my black/red oscar turned white?

[JamesBenjamin]

Hi there, a few weeks ago, I got a red/black oscar with weird stripes down his sides. he's only about 2 1/2 inches long, a youngin' i know. we put him in a tank that has white gravel (roomie wanted it to contrast him) i know that some fish get lighter to be able to 'blend in' with their surroundings, do oscars do that? this one seems to have, but i wanted to make sure its somewhat normal... has anyone else seen this happen?

thanks!

[Kit Walker]

If he is a red/black oscar with stripes then I'd say he is a Tiger Oscar. They can lighten in colour according to the surroundings, but it can also be a sign of stress. Have you checked ammonia and/or nitirite levels since the fish has been introduced?

[Tightdog1]

you should of really asked this question in the cichlid forum for better help, but it will probably get moved.
but what size tank is the oscar in and what else is in the tank with it?
what kind of filter do you have on it?
Is the oscar mostly red, black or white? (if red tiger oscar, black oscar and white albino oscar)