My new oscar fish

I just got an oscar and I put him in the tank a couple hours or so ago and he just sits on the bottom of the tank doing nothing is this normal

He's just freaked out. New space, new tank, new environment, new lighting.

He'll grow quick. I have one that is about 2 years old and he's a few inches short of a foot long(nose to tail). I switched him to a new 55 gallon tank about 2 months ago and he sat at the bottom, tilted to the side and turned pale for about a week until he got used to it. He also tends to do the same behavior if the water ph isn't good or if there is string algae in the water.

You might want to check out your water ph, maybe the alkalinity isn't to his liking.

Oscars are territorial and should not be kept with any fish that isn't big enough to defend it's self. They will eat anything they think is small enough to eat and may attack and injure a more timid tank mate. I would keep Oscars in a species tank, keeping only a pair of them in the tank with a cleaning fish like a Pleco.

(in my experience.. my boy likes to be alone... he attacks EVERYTHING. I can't even keep decorations lol. He rips up the bubble tubing and constantly knocks around the heaters... so just watch out as yours gets bigger they can be quite mischievous. -Mine actually bit through some underwater light things and electrocuted himself... getting his name Stupid)

Live foods will keep him healthier and happier. While yours is small, try feeding him some small feeder guppies until he can graduate to comet feeders. I also feed mine cichlid sticks.

The great thing about Oscars are that they will begin to recognize you. My boy will cower in the corner if strangers come up to his tank, but he comes right out when me or my boyfriend are by the tank. He will follow my finger across the tank. Lately his bad behavior has been jumping. I've had to put weights on the tank lids so he doesn't accidentally jump out!

Goodluck!

xox
Sika

thats what they do I love that kinda fish

seriously ??

at the store he was swimming around a lot

thay dont do that they swim!! heys just getting used to the tank. giv him some time.

well its been a couplle of hours and he still just sits there slightly tilted to the side

They do sit at the bottom for awhile when in a new tank, but I don't know about the tilting, that doesn't sound good.

thanks a lot and like you said he justs sits there tilted to the side and he is pale

will he eat ??? I tried puttin some food in but he just sat there

dont feed him until the next day!

he has to get use to the tank mines did that when I first got him!

alright thanks everybody

He probably won't eat right away. I always call my Oscar depressed when he acts like that.

When I put feeder fish in they are usually gone as soon as they hit the water... but when he's depressed he lets the fish swim around and doesn't touch them.

xox
Sika

the only time he really starts to move around is when the lights are off and no one is watching him

how do you get him undepressed lol

You just have to give him time. He'll come out of it in a few weeks.

Try giving him some live foods (small feeder guppies) it might cheer him up.

xox
Sika

Your fish is just stressed at the moment, the best thing to do is to leave him alone for a few days as he adjust to your tank. You mentioned that he was swimming around at the store, well that's because he was used to that tank, now he needs to get used to your tank. What you can do to help it adjust is by turning your tank lights off, the darkness will help relax him. You only need to do this for the first fews days then you can go back to normal.
For more on Oscar care and fish care in general I recommend this site

http://www.markspetfish.com/

I have 2 oscars and they both did the same exact thing when I first put them in the tank. they just have to get used to their new enviroment. their definately more active when its dark in the tank, it probablly makes them feel more comfortable. my oscars still do that somtimes. they'll just lay on the bottom, literally. somtimes I think their dead but their really just laying down its kinda funny. but hes ok! its definately normal you have nothing to be worried about .. but if he does that for a really long time, like 2 or 3 weeks he may be sick because the first oscar I got barely swam around and always layed on the bottom and never ate. than I found him dead unfortunately ]= but my 2 oscars are healthy so thats all that matters! good luck!

my friend has a huge one and feeds it geckos. when I go there we hunt for them!!!