Do oscar cichlid fish bite?

Question

i bought one about 1/2 year ago, and i love him!!! but now im worried that he might bite my mom when i go off to college, since she will be the only one to take care of him. do they bite? right now he is about 8 inches, but what about when he grows over 14 inches? thanks.

p.s. if they bite, does it bleed? can they take off a finger? i have seen my oscars teeth, and they are pretty big.

Answer 1

Yeah they will most likely bite your mom if shes to close. most oscar know who there owner is and will bite who is not. they will likely draw blood but won't take the finger off

Answer 2

Yes, they can bite when you stick your finger in their tank. Yes, when they are bigger, it can draw blood. I've seen it. No, they are not strong enough to take off a finger.

But how would your mom get bit? You really shouldn't stick fingers in to the tank. Human hands can have harmful chemicals on them.

Answer 3

they will nibble at you maybe,but it wont hurt.

Answer 4

There's always a risk of getting bit, but Oscars are not so much aggressive really as many people think they are.  Oscars have a tendancy to recognize their owner too.  I think you are asking this so when she cleans the tank right?

I keep and breed African cichlids myself, and I've had 2 foot Arowana in my tank with them too, which are much larger and aggressive then an Oscar, and I can say in all that time, I've not been bitten.  Most of the time when you are cleaning the tank, fish are afraid of the larger hand going in the tank.  I don't use gloves either and can't say I've had my fish dying off in mass due to some unknown substance.

There are actual cases where some people have established a bond with their Oscars and the Oscars do allow their owners to touch them.  I don't think your mom will get bitten when cleaning out the tank though.  Most of the time, the Oscar should avoid the hand going in during vacuum cleaning.

Answer 5

I agree with Jon V on this one.  Oscars are not very aggressive naturally and unless you have a breeding pair and they are in the process of spawning, you shouldn't have to worry about her getting bit.  I keep Oscars and have a breeding pair, I have been bit by them during spawning because I had my arm in the tank for cleaning and they bit me in defense.  It is not a bad bite, it is more surprising than anything.  When they get large it is possible for them to draw a little blood, but it is not anything that is serious.  There is no way they will take off a finger.  As Jon said, it is possible to form a bond with the Oscars and they will allow you to touch them.  My female Oscar actually enjoys to be pet when I am doing cleanings, she will even come up to my arm and rub against it.  They are a great fish though, just make sure your mom is prepared to take care of him before you leave for college and everything should be fine.

MFK

Answer 6

Yes, Oscar cichlids do bite...And hard. At the pet store I worked at, we had huge ones - nearly a foot in length and several curious fingers have found stitches thanks to them being mistaken for food.