Snow White Albino Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)

The Snow White Albino Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a selectively bred color form of the classic South American Oscar, trading the wild tiger pattern for a clean pearl-white body and bright red eyes. These are young juveniles at roughly 2 inches, so you get to watch the whole personality develop from the start. Oscars are famous for recognizing their keeper, begging at the glass, and rearranging the tank to their own taste, which makes them one of the most rewarding centerpiece fish in the hobby. Care level is intermediate: they are hardy and easy to feed, but they get big and they are messy, so the commitment is in tank size and filtration.

Browse the rest of our freshwater livestock and live fish, or compare this one against our Tiger Oscar.

Care Guide

Tank size. A single Oscar needs a 75 gallon aquarium as a long-term minimum, and 125 gallons is much better if you plan on tank mates. A 2 inch juvenile can be grown out in a 40 gallon breeder, but plan the upgrade before you buy, not after. They reach full size fast, often 8 inches or more inside the first year.

Filtration and water changes. Oscars are heavy eaters and heavy waste producers. Over-filter with a canister or a large hang-on-back rated well above your tank volume, and commit to weekly water changes of 30 to 50 percent. Nitrate control is the single biggest factor in whether an Oscar grows out clean or develops head and lateral line erosion.

Water parameters. Temperature 74 to 81°F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, and moderate hardness. They are genuinely adaptable and care far more about stability and cleanliness than about hitting an exact number.

Diet. Oscars are carnivore-leaning omnivores. At 2 inches, feed small sinking pellets and frozen foods two to three times a day. As they grow, move up to large carnivore pellets once daily with frozen krill, bloodworms, and mysis as treats. Skip feeder goldfish entirely: they are a thiaminase and disease risk with no nutritional upside.

Aquascaping. Keep it simple and heavy. Oscars uproot plants, move substrate, and redecorate constantly. Smooth river rock, large driftwood, and sand or rounded gravel work best. Anything light enough to be flipped will be flipped. A tight-fitting lid is worth having since a startled Oscar can splash a surprising amount of water out.

Color note. Snow White Oscars can show faint peach or lemon shading through the body, and coloration deepens or lightens with mood, age, and diet. The red eye is the giveaway that this is a true albino strain.

Specifications

Compatibility

Oscars operate on a simple rule: anything that fits in the mouth is food, and anything that does not fit had better be able to hold its own. Plan the stocking list around adult sizes, not the 2 inch fish in front of you.

• Good matches. Silver Dollars in a group, large plecos, Severums, Green Terrors, Jack Dempseys, and other robust South and Central American cichlids of similar size.
• Also excellent. Kept completely alone. A single Oscar in a well-filtered 75 gallon is a legitimate and very satisfying setup, and it is the lowest-drama option.
• Avoid. Anything small or slow: tetras, rasboras, guppies, shrimp, small catfish such as Otocinclus, and long-finned fish that invite nipping. These are food or targets, not tank mates.
• Also avoid. Live plants in most cases. Oscars will uproot them for sport. Anubias or Java Fern tied to heavy driftwood is about the only thing that survives.

Two Oscars can work in a large tank, but they either bond as a pair or fight, and there is no way to know which until they grow up. Only try it with a plan B tank ready.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Xtreme Nice Crumbles Slow-Sinking Crumble for juveniles at this size
• Hikari Cichlid Staple and Hikari Cichlid Excel as they grow out
• Xtreme Monster 9mm Pellets once they hit adult size
• San Francisco Bay Frozen Krill and Frozen Bloodworms for variety
• Seachem Safe for water changes and Seachem Stability when cycling the grow-out tank
• More options in Nutrition, Water Care, and Water Testing

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast will a 2 inch Oscar grow?
Quickly. With good food and clean water, expect 1 inch per month early on, slowing after the 8 inch mark. Most reach 10 to 12 inches within 18 months, so have the full-size tank sorted within the first year.

Is a Snow White Oscar harder to keep than a Tiger Oscar?
No. Care is identical. The only practical difference is that albino strains can be slightly more light-sensitive, so avoid blasting the tank with a high-output light and give them shaded areas under driftwood.

Can I keep an Oscar in a 55 gallon?
It is not enough long term. A 55 is too narrow front to back for a 12 inch fish to turn comfortably. Use it as a grow-out at most, and move to a 75 gallon or larger before the fish hits 7 or 8 inches.

Why does my Oscar keep moving the gravel and knocking things over?
That is normal Oscar behavior, not a problem. They dig, rearrange, and test everything in the tank. Use heavy decor set directly on the glass rather than on top of substrate so nothing topples.

Do you hold fish for pickup?
Yes. Your order is reserved as soon as it is placed, and we leave the fish in its tank until you arrive so it stays in the best possible shape.