Keeping Oscar Fish
Keeping Oscars..
An aggressive species that’s known for its tantrums, the Oscar fish are a popular fish among aquarium enthusiasts. Oscar fish belong to the cichlid family which is usually seen in regions of South America. Oscar fish appear in a multitude of patterns and colours and are also referred to as marble, velvet or tiger cichlid.
The scientific name for these fish is Astronotus ocellatus and they can grow up to 16 inch in length or (40 cm) and weigh more than 3 lbs or (1.5kg). These fish can be very aggressive and require the proper attention should you decide to get them in your fish tank.
Peculiar Behavior..
Oscar fish have quite a character and like to re-arrange the tank the way they like, they will move any item which is not secured including tiny plants ,stones and substrate (they do not care if they’re artificial or normal) and attempt to toss them outside the aquarium if they do not want them. A sandy bottom and some big stones should help you to stay hassle free.
Oscars have large appetites and need to be placed with fish of the same size or bigger, a little fish becomes an easy meal for an Oscar. Some South American cichlids as well as a big catfish are the ideal tank mates if you want to mix it up.
These guys can really put on a performance and can be very entertaining, i have seen them over the period of a few days completely rearrange the setup i had made in the tank for them.
Oscars will dig holes, move tiny rocks around the tank and love to pull up plants. So make sure every thing is secure so they do not hurt themselves. Like other creatures they will run and play with one another, make some courtship dance, and fight amongst themselves. You will also notice the gradual color changes in their skin.
Oscars will occasionally pretend they are about to die and lay on their side at the bottom of the aquarium (don’t be alarmed by this behavior, Oscars are marvelous actors), he will stay on his side and watch for little fish to get closer, and then he pounce and eat them.
Feeding Your Oscars..
People have suggested serving them with live goldfish and guppies, but it isn’t recommended , since you’ll have the potential for diseases to develop. It is a much better idea to nourish them with vegetable pieces, mixed beef, shrimps, bee, bugs and earthworms.
If you are breeding them, you must realize there will be occasions when the males may hurt the females through rough play , this is pretty normal for Oscars. The propagation of Oscar fish is pretty easy to instigate, the trick is to raise the temperature of the water. So if you increase the temperature from what normally should be 25 degrees Celsius to a warmer 28 degrees Celsius it will get them to reproduce.
The female will choose a smooth stone or rock to lay her eggs (approximately 1, 000 eggs) and male Oscars will come along and fertilize them. The thick eggs will become more visible within 24 hours and will produce young after two or three days. Observing the breeding cycle of Oscars can be very interesting to observe due to their erratic behavior.
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Oscar Cichlids
Origins…
Oscar Cichlids, also known by their scientific identification (Astronotus Ocellatus), located in South America and they’re native to Brazil, French Guiana, Peru and Columbia. Many other names include Marble Cichlid, Velvet Cichlid, and Tiger Cichild. These fishes are rapid growers. Achieving almost 12 inches for their length, many have been measured up to 18 inches and weighing 3.5 lbs.
Generally dark in color, orange-ringed dots also referred to as ocelli, located around the dorsal fin, gill area. These fishes are found in many different colors. Oscar Cichlids can vary from being mottled, black or red, albino, or marbled. When becoming territorial or combative, they’re seen to change color rapidly.
Teen Oscars have some spotted heads and they’re stripped with wavy, white and orange bands. These Cichlids are considered to be aggressive in comparison with many other members in their family. Pacus, Jack Dempsey as well as many other relatively aggressive cichlids will be effective and work nicely as aquarium mates. Before going out to buy one as a pet, there are some things you need to be familiar with when it comes to Oscar cichlids that you should take into consideration.
Oscar Cichlids are carnivores, their food should include things like fish and insects. Brine shrimp, feeder fish, cricket and krill are all tolerable food types. Good quality food items such as flakes and pellets can also be provided with the food choices mentioned above.
Keeping Oscar Cichlids…
Enthusiasts intending to keep Oscar Cichlids should make a large aquarium, spacious enough to match the the needed environment of this sort of fish. Oscars usually have a growth spurt of an inch or so soon after their eighth to tenth month.
They will grow to about 10 to 12 inches during their first year. 75 gallon aquarium per Oscar would be the ideal sizing with a temp range of 70 to 80 degrees (F). PH must be retained between 6. 5 to 7. 0. However Oscars are somewhat hardy fish, water must be kept fresh and maintained. Poor maintenance of aquarium water can result in certain disorders that Oscars are vunerable to.
Tiny rocks are the most popular substrate for the aquarium since they’re what is in the fish’s natural area. Ensure that you implement the curved type, since most of these fish are keen to dig and pointed tiny rocks might damage them. In addition, there are some observations that these fishes don’t like bright lights.So, this also needs to be considered while setting up their aquariums.
Enthusiasts who are passionate with ornamented tanks, should think carefully before buying Oscar Cichlids because they are normally troublesome pets, often rearranging all the aquarium, moving stones and decors. Feeding them can be very interesting as Oscars interact every time when they are fed with their food. They show exhilaration, swimming excitedly around the aquarium when they fully understand they’re going to be fed.
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