This page is here to archive the struggles I've had with my beloved Oscar. It'll almost be like a diary, with the oldest stuff at the top and the newest at the end. Enjoy, and I hope you find what you are looking for. Welcome to

Oskie's Own Archives

June 12, 1998
There aren't too many pages dedicated to the Oscar, so that's why this is here! I love my Oscar, who is housed in a 30 gallon tank. He's about 3 inches long and I think he'll be ok for a couple of months in there. I have been doing research on Oscars and their minimum tank size is 55 gallons. So, if you want an Oscar, be sure you know what you are getting into. I've read they are territorial, rock movers, that sometimes will let you pet them. My fish is a little different from that. He's lethargic (which is normal, so don't freak out if your fish just sits on the bottom sometimes), but I think because he used to be in a tank that is too small to move around in! He's also never dug around in the rocks for food. I also have a Jack Dempsey and this fish is much more psycho. He used to bury himself in the gravel, which scared me and Steve (my boyfriend and also the person that the fish technically belong to). The Jack Dempsey continues to move around the gravel, while our Oscar does nothing of the sort. Oskie still doesn't do much of anything. See the Solutions link at the top of the page for suggestions and remedies.

Of course, all fish have different personalities. I have read stories at Aquaria Central's Fish Hall of Fame page and other various locations, where the Oscar is passive and then another person turns around and says how aggresive their fish is. Either way, if an Oscar is the fish for you, you've made a wise choice. They have beautiful coloring. I especially like the dark Oscars with the orange designs. I love my Oscar!!! Even though he can be such a freak. He's so cute (and MESSY!) when he eats and sometimes, he just sits on the ground and doesn't do anything. Other times, he hides from me. Other times, he wiggles at me. Oskie is a much loved pet in this household.

I don't have that problem because I have one fish in a tank. My fish still has a "cave" (a piece of PVC pipe) so that he can hide from whatever he feels he needs to hide from.

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