Solitary Oscar - OK?

[Richard Phillips]

Hello,

Is it ok to keep an Oscar:
a) on it's own, i.e. the only fish in the tank?
b) with other fish, but no other Oscars?

I read that they are a pairing fish, but how important is this to their
well-being really?

Regards,
Richard.

[Mark Stone]

"Richard Phillips" > wrote in message >...
> Hello,
>
> Is it ok to keep an Oscar:
> a) on it's own, i.e. the only fish in the tank?
> b) with other fish, but no other Oscars?
>
> I read that they are a pairing fish, but how important is this to their
> well-being really?
>
> Regards,
> Richard.

The answers are yes and yes. The only problem arises if you have an
Oscar that is used to having another Oscar in his/her aquarium; in
that instance, for his/her health, you'll need to kep two or more;
however, from juvi it's OK to keep a single fish. --Mark

[Richard Phillips]

OK,
Thanks Mark.
Any idea on why they are ok if kept alone from young?
This is quite interesting!
Regards,
Richard.

"Mark Stone" > wrote in message
om...
> "Richard Phillips" > wrote in message
>...
> > Hello,
> >
> > Is it ok to keep an Oscar:
> > a) on it's own, i.e. the only fish in the tank?
> > b) with other fish, but no other Oscars?
> >
> > I read that they are a pairing fish, but how important is this to their
> > well-being really?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Richard.
>
> The answers are yes and yes. The only problem arises if you have an
> Oscar that is used to having another Oscar in his/her aquarium; in
> that instance, for his/her health, you'll need to kep two or more;
> however, from juvi it's OK to keep a single fish. --Mark

[Mark Stone]

"Richard Phillips" > wrote in message >...
> OK,
> Thanks Mark.
> Any idea on why they are ok if kept alone from young?
> This is quite interesting!
> Regards,
> Richard.
>

Clearly we can't climb into an Oscar's brain and see what he's
thinking. However, Oscars *seem* to build emotional attachments to
tankmates, particularly other Oscars and (intrestingly enough) a
species called "Chocolate Cichlid". If an Oscar is raised with another
Oscar, he becomes attached, and then when seperated undergoes a lot of
stress. They seem, from that point on, to not be themselves until
given another Oscar tankmate. If an Oscar is raised alone, he never
has a chance to build the relationship, and then usually does fine
alone. Some aquarists claim that he then builds his "attachment" to
his human owner, but I've never seen that happen. (Other than at
feeding time -- )

Herbert Axelrod, in a volume he wrote in the 1950s cataloging species,
gives an enchanting account of an Oscar he kept that went through a
mourning period after a tankmate (another Oscar) died. He even
introduced another Oscar; the original Oscar perked up for a couple of
days, but when he realized that the new fish was not his old mate, he
killed it, and then went back under stress!

--Mark

[Richard Phillips]

Thanks Mark,
Fascinating stuff!
R.

"Mark Stone" > wrote in message
om...
> "Richard Phillips" > wrote in message
>...
> > OK,
> > Thanks Mark.
> > Any idea on why they are ok if kept alone from young?
> > This is quite interesting!
> > Regards,
> > Richard.
> >
>
> Clearly we can't climb into an Oscar's brain and see what he's
> thinking. However, Oscars *seem* to build emotional attachments to
> tankmates, particularly other Oscars and (intrestingly enough) a
> species called "Chocolate Cichlid". If an Oscar is raised with another
> Oscar, he becomes attached, and then when seperated undergoes a lot of
> stress. They seem, from that point on, to not be themselves until
> given another Oscar tankmate. If an Oscar is raised alone, he never
> has a chance to build the relationship, and then usually does fine
> alone. Some aquarists claim that he then builds his "attachment" to
> his human owner, but I've never seen that happen. (Other than at
> feeding time -- )
>
> Herbert Axelrod, in a volume he wrote in the 1950s cataloging species,
> gives an enchanting account of an Oscar he kept that went through a
> mourning period after a tankmate (another Oscar) died. He even
> introduced another Oscar; the original Oscar perked up for a couple of
> days, but when he realized that the new fish was not his old mate, he
> killed it, and then went back under stress!
>
> --Mark