my daughter is afraid of our fish

Question
we recently just got to big Oscars. our daughter says that they have tongues and won't go near the tank. i told her they didn't but she doesn't belive me. so could you tell me if they do or not

Answer
Hi Lucy,
 Actually your daughter is correct about the tongues.  Each oscar has one tongue, and they have lots of teeth as well.  That said, they make fantastic pets and over time your daughter will come to really know them.  Oscars are very attached to their people and they can easily tell one person from another.  

  There is no reason to be afraid of them. Spend some time with your daughter just watching them and you will soon find that the oscars spend a lot of their time watching you.  It is important to recognize the tank as "their space" -- they are very possessive of their space -- much like your daughter is probably possessive of her room.  If you respect their space and treat them well, they can live to be close to 20 years old.  

 It is crucial that you do regular weekly water changes on their tank.  You need to change 25% of their water once a week, every week, and they should have long and happy lives.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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