Can Oscars and Neon Tetras Live Together?

An Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is one of the most interesting carnivorous fresh water fish, and among the most popular. Growing up to 15-16 inches in size, this highly aggressive fish is also an intelligent and reportedly picky with its tank set up. An Oscar that is dissatisfied with how the aquarium is arranged will destroy the set up regardless of the type of decoration placed. Make sure you provide lots of plants for your Oscar to hide. If you plan to breed, put in gravel and sand that is most suitable for Oscars (i.e. cichlid gravel).

Set up your aquarium a couple of weeks before bringing an Oscar home. It is very sensitive, making it important that your tank has finished its nitrogen cycle and has an appropriate pH level to reduce stress. If it's a late addition to the tank, you may want to quarantine your Oscar before adding it into the tank. If you wish to pair Oscars, make sure that they have the same temperament. An aggressive Oscar is most likely to bully the passive one.

To keep your fish healthy, change the water every week. A weekly water change of 10% is just right to keep the water clean. Just remember to have the water cycled before adding it to the tank. Have an air pump installed to cycle and oxygenate the water. Oscars are also sensitive to light; an actinic lighting set up will be just enough to see your fish without causing much stress.

To promote their hunting instincts, you can add smaller fish for them to eat. However, they can contain disease and parasites that can harm your fish and should be done with caution. You may give your fish a frozen mixture of beef hearts, cichlid pellets, earthworms, and shrimps to give them the necessary protein and vitamins for optimum growth.

It's not that hard to care for Oscars. As long as you keep the water clean, maintain the tank weekly, and give it adequate food and lighting, your Oscar can last for 15 years or more.

Neon Tetras:

The Neon Tetra is among the most popular fish for both beginners and die-hard aquarists. Its vibrant colors of red, blue, and silver seem to shimmer in the tank, especially during low lighting conditions. When this fish started circulating in pet stores, it was loved for both of its color and ability to withstand almost any tank conditions. However, because of massive and uncontrolled breeding practices, the hardiness of the tetra has decreased drastically. Some aquarists still love them, and some are quite successful in keeping their tetras alive for a long time as well as breed them.

As a schooling type of fish, it is best to buy your Neon Tetra in sets of 5. Ideal ratio would be 2 males for 3 females. Before introducing them to the tank, it is very important that your tank has been cycled. Ideal water parameters for the Neon Tetra would be a pH 5-7.0 and a temperature of 77 F. Low lighting conditions are preferred, especially after spawning. The fish must be removed from the tank to so that the eggs will hatch. The eggs are very sensitive to light, so keep them in a place where no light could reach them.

To keep the beautiful iridescent colors of your Neon Tetra, a variety of diet is a must. It would eat flake food, frozen preparations, and even live food. Brine shrimps and blood worms are loved by this fish. If you see the colors fading, you may not be giving them good quality food, they are stressed, or they have disease. Usual sources of stress for Neon Tetras are lighting conditions, presence of an aggressive type of fish, and lack of places to hide and sleep. Place a lot of plants in your tank to help give them a place to rest, even little caves where they can swim in and take shelter.

The answer for if they can live together... well that would be no. Unless you buy your oscar some expensive food.