)

[Valo's Moirana]

they sure have a ton of personality - had an oscar for about 2 1/2 yrs.... got the tank with the fish from a friend who was moving and couldn't bring them.... the oscar was fittingly called chief - and he HATED me with a passion. no matter how much i talked to him, no matter how much i spoiled him, no matter what - whenever i got too close to the tank, he went into attack mode.... when my friend came over during visits, chief was like a little sweetie....

lost the gorgeously ugly monster last year though - that wasn't easy

[shadowsmom]

I love oscars too!! I have a lutino and a tiger. I'll have to try the ping pong thing. Thanks for the idea!!!

[kerbear]

Oscars are one of the greatest fish-pets you can have! I lived with one for years before I got my own place (Oscar was my roomate's pet). It would do tricks, eat from your hand, play peek-a-boo. It was the best tank pet!

Most people know they need large tanks and strong filtration. But, another problem is how they love to rearrange the tank. You have to be careful of heavy rock crashing into glass, and you have to be careful of the fish messing with equipment in the tank (hoses, heaters, etc).

I remember my roomate's Oscar once messed with something to do with the air pump. I'm not clear on the details as I'm not a fish person. But I can tell you that thanks to the Oscar the apartment was flooded. The entire floor of the apartment was ruined and if my roomie hadn't come home in time the Oscar would have been dead as most of the water had been sucked out of the tank because the Oscar messed with the pump!

[bigwahoo]

I love Oscars, though I've never had one. For some reason my wife really dislikes them. I never been able to talk her into getting some. I have had friends with them and they really are like puppies. I've never thought about tossing in a ping pong ball, great idea.

[shadowsmom]

My oscars LOVE to rearrange the tank. No plastic plant is safe!! They've been trying to dig up the bubbler wand as well. So far I've been lucky....the only thing they have broken is one of my underwater thermometers :(

[birdsnreps]

hhaha they are so funny!! mine never bothered his tank "furniture", but he did take food from my hands and he would always watch me and follow me around the room, lol. he was a little cannibal though :( he killed and ate all his tankmates (also oscars) :( i guess he wanted all the food, space and attention to himself!!

[amanda143]

I have owned Oscars (all types), all my life and next to our peacock bass, are my favorite fish. They really are clowns and they all have personality. Not to mention, they get so HUGE!! :D I see them in pet stores all the time as little tiny things but most people don't know that they can grow like beasts. We used to feed ours feeders because they never cared much for cichlid pellets. They were pigs but they lived for over 10 years.