Differences between Oscar Fish and Cichlids: The college dorm experience for Jonesy the Oscar.
Wait! What are you doing?”
“What? I told you I had to feed Jonesy.”
“You didn’t tell me Jonesy was a giant fish in a giant aquarium.”
Four college students in a dorm. Three of which knew about Jonesy. I did not. Jonesy was an Oscar fish. Big. How Paul got that tank in his dorm and filled it successfully with no authority knowing is your guess as good as mine. But there’s Jonesy. Waiting for his meal at six. Here’s me, freshman, just, and wondering what the hell is going on.
A smaller tank sits to the right of Jonesy’s. Ten gallons. Happy goldfish swim in their school, in and out of a pirate ship. Paul has one by the tail now, having net-scooped it out of the tank. Jeff’s sitting at the desk stacking paperclips. Lori’s sitting on the bed cross-legged, looking through a Rolling Stone magazine. Disconnected from the current scene they’d seen before.
“Why live goldfish!? Why not just fish food for your Godzilla fish? What the hell?” I am not a fan of the hula hoop of life spinning in my face.
“Jonesy needs to hunt. He gets bored.” Paul drops the goldfish into the tank with his Godzilla fish. I catch my breath.
Jonesy continues his swimming pattern. He’s seen the arrival and pays it no never mind. The new arrival swims in a panic. Not so much in fear as in confusion. Leaving a well-lit 10-gallon tank for a softly lit 100-gallon aquarium filled with caverns, plants, and rocks is a culture shock. Goldie decides there’s safety in numbers and heads to the big orange striped floating thing meandering not far away.
“Oh. My. God.” I’m watching a suicide. Or not.
Jonesy and Goldie create a team meandering about the tank. Jonesy seems to show the little one around his place. So, here’s my gigantic cave. I only use this during the day. And here’s a plant I chew on. Eat the ends, they’re the best. They meander more.
“He’s not eating the goldfish.”
“Not yet. See, Jonesy isn’t that hungry. He ate his fish food earlier. I drop a goldfish in there once in a while to give him something to do. He’ll hang with that goldfish until he doesn’t. He kept one goldfish for a month. He liked that one. At one point, Jonesy came at me during feeding time. To protect his little friend.” Paul shook his head, laughing. He admired his Oscar fish. “They’re really smart. They get bored easy. And I’ve seen him use big rocks to break off parts of his cave rock to make an opening wider. People get Oscars and Cichlids confused. The difference between an Oscar and a Cichlid is like a bulldog and a Yorkie terrier.” He grinned, delivering a sideways glance to me. Obviously proud to have chosen an Oscar fish.
Jeff brushed the paperclips back into a pile. “That leviathan is going to murder you in your sleep.”
Oscars and Cichlids belong to the Cichlidae family. Their origins define their differences. Cichlids are a fish found throughout the globe in many colors, shapes, fin lengths, and sizes. Africa, Central and South America are their core locations. Oscars populate the Amazon Basin and South America. Oscars, being an Amazon jungle type of fish, will eat other fish. It’s the way of the basin. Both practice impeccable parenting skills. Both have shown tool use for food harvesting and redecorating their place. Cichlidae have complex social structures and social behaviors in those structures. Both have a wide range of morphologies. All serving a purpose in their environment. And they learn. Quickly. Which is probably why Jeff is convinced his friend will die by Oscar one day.
Oscars are also more social and interactive with their owners, making them popular with humans like Paul, the goldfish killer. When he stands over Jonesy’s tank holding a wiggling goldfish, I can’t help but think of Doctor Evil.
Three misunderstood facts about Cichlid and Oscar fish:
1. Aggression: While they can be territorial, this aggression is usually only directed towards other fish and not towards humans. With proper tank setup, socialization, and a suitable tank mate, Cichlids can live peacefully with other fish. Oscars can, too. Until they can’t. Which who knows what Jonesy’s thinking when he changes his mind about a goldfish.
2. Size: Cichlids and Oscars can grow quite large, some reaching over a foot. This can make them difficult to keep in a small aquarium. People underestimate the size they will eventually reach. It’s important to research the specific species you’re interested in, ensuring it’s a good fit for your setup. Better yet, fit your setup to the fish. Your aquarium isn’t their idea.
3. Diet: Feeding a diet of only pellets and flakes can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It’s important to provide a varied diet that includes live or frozen foods, such as brine shrimp or earthworms, to ensure that they receive the nutrition. And as Paul explained, “Jonesy needs to hunt. He gets bored.”
Jonesy made it through freshman year but didn’t graduate to sophomore. He ate one of the cheerleader’s mollies. Not his fault. An unknown person served that fish up to Jonesy one night while Paul was out of town. Said cheerleader found a note by her aquarium. “If you’re looking for Mollie Blue, ask Jonesy.”
College kids. Their brand of humor separates them from the other homo sapiens.
