# Question about oscars colors from juv to adult



## NOLACLS

I am trying to figure out what I want to look for when I pick some red tigers OR solid reds up for my office (not going to mix...want a pair eventually). I have kept lots of different fish...just not oscars for very long but now I want to.

When they are young from what I gather the red if its vivid and bright at 2" it might fade because it could be hormone injected, but the red will come back as it grows to an adult...and the right diet can intensify it. Is this correct?

Now as for as where the red is on a red tiger as a juv to an adult...like on the tigers if the red, as a juv, is mostly on the lower belly area...does it stay in that area only into adulthood or "could" the red expand up the side of the fish all the way to the top? I see some adult tigers that have red almost all the way around and some that have a little splatter on the belly.

And is it correct that the wild ones dont have as much red on them as the line bread commons ones in the lfs?


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## TheFishGuy

By wild you probably mean the true "common" oscar. They do not have much red if any. some do some don't.

Red oscars tend to fade due to age, not hormone injection, but it's a cr.ap shoot. Some will stay intense.

The best thing to do is to go to your local cichlid club and find someone who keeps them and breeds them. Ask to see the parents... That's the only way you're going to know what they might turn out like.


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## NOLACLS

By wild I mean the true oscars...but I have also been looking at tangled up in cichlids site and he has a few different wild ones. He said he is getting some in tomorrow too that has not been imported in a long time. He is supposed to send me some pics.

Is there any place that usually have some nice oscars for sale...in lafayette the lfs dont have jack as far as oscars.

and I was thinking hormones because something I read...said the small ones that are in lfs are hormone to look that good as juv's but the real red doesn't usually come in until they are older. But I wasnt sure...


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## doghair

Here is a pic of Hannibal. He's considered common but I do not know how close to wild. He's about 2 years and around 11 inches.


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## Dj823cichild

Beautiful Oscar! I like the name to hahaha Oh Clarize :lol: :lol:


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## NOLACLS

Well I just ordered some F1 red tail Bahia oscars from jeff rapps and some F1 peru oscars. I think the bahias are pretty rare...some of the pics I have seen look pretty good too...I hope these turn out good. I'll post some pics when I get them tomorrow.


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## TheFishGuy

Hefty order...


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## NOLACLS

tell me about it...the shipping ate me up...it was like 75 for overnight from him to me...and since im kinda doing this last min I cant see if anyone else wants to get in on that. So yeah I spent a total of almost 300 bucks on 10 oscars (5 of ea)...ouch...but I am gambling that they will be nice and I can sell fry in a couple years. I am recently trying to gather a few nice fish so sell some fry and make a buck or two. I have a pair of proven breeders wild festae and im working on a proven 9 fish wild caught Moba frontosa colony I just need to get the tank up and running.


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## TheFishGuy

News flash.... There's no money in fish... :lol: Sorry, it's a running joke in our cichlid club :lol:


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## josmoloco

no money in fish...tell me about it. I couldn't sell nice yellow labs or pure peacocks in my area for 3 buck each.......


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## TheFishGuy

Huh, you'd be lucky to get a buck a piece of yellow labs around here...


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## NOLACLS

lol yeah I know...but I dont tell the wife that so I can have more tanks lol. Really tho...its just a few kinds i'll try for now...some of the not too oftin seen around here and im trying to stick to wild parents. I wouldnt mind shipping them too in the US...thats the plan anyways.

Do you think I could raise 5 o's in a 90 tall 48x18x24 until they pair off?

Do you think the two different kinds of O's would cross if I tried to get them to pair off in one bigger tank?


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## TheFishGuy

> Do you think the two different kinds of O's would cross if I tried to get them to pair off in one bigger tank?


Yes, they would. To them, they are not different. Wouldn't it be nice if people were like that?



> Do you think I could raise 5 o's in a 90 tall 48x18x24 until they pair off?


I think you could raise five together in a bare 90 but it's going to get hairy towards the end... 125 would be better...


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## NOLACLS

TheFishGuy said:


> Do you think the two different kinds of O's would cross if I tried to get them to pair off in one bigger tank?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, they would. To them, they are not different. Wouldn't it be nice if people were like that?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you think I could raise 5 o's in a 90 tall 48x18x24 until they pair off?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I think you could raise five together in a bare 90 but it's going to get hairy towards the end... 125 would be better...
Click to expand...

 :lol:

well by the end I may have them in a different tank. I had only planed on one kind...an then Jeff had to have 2 that sparked my interest 

Do you think a 120 4x2x2 would work rather than a 125 6'x18x21?

Heres the reason I would like a 4 footer...this is the wall in my office...with the 6' tank in the middle I have just enough room to fit a 4' tank on each side of it :fish:


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## TheFishGuy

Same as above... You could do it for as while but it's going to get hairy in a few months.. and for the $$ spent on them I'd give them as much room as possible... Why not two 6' tanks next to each other or one on top of the other... Area is key, and it's easier to break up line of site in a 6' tank than it is in a 4' tank...


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## NOLACLS

I was going to do 2 6' one on top another but I am about to buy a 9 fish colony of fronts (3m 6f adults) that will have to go in the other 6 footer. I have other places that I could put a 6' tank...just not in my line of site in my office lol. There is a unfinished room at my office that once I get some time and money im going to finish off to setup most of the stuff...smaller tanks for fry...vats of water...other breeder tanks....kiddy pool for all the baby o's im going to end up with hahaha. So I am just trying to fig it all out as I go. I got my little guys today...ill make a new thread once I get some pics. Thanks for all your help.


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## TheFishGuy

The fronts would do fine ina 4' 120....

No no no... Don't make a new thread... Just add to this one... I know the mod, I'll take care of him....


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## NOLACLS

ehhh i dont know about those fish in a 4' 120...theres actually 9 adults and 5 juv's. Here is a vid of them in a 6' 135...that guy was just housing the arrowannas temporarily.






ok ok ok :lol: i wont make another thread. Just wondering why not? I was going to make one specifically on the 2 kinds of oscars I just got and do some on going photo updates....


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## mia_ann

I wish my office looked like that...... :thumb:


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## NOLACLS

ok here are some pics. When I left work all 10 were schooling...come back and all the bahias are tucked away hiding because the perus are bigger and are chasing. So I will be looking for another tank to split them up in. Some have there color some are washed out still...and they change as there mood does.

Here is the best shot I think...this is a paru










Paru up front bahia in the back sizing each other up.










paru










bahia










all the parus...one in the back...2 have dark colors...one is trying and the other two are not colored...probably getting hassled by the others.










bahia










bahia










bahia


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## TheFishGuy

Nice!


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## Blu-ray

Very cute little Os, Congrats!


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## NOLACLS

I lost 2 of the bahia's over the weekend. I think the Paru's killed them...I am going to have to separate them as soon as I can. The ones the dies I think were the smaller ones....man now its going to be tough to get a pair out of 3 fish....and its not like I can get more easy lol. Ahh the joys of rare fish keeping.


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## Blademan

Great looking babies! Sorry you lost some


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## Soadown

Wow those are freakin' gorgeous fish. I like the smokey tint to em, and if I'm not mistaken a little blue?

-Josh
-55G 6.25" Tiger O


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## NOLACLS

not really blue...maybe a steel blue...but thats not the normal color for them.


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## NOLACLS

Peru update


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## NOLACLS

another update


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## Dj823cichild

Wow your O's are beautiful Nolacls !


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## RuiCorreia

Your Peru are gorgeous, I am also trying to get my hands into some wild Oscars, but on this side of the Ocean, the only ones I saw for sale were the Bahia red.... they are nice, but when adult they are very similar to normal tiger Oscars.

Did you loose all the BahiaÃ‚Â´s ???????

Keep us posted, with the color changes, of your wild "Peru"

Best regards,

Rui Correia


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## NOLACLS

Ok more updates...these guys have exploded with color and size and now 2 of them are paired off doing there spawning dance. Still in my 4' 120....I will probably remove the other 3 and leave these 2 in the 120 for this spawn. Only disappointing thing is the 2 I wanted to pair off didnt...one of the 2 did. So I will probably keep the other 3 and see if my other fav will pare off and then decided what to keep.

This is there tank...4' 120 driven by 2 fluval 405's


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## NOLACLS

The forming pair


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## NOLACLS

This is the one that I like of the 2...not that the other one is bad...but I would have rathered this one with one of the other ones


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## NOLACLS

This is the other one...not the one I really wanted in the mix but o well


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## NOLACLS

These are the 3 left...the first one is the one I wanted to be with the other one. This one has some real nice defined eyespots along the back.


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## NOLACLS

Then while taking pics a little fight broke out lol


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## PepoLD

Whow very nice Oscars... seriously they are amazing! 

how big are they?


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## NOLACLS

biggest ones are about 8" or so


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## Dj823cichild

Beautiful color Nolacls!


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## LSBoost

What a difference since your last update. Congratulation, they all look great to me.


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## Scuff

Gorgeous colors on them! I notice you're not using gravel in the 120...how come?


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## NOLACLS

Yeah there is a huge difference in the color from when I first got them to now...and its going to get a little better I think.

No gravel so its easy to clean...they are dirty fish! I also have 7 fish tanks (2x125's, 120, 90tall, 2x58's, and a 55 with more to come) running at my office so theres a lot of water to change. If they dont need gravel I wont put it. That way when I do water changes I stick a mag 9.5 in the tank with a garden hose to the toilet...pump out water...and then stick the mag pump in a 50gal garbage can that I set up the new water (well water so it needs to be aired over night) and pump it back in. I can change 40% of the water in about 20 min with little effort. Only tank I have gravel in is my wild festae becasue they like to move it around when they breed. I will also have some tanks with sand for geo's since they like to sift....but the sand is so compact the poo doesnt get down in it and I dont have to vac it either.


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## NOLACLS

Let me ask yall a question.

I am moving out the other 3 oscars today into a 6' 125. My original plan was to also move the breeding pair into another 6' 125 for just them. But I am currently thinking I might keep this breeding pair in the 4' 120 since they are not full grown yet.

So my question is...after they spawn...is there any time that one oscar will try to kill the other? Like after the fry has been in there for a while...or after I pull the fry? I have a pair of festae that are like this and the 6' tank helps them make it through it I believe. Are the oscars more mellow...will they do ok in the 4' 120 for a while just the 2 of them??


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## NOLACLS

Ok got the 3 other oscars moved out the 120 and into the 125 along with the bullhead cat. The biggest one is about 9" and is also my fav one of all of them. Now im starting to think that one of these remaining 3 might be deformed a little. I always thought it when it was small but now that im taking a closer look at it bigger I am thinking it more. It also happens to be the one that seems interested in my big fav one so I might have to put a stop to them pairing off.

6' 126 with 3 ac110's



















this one the orange is a bit more intense than it really is...but thats why I liked the pic










These are some better shots of the one I think is deformed a little. Notice under the eyes...looks like its drooping...its like this on both sides and none of the other 4 are like this. Also it seems its head is stubby...too short on the bottom...making the body stick out further than the head. And also its back end of the dorsal fin is not rounded like the others. What do yall think? I might pull this one so it doesnt pair up.


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## Dj823cichild

Only a fish a mother could love :lol: . It's really strange on how his face connects with his body, kind of scary looking.


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## NOLACLS

yeah I know...I always thought that one looked off. I am going to move it out so it doesnt pair up by chance.


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## Dj823cichild

poor guy


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## NOLACLS

Heres a little vid of them doing some spawn dancing
opcorn:


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## NOLACLS

I can be viewed in 720P too


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## Dj823cichild

Cool video :thumb:


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## NOLACLS

They are lip locking today...lots of it...and there organs are sticking out...seems the mostly orange one has a thin organ and the 1/2 orange has a fatter one. So I am guessing all orange is the male...the original parents were like that too...dad mostly orange mom 1/2. I got some pretty good shots of them today


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## Dj823cichild

Wow those pics are awesome!!!!!


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## LSBoost

doghair said:


> Here is a pic of Hannibal. He's considered common but I do not know how close to wild. He's about 2 years and around 11 inches.


Your oscar remind me of my old oscar 

So beautiful! Good job


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## Dj823cichild

I remember that pic boost!


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## NOLACLS

That is a cool looking O boost...what happened to it?


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## LSBoost

Oh that's not mine it's doghair's oscar. Mine die due to an unknown cause. It might have been bacteria infection. But to think about it it may have been something else. When i got it from the LFS it had some holes on the gills. I thought the LFS worker damaged it and she did because it got scratches everywhere. The scratches healed but the holes never did. I thought its just permanent damage since it never really got bigger. So yea it might have died from that, what ever disease that was.


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## NOLACLS

Well finally after many many all white spawns and one time where I saw about 20 wigglers out of a spawn that looked all white (they got sucked up in the filter tho) I finally have a good spawn with a good amount of good eggs. They are starting to hatch now.


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## Catfish Dan

They are BEAUTIFUL! Looks like Mom (or Pop) is protecting her eggs from your camera! Good job :thumb:


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## NOLACLS

I think the big one is pops and he is usually the one hovering/protecting. Which seems odd to me because my other fish its the female protecting the eggs.


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## DempseyDude

Beautiful Oscars! Those Oscars with ocellus on the back are the most beautiful ones!

Congrats on the Tiger Oscars!


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## NOLACLS

DempseyDude said:


> Beautiful Oscars! Those Oscars with ocellus on the back are the most beautiful ones!
> 
> Congrats on the Tiger Oscars!


Thanks...Unfortunately out of the 5 I grew out these two did not have the best spots down the back but they are the ones that paired up.

And I dont want to sound like a snob, becasue they do look like the tigers...but these are f1 peru oscars :dancing: :fish:


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## DempseyDude

f1 Peru means they were captured in Peru and the other ones in Bahia - Brazil... You are right, they are not Tiger, just looklike, they are wild Oscars.. Beautiful ones!

Any new Pics?


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## NOLACLS

Sadly all my bahias got killed...I would have like to have seen how those turned out.

No new pics just yet...just that vid I posted. I need new batteries for my flash and I will take some more...might wait till the fry start to free swim.


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## NOLACLS

Ok got some new pics of them all

Current spawning pair


























I think these have paired up but I just removed the 3rd less dominant one out so we will see.


























The least dominant one of all 5 from day one...notice it has less orange on it. Now that its pulled from the others I will see if the orange comes in. This one is going to go in my show tank at home.


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## Dj823cichild

Stunning Pics!


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## purita

nice fish! :thumb:


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