Oscar Fish Have a Personality
By Mike LaVallee
If you’re looking for a pet that has some personality to it, but aren’t interested in the smell or the care involved with dogs or cats, why not consider an Oscar fish? Yes, a fish can have personality. At least the Oscar fish do, anyway.

You’re probably thinking that all fish do is swim around and eat in their tanks. If you’ve ever owned or gotten to know the Oscar fish variety, you’d know how untrue that really is.

Oscars have become a popular fish species in recent years since they’re known to recognize their owners. They can have a trusting nature within them, which is seen in some Oscars who will affectionately rub up against their owner’s arm when they perform tank maintenance.

Oscars can form a bond with their owner and with time, may allow their owner to touch them in a petting motion. There are some Oscar fish that will eat their food right out of their owner’s hand. You don’t see that with most fish varieties.

They not only bond with their owners, but they also bond with other fish as well. Sometimes they bond with fish that aren’t the same variety as they are. They can become pretty attached to one another and will feel the loss of their friend when they pass away.

They are easy to take care of because they will eat almost anything and will spit out whatever food they don’t like. They’ll eat prawn, pellets, crickets and earthworms. They have also been known to eat small kitchen scraps as well.

You do need to be careful of what other types of fish you place in the tank along with the Oscar because they tend to eat other fish if they’re small enough to fit into the Oscar fish’s mouth.

Oscar’s are known for their pleasant personality, but they’re also known for their aggressive behavior. Some Oscars can get competitive with each other and will attack each other for no apparent reason. There’s no telling what the temperament of your Oscar will be like because each one is different from the other.

It’s recommended to keep a large enough tank for them to spend their days in and to keep only one Oscar or many. Owning just a few in one tank can only cause trouble. They do best in either a one Oscar fish environment or a large group environment.

The Oscar fish need huge fish tanks because they can grow up to 12-18 inches long. Each Oscar requires about 80-100 gallons of water in the tank, so be prepared to move them to a larger tank as they get older. Oscars have a puppy-like personality and have preferences just like humans. Just get to know your Oscar fish and see how affectionate they can really be.