{"product_id":"lm-red-tiger-oscar-2-5-3","title":"Lightly Medicated | Red Tiger Oscar","description":"\u003ch3\u003eWhat “Lightly Medicated” means\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the same animal as our non-quarantined listing, held briefly in our systems and given one short prophylactic course — a light treatment for ich and for internal and external worms — then observed eating in front of us before it goes home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA light course knocks the parasite load down. It does not guarantee full removal, and we will not pretend otherwise.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ich is only killed in its free-swimming stage, and a short treatment window can miss cysts entirely; worm burdens can survive a single dose. Clearing an animal takes the full quarantine window — 40 to 90 days depending on the species — which is exactly what the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is for. This tier buys you a lower parasite load and a fish we have watched eat, not a cleared animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe condition the fish on our end.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every animal we medicate is brought back onto prepared food on our own systems and is eating before it leaves — in practice it is rare for a lightly medicated fish to ship out and arrive sick. Do the same at your end: get it eating in your aquarium before you count it settled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhen it ships\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlan on \u003cstrong\u003e3–5 days\u003c\/strong\u003e on our systems for the treatment course, and it does not leave until it is eating. \u003cstrong\u003eIf the animal is not already in our systems we source it first — allow up to two weeks for it to reach us before that clock starts.\u003c\/strong\u003e From the day you order, plan on roughly two and a half weeks in total.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe guarantees\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipped orders:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24-hour live guarantee from confirmed delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7-day live guarantee — bring a water sample from your aquarium so we can test it before your livestock goes home with you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWant the full program — treated, observed, confirmed eating, and covered for 28 days on pickup? That is the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e. Run your own quarantine and just want the fish this week? The \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/non-quarantined-livestock\"\u003enon-quarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is cheaper still. The whole ladder is explained in \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/quarantined-vs-non-quarantined\"\u003eQuarantined vs Non-Quarantined\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003eRed Tiger Oscars are a selectively bred color form of \u003cem\u003eAstronotus ocellatus\u003c\/em\u003e — a cichlid native to the Amazon River basin and one of the most intelligent fish most hobbyists will ever keep. In the wild, these fish cruise slow, turbid backwaters and floodplain lakes, hunting by sight and ambushing smaller fish and invertebrates with a speed that contradicts their laid-back cruising pace. In a tank, they bring that same predatory intelligence to the glass and direct it at you — Oscars learn to recognize individual people, associate them with food, and will come up for hand-feeding within weeks of settling in. That’s not anthropomorphizing, that’s just how their brain works.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey grow fast and they grow large. A healthy Oscar can hit 10–12\" in its first two years, which means the 75-gallon minimum is a starting point, not a long-term plan. A 125+ gallon single-specimen or species-compatible setup is where they truly thrive. They’re messy eaters and heavy waste producers — biological filtration needs to be seriously oversized and water changes consistent, because ammonia spikes will shut down their immune system fast.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStock with fish large enough not to be a meal: other large cichlids, armored catfish like \u003cem\u003eSynodontis\u003c\/em\u003e or large plecos, or similar-sized species with the reflexes to avoid getting cornered. Avoid feeder goldfish — nutritionally poor and a reliable vector for disease.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Astronotus ocellatus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amazon River basin, South America — slow-moving backwaters, oxbow lakes, and floodplains\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater parameters:\u003c\/strong\u003e Temp 75–80°F · pH 6.0–7.5 · Hardness 5–20 dGH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTank requirements:\u003c\/strong\u003e 75 gal minimum; 125+ gal preferred for a single adult\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Carnivore — large cichlid pellets as a staple; supplement with earthworms, frozen meaty foods\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompatibility:\u003c\/strong\u003e Predatory; stock with similarly-sized species only\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHusbandry note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oscars stress easily and show it through ich. Stable temperatures, pristine water quality, and a varied diet are the best prevention — an oversized filter and a reliable heater are non-negotiable with this species.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"YoCamron's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"2.5-3\"","offer_id":50610260574445,"sku":"FOOSC1503","price":73.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Medium (3\")","offer_id":50610260607213,"sku":"FOOSC1504","price":73.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large (4-5\")","offer_id":50610260639981,"sku":"FOOSC1506","price":169.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/1032\/8813\/files\/lg_Tiger_Oscar_39376_a916f3c7-e750-4be1-84c0-f1c608b2d3e2.jpg?v=1784692698","url":"https:\/\/www.yocamronsaquatics.com\/products\/lm-red-tiger-oscar-2-5-3","provider":"YoCamron’s Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}