Assorted Longfin Oscar

The Assorted Longfin Oscar is an ornamental variant of the popular Astronotus sp. Oscar. With its elegant, flowing fins, the Assorted Longfin Oscar makes a colorful and active addition to a large aquarium. With longer, more embellished fins than the standard Oscar, the Assorted Longfin Oscar is an impressive sight to behold.

The Assorted Longfin Oscar requires a large aquarium of at least 70 gallons with a deep sand bottom and a few large rocks. They will dig up plants so any plants that are in the aquarium should be potted with the root surfaces covered with rocks. Using floating plants is a good compromise to this problem. Tiny Oscars form a tight cluster for protection and this is normal behavior for juvenile fish. Large Oscars are not as territorial as most other cichlids when full-grown but will consume anything they can fit into their mouths.

A large aquarium should be used for breeding, as large as 100 gallons if possible. Oscars will spawn in soft or hard water as long as it is clean and clear and has a temperature between 79-86°F. It is hard to tell the difference between the male and females, but during spawning, the female has obvious genital papilla. The female will lay from 1,000-2,000 eggs on rocks that have been carefully cleaned. The eggs are opaque at first, turning transparent in 24 hours. The brood will be carefully guarded and cared for and the fry will be kept in pits and may even be covered. When they are free-swimming, the fry should be fed Cyclops. Sometimes the fry will cling to their parents.

The Assorted Longfin Oscar is a carnivore that is a predaceous and hearty eater. Oscars will eat a variety of meaty foods, including small fish and earthworms, Cichlid pellets, larger flake food, ocean plankton, bloodworms, and tubifex worms.

Approximate Purchase Size: 2-3/4” to 3-1/4”