Buying oscar fish from the pet store can be a very satisfying thing to do. Oscars are some of the best large cichlids that you can purchase.
You’ll love watching them move around in the tank. You can even teach these fish to take food by hand if you’re so inclined.
Of course, you won’t have a great experience if you don’t put these fish in the right environment. It’s important for large fish such as oscars to have enough room to thrive.
What size tank should you purchase for oscar fish? Do you need to buy a really large tank just to house one or two oscars?
Keep reading to learn everything about oscar fish and the fish tank sizes that suit them. This will help you to make appropriate decisions so you can keep your fish healthy and happy.
Oscar Fish Minimum Tank Size
The minimum fish tank size for one oscar fish is said to be 55 gallons. You can keep one fully-grown oscar fish in a 55-gallon aquarium.
While this is acceptable, many people say that it’s better to go with a larger tank. There are vocal oscar fish owners who say that you shouldn’t go with a tank that is less than 75 gallons.
So the smallest tank you should buy for just one oscar fish is a 55-gallon tank. If you want a better experience, buy a 75-gallon fish tank or a 100-gallon fish tank.
What tank size you will want will depend on various factors. You’ll want to consider how many oscars you wish to keep in the tank.
It’s also important to think of what you want to put in the tank. You want to have more than enough room for hiding spots, caves, decorations, and even other fish.
How Many Oscars in a 10-gallon Tank?
A 10-gallon fish tank won’t work for oscar fish. You can only keep fish this large in 10-gallon fish tanks when they’re very young.
It’s not unusual for people to use 10-gallon fish tanks when they’re artificially incubating oscar fish eggs. The tiny oscar fish fry will be fine in this tank for a while.
Within fourteen months, oscar fish will reach close to six inches in size. How fast oscars will grow will depend on factors such as the size of the tank, water quality, and the food that they eat.
As such, you won’t want to keep oscars in such a small tank for too long. They won’t do well if you keep them in a small tank since it’ll be hard to keep the tank clean.
The oscars will outgrow a 10-gallon aquarium very fast. Only use this for a little while and be sure to buy an appropriately-sized aquarium as soon as you can.
How Many Oscars in a 20-gallon Tank?
A 20-gallon tank is also not going to be suitable for fully-grown oscar fish. A juvenile oscar fish might fit okay in a tank of this size for a period of time, though.
Just know that it’s not recommended to keep these fish in small tanks. You want to give them room to grow and thrive.
It’d be better to keep a fish in a 55-gallon tank or something larger. This is especially true if you have more than one fish in the tank.
There are people who care for juvenile oscar fish in tanks of this size, though. You can get away with it for a while, but remember that these fish will grow far too large for these types of tanks.
How Many Oscars in a 55-gallon Tank?
A 55-gallon tank should be suitable for one oscar fish. This is a tank that is just big enough to be used for one fully-grown oscar.
It’s worth noting that this is on the small side of what’s acceptable, though. If you want your fish to have the best experience, it’d be wise to go with something larger.
Even so, if you only have room for a 55-gallon tank, it’s good to know that you can put one oscar fish in there. Just don’t crowd the tank with a bunch of other fish.
You’ll also need to work to keep the tank clean. Remember that oscar fish are messy eaters, and smaller tanks are more difficult to keep clean.
How Many Oscars in a 75-gallon Tank?
It’s said that a 75-gallon fish tank is the best size for one oscar fish. While a 55-gallon fish tank can work, a 75-gallon aquarium is even better.
A tank of this size ensures that the fish has more than enough space to move around. Oscars get stressed when they live in cramped environments.
With a slightly bigger tank, there’s less of a chance that the fish will deal with stress. It should also be a bit simpler to keep the tank clean.
If you’re able to do so, it’s good to go with a 75-gallon fish tank. This will keep your oscar fish happy and healthy.
How Many Oscar Fish in a 100-gallon Tank?
A 100-gallon fish tank should be good for a few oscar fish. You can comfortably house two or three oscar fish in a 100-gallon aquarium.
These large fish tanks will certainly be good for two fish. You might be able to fit three fish without it being a huge deal, but it’s likely better to go slightly larger if you want to go with three fish.
Three fish would thrive in a 125-gallon aquarium. If you want to have more fish, you might need to look into a very large fish tank such as a 155-gallon fish tank.
Just remember to do your best not to cram the fish tank too full. No matter how big the tank that you buy is, it’s possible to fill it with too many fish or too much stuff.
How Many Oscars Per Gallon?
One oscar can technically live in a 55-gallon fish tank. However, many people say that it’s better to give oscars a larger environment.
There are many fish tank owners who say you should buy a 75-gallon aquarium for one oscar fish. When you plan to keep multiple oscars in the tank, you’ll want to buy a 100-gallon aquarium.
Thus, it’s not really possible to give a clear answer to this question. You can’t pick a fish tank for oscars based on just how many gallons it is.
You want the fish tank to be more than large enough for the fish to be comfortable. These fish become territorial when they’re put in cramped spaces.
It would be good to try to keep two or more oscars in a fish tank that is a bit too small. If you try to keep oscars in a community fish tank environment, you’ll certainly want to go with the largest tank that you can.
How Many Oscar Fish Can Stay Together?
It’s normal for people to keep oscars in a group. You likely want to have at least a few oscars in your aquarium.
How many of them can live together, though? While there isn’t a hard limit on the number of oscars that can live together, most agree that keeping three to five oscars in a group will be ideal.
Remember that these fish require a lot of space. Since you need large aquariums for fully-grown oscars, it’s not going to be practical to keep ten oscars in the same fish tank for most people.
If you have a decent amount of space in your home, you will be able to fit a fish tank that will house three to five oscars comfortably. It’s best to buy a 100-gallon aquarium or something larger to give the fish plenty of space.
Oscars dislike being put in cramped aquariums where they have to fight for space. If you want your oscars to be happy, avoid cramming too many fish in the tank.
Can You Keep Oscar Fish in a Fishbowl?
Under no circumstances should you try to keep oscar fish in a fishbowl. Fishbowls are rather small, and oscars grow to be very large fish.
An oscar fish is going to grow to be around twelve inches large in a fish tank. There’s no way it can stay in a fishbowl.
Even when the oscar fish is very young, it wouldn’t be wise to keep it in a fishbowl. You’d need a larger fish tank since these fish can grow fairly fast.
Fishbowls are only suitable for very small fish. Oscars are among the largest types of cichlids that you can find in pet stores.
Generally, fishbowls aren’t the best homes for fish. You’re always better off putting fish in a proper fish tank even when you’re purchasing small fish.
Can You Keep One Oscar Fish?
It is indeed possible to keep one oscar fish in a fish tank. These fish seem to do really well by themselves.
While it’s normal to keep these fish in groups, they also do fine when living solitary lives. If you want to buy just one oscar fish for your aquarium, it’s fine to go that route.
So long as you’re providing the oscar fish with an ideal environment, it’s going to thrive. Make sure that the water parameters are right and that you’re giving the fish the right type of food.
When you’re meeting the basic care needs of the fish, it’ll do well in your fish tank. A lone oscar fish can live for many years in your aquarium when you put in the effort.
Since these fish are so large, some people enjoy the idea of keeping just one of them. You might not want to buy a breeding pair, and owning just one oscar will sound like the most appealing option.
What About Different Types of Oscar Fish?
You likely know that there are different types of oscar fish out there that you can purchase. Are some of these oscar fish smaller?
All of the oscar fish that you will find being sold in pet stores grow to be around the same size. The different types that you’re seeing aren’t really that different.
You see, there are three main types of oscar fish that have been crossbred to produce color variations. These color variations are sold as different types of oscar fish.
The three original types of oscar fish are the red oscar fish, albino oscar fish, and tiger oscar fish. These fish were used to make new unique types of oscar fish.
All of these fish grow to be the same size. They’ll all grow to be around twelve inches long in a fish tank at maximum growth.
There is a type of dwarf oscar fish out there, but it’s a very rare fish. Since it’s so rare, this isn’t a fish that you’re going to be found being sold in pet stores.
The rarity of the fish makes it a moot point for this conversation. All of the oscars that people keep in their aquariums grow to be rather large.
Keep the Fish Tank Very Clean
Keeping the fish tank very clean is of the utmost importance when caring for oscars. Earlier, you heard that oscar fish are messy eaters.
These fish are voracious eaters that will make a big mess when they eat. They often leave behind organic debris that can throw off the parameters in the tank.
So you have to put in some effort to keep the tank clean. It’s imperative to buy a good filter for the fish tank that can help to keep things as clean as possible.
Even with a powerful filter, it’s still important to clean the tank well. You need to manually clean the fish tank to prevent issues with dirty water.
You’ll also want to do weekly water changes to keep the water in good shape. Use pH balance testing kits to ensure that everything stays in the right range.
It’s important to keep the pH balance between 6.0 and 8.0 for these fish. The best pH balance setting to shoot for is 7.2.
The temperature needs to stay between 74 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Buy a good heater that will keep the temperature steady in the tank.
Oscar fish have been known to mess with heaters, so you need to secure the heater to the tank properly to keep it from being damaged. Do your best to buy a recommended heater that works well for large fish tanks.
Can Oscar Fish Be Community Tank Fish?
It’s possible to put oscar fish in community fish tanks and get good results. Community fish tanks can be good fits for oscar fish, but you have to plan things out properly.
These are big fish that can become territorial. A community tank is going to need to be rather large when it includes oscars.
Also, you need to do research to pick compatible tank mates for these fish. Oscars need to be put in a fish tank where they can be safe.
You might accidentally put them in a fish tank with fish that are too aggressive. Even if oscars are huge, they’re not immune to bullying.
Bullied fish might get so stressed that they will die. No matter what type of fish you’re planning to put in the tank, you must take the time to research compatibility.
Are Oscar Fish Hardy?
Oscar fish are very hardy overall. These fish are going to survive for quite some time in your tank if you care for them well.
Like any fish, they can die if you do things wrong repeatedly. Even so, they’re going to survive better than many other types of fish when you make a few mistakes.
Oscars are known for being hardy fish that can live for many years in captivity. You can expect oscars to live for at least ten years in your aquarium as long as nothing goes very wrong.
It’s possible for these fish to live for fifteen years in your tank. There are even instances of oscars living for twenty years in an aquarium when they’re extremely well taken care of.
So if you’re looking for a hardy fish, it does make sense to consider oscars. They can be good options for your fish tank.
Are Oscar Fish Beginner-Friendly?
Beginners should have a pretty simple time taking care of oscars overall. They aren’t the easiest fish to care for in the world, but they’re not difficult to care for.
The fact that they’re hardy really does help out a lot. This means that a beginner can make a few mistakes without killing the fish.
You will need to get used to taking good care of the tank to keep oscars healthy. They don’t do well when the water gets dirty.
If you can focus on doing regular tank maintenance, it’ll be possible to keep these fish in good shape. Clean the tank regularly and do regular water changes to keep everything as it should be.
You should only buy these fish if you have room for a big fish tank, though. Many people who are starting out in this hobby won’t want to dedicate so much space to an aquarium.
So go ahead and buy oscars if you’re committed to taking care of the tank and you have the space. Otherwise, it might be best to look into smaller fish.
Are Oscar Fish Expensive?
The price of oscar fish will vary quite a bit depending on what type you wish to buy. Sometimes you can find oscars being sold for less than $10.00.
Oscar fish that have interesting patterns and colors might command a higher price. You could pay $50.00 for certain types of oscars.
As you’d expect, buying fully-grown oscar fish will cost more cash than buying small oscars. Most of the oscars being sold at pet stores are juvenile oscar fish.
Expect to spend a bit of cash if you’re buying a few oscars. If you want to save as much money as possible, buy several juvenile oscars.
Do Oscar Fish Eat a Lot?
You’re going to need to feed the oscars quite a bit. These are hungry fish that need to be fed more when they’re young.
Juvenile oscars need to be fed three or four times per day. Adult oscars can be fed just twice per day, and it’ll be fine.
These fish should be fed either cichlid flakes or nutritional pellets each day. You then supplement this by giving the oscars meaty treats.
It’s common for people to feed oscars live food or frozen food. You can give them shrimp, worms, beef hearts, and aquarium snails.
Some people feed their oscar fish cut-up veggies, too. Just be sure to wash everything first before you choose to do this.
How Long Can Oscars Go Without Eating?
Oscar fish can go for a while without eating despite being such hungry fish. A juvenile oscar fish should be able to go for ten days without food so long as it is healthy.
Adult oscars that are healthy can live for at least two weeks without being fed. That doesn’t mean that you should avoid feeding your fish.
If you don’t feed your fish regularly, they will become stressed. Stress makes it more likely that the fish will get sick.
You want to put your fish in a position to stay healthy and grow strong. This means feeding them a consistent diet that gives them the best nutrients.
Final Thoughts
Now you know everything that you need to know about oscar fish and what tank sizes they require. When caring for one oscar fish, you want either a 55-gallon fish tank or a 75-gallon tank.
When caring for multiple oscars, it’s best to have a 100-gallon tank. Depending on how many oscars you wish to own, it might be wise to buy a very large tank such as a 155-gallon aquarium.
Do your best to give your oscar fish enough space to thrive. These fish don’t do well in cramped environments.
Always put your oscars in a tank that is big enough. Do your best to keep the water clean and continually monitor the water parameters.
As long as you do this, it’ll be easy to have a good experience with these fish. Oscars are so much fun to own and even beginners can enjoy them.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.