CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

But Please Help..........Ok My husband and I bought 2 Red Oscars today.......The Girl said they were freshwater but everything I am seeing seems to say they are saltwater fish. Please help..... I dont want to lose these fish and want to know what I should do....

Thanks
Rae

to my knowledge Oscars are fresh water fish. Maybe someone else knows different.

Oscar's are definitely freshwater. Saltwater will kill them. What is making you think they are saltwater?

Here is a great page about Oscars. Your should definitely read up on them.

This is Mark Stone, the administrator of this sites Oscar website. 

http://home.elp.rr.com/markastone/index3.html

Oscar's are definitely freshwater. Saltwater will kill them. What is making you think they are saltwater?

It's all Baron de Cuvier's fault!  Cuvier first catalogued the Oscar in an 1831 publication called "Spix and Agassiz, Selecta genera et species Piscium". In this artical, he named the fish "Lobotes ocellatus" (which is the very first of several scientific names for the species) and made a detailed, color drawing of the fish. I have this drawing at my website, and it's common on the internet. In his description of the species, he describes it as "At Ocean off Brazil"(!). The Amazon River, as it empties into the ocean, is so dominant that the water in the ocean close to it's mouth is actually fresh water. I wonder if the Baron discovered his first Oscar in the Atlantic, close to the mouth of the Amazon, where the water is fresh? It's a thought, but we think it's not likely because Oscars occur w-a-y up the river from there. (Or so is my understanding ---). Anyway , there's always been a "rumor" that Oscars are salt water fish amongst people unfamiliar with the hobby or the fish, perhaps started by Cuvier's little note. However be assured, your Oscar is a fresh water fish!

Thank you both so much...... I really appreciate you both answering me......... The reason for the ?  was because I was doing some reading last night and it was talking about both saltwater and freshwater for them and I wasnt understanding what the writer meant.


Rae

MysticEagle2005 wrote:Thank you both so much...... I really appreciate you both answering me......... The reason for the ?  was because I was doing some reading last night and it was talking about both saltwater and freshwater for them and I wasnt understanding what the writer meant.


Rae

You're welcome! And may I add . . .WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!

Occasionally if there is a problem with disease in an Oscar aquarium, one of the treatments is to add a little salt to the water. Perhaps this is what the author you're referring to was discussing Anyhoo, keep us updated on your new pets! --Mark