Red and Albino 2 Tiger Oscar Cichlids.

Question
QUESTION: I have two rather small great shape Oscars in a 55gal aquarium. They also share a home with the same size fantail, green shubunkin, and a small pleco. I have a large query of sections haha. What do oscars prefer as a treat but is still nutritious? Can I breed crickets to feed them or is that a bad idea? How exactly do you clean worms? How do I breed oscars and what age do they have to be to breed? Whats the best way to tell if they are sick? They have no problems now, they are doing great and are really friendly to the others. They have great colors and are really quick for oscars.

ANSWER: Hi Cody,
I must tell you first, that one Oscar needs a 55 gallon tank all to himself, two Oscars you must double that.  I hate to bring you bad news, but when Oscars do not have the right amount of space, their growth will be stunted, and they die a horrible death.  Right now they are still small, but they grow quite quickly...about one inch a month.  Vendors do not tell you this, they are there to sell, and will say anything to make a buck.  When the Oscars get bigger, and we realize that we do not have the space they need, no pet store will take them back.  The Shubunkin should not be with Oscars.  The Oscar is a tropical fish, the Shubunkin must live in cool waters with fish of his own kind.  The Oscars live in acidic to neutral water, and the Shubunkin lives in alkaline water.  There is nothing we can do to change this.  When fish do not have the right environment, they get stressed, and stressed fish get sick.  I know that this information is not what you want to hear, but I must tell you the truth, and save you hurt later on.  Oscars are very clever, and we do get very attached to them.

When breeding Oscars, we must have big tanks.  Oscars are cichilds, and they choose their mate.  The only way to know the difference between male, and female is when they spawn.  There is no other way to tell the difference.  They begin to spawn when they are 12 inches or more in length.
Once they have a mate, they spawn regularly, and care for there young.  One must be prepared to have big tanks to keep the fry, It's lots of work.  Tanks must have water changes everyday after the fry are free swimming.  Live brine shrimp must be fed for the first 2-3 weeks of their life.
I would not recommend breeding these fish unless you intend on buying bigger tanks for the Oscars, and the fry.

List of food for Oscars:
Worms bought at the bait store.  These must be bought to be sure there are no pesticides in them.  To clean the worms, put them in oats for about a week or so.
Minnows bought at the bait store.  Buy the regular kind.
Crickets bought at the pet store, or breed them yourself...(I have no idea how to breed crickets)
Frozen fish that you find at your market that come from lakes, and rivers.  Never from salt water.  Unfreeze the fish before serving this to your Oscars.
Frozen veggies that you buy in the frozen section of your market. ( Green beans, carrots, peas, broccoli, and spinach) Blanch them, and let them cool before feeding them.
Mangoes, Bananas, - no citrus fruit...and only feed this now, and then.
A good quality flake
Frozen foods that you find at the pet store. ( Bloodworms are also good for them)
Never feed them feeder fish.  Feeder fish are almost always full of disease, and when eaten, your Oscars will also get sick.
Vary their food as much as you can, and always give them blanched peas once a week, that you have left cool before serving.  This is to prevent Swim Bladder Disease.  Swim Bladder Disease is caused by constipation, and can be prevented by feeding them peas.  On the day you feed them the peas, feed them nothing else so that they can clean out their system.
Clean water is very important.  Most diseases come from poor water conditions.  Water changes every week of 25% are important for fish.  Check your water every week to see if you have ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.  You can buy these small test kits at your pet store or Walmart, and they are a "must" when keeping fish.  Ammonia is the number one killer of fish.  Ammonia should always be zero, nitrites zero, and nitrates should be low.  
Clean water, good food, and a tank that is not overstocked goes a long way in keeping fish free of disease.  Overstocked tanks bring disease.
I cannot predict if your Oscars will get sick, but if you follow the rules, you should have no problems.  The most common diseases are Ick, Fin, and Tail Rot, and Fungus.  If you see little white spots that look like salt, it is ick...if their tails, and fins looked split, it is fin, and tail rot, and if you see white spots, that look raised, and fuzzy, it is fungus.  There are many other diseases, you must observe them, and at the first sign of disease, they must be cured quickly.  Fungus eats away at a fish very quickly, so prompt attention, and medication should be given at the first sign.  Weak fish which are not fed properly are prone to disease, so it is best to feed them right.
Don't forget to feed your pleco.  Plecos do not live on algae alone, they must have sinking wafers, and shrimp pellets, or they will starve to death.
I hope all goes well for you, and that this information will help.
Lynda



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you. For some reason my pleco will not eat the sinking wafers. Im not sure why.

Answer
I really couldn't tell you the reason why your Pleco is not eating.  When fish do not eat, it is mostly because they are sick.   Your water chemistry could also be a reason why fish stop eating.  If you have ammonia, or nitrites in your water, this is like poison to fish, and they stop eating, and die.  You must check this, and if you do have ammonia, or nitrites in your water, do a major water change of 50% siphoning from the bottom to remove waste, and spoiled food.  After this, remove 10% of your water everyday until your ammonia level is zero, nitrite level zero, and nitrates are low.
Observation is the key.  Watch your Pleco carefully.  He may be afraid of another fish in your tank.  I wish I could help you more, but this is one thing you will have to find.  Check his fins to see if they are not splitting, and signs of fungus.  If his fins are split, and if he has whitish raised spots, this could be fungus, or  fin, and tail rot.  This is due to poor water conditions.   You must have good water chemistry, because you cannot cure fish in poor water conditions.
Lynda