Pregnat Oscar??

**hammer** · 12-11-2005, 12:12 AM

I think my female oscar is pregnant but unsure how to tell. She is very fat on her underside from chest area to just before her tail, she has been getting fatter and fatter, is she pregnant, if so when will she lay her eggs and is there anything special I should do to the tank for her to lay her eggs? :?:

**William** · 12-11-2005, 01:07 AM

She might very well be developing eggs and getting into spawning conditions. This doesn't however necesserly mean she is going to spawn and it is hard to say when.

Please answre the questions below and I should be able to be of more assistance.

Do you have any male Oscar in the aquarium? Any more females?
Have she formed a pair with it/one of the males?
How is your aqurium decorated?

**hammer** · 12-11-2005, 07:36 PM

There is one male in the tank, and only the one female. They have formed a pair. The aquarium has sand and gravel on the bottom, a couple of rock structures, one is tall and coral like the other is round tunnel like but the exterior is flat and smooth. She gets larger daily. Today she is looking rather like a rather overdue pregnant woman. She eats very well but seems to breath heavier than normal at this point. thanks for your info. Hammer

**William** · 12-12-2005, 01:32 AM

Ok
Have your read breeding Oscar fish which contains some info that might be of use for you.

I still can't tell you when she is going to spawn. You will notice that they will start cleaning a flat rock or similar surface together and than you will know that there are only a few days (2-3) left until she spawns. You will also notice her egg laying tube expanding a few days before the actually spawning. Other than that there is real no way to know for sure. Sometimes they don't even spawn despite that fact that the female is in spawning condition.

I would recommend adding a large flat rock to the aquarium to give them a good place to spawn and to remove the coral from the aquarium since the coral causes the pH level to rise unless you have fish that prefers a higher pH. Oscar are quite tolerant and accept pH 6-8 but I still advice against decoration that can have such a strong effect on the pH as coral unless you monitor your pH frequently.

**hammer** · 12-12-2005, 11:47 PM

Thank you for your help, will put in a flat rock today. Have checked the PH and it is fine, there is no real coral in the tank it is a coral look-alike rock. They have removed all sand and gravel from a section of the bottom of the tank, so we shall see. I will let you know the outcome, will also ask your advice again as I am sure I will need it.
Hammer