Popular name(s): Oscar, Acará-grande, Acará-açu, Acaraçu, Acará-guaçu, Acarauaçu, Aiaraçu, Apiari, Carauaçu, Apaiari
Scientific name(s): Astronotus ocellatus
Family: Cichlid
pH: 6.5 – 7.2
Temperature: Does not tolerate cold water. Ideal 22 – 25 °C
Sexual Dysmorphism: Few differences. Males a little bigger and more colorful as adults.
Food: Omnivore
Recommended Ration: MegaFood Carnivores and as a complement MegaFood Tenebrio
Reproduction: Oviparous
Geographic origin: South America
The Oscar Fish is one of the several types of Acará Fish that exist. It is a fish of the Cichlid family and its scientific name is Astronotus Ocellatus.
Types of Oscar Fish: There are several types of Oscar fish like Oscar albino, Oscar albino pink, Oscar albino red, Oscar albino red tiger, Oscar black, Oscar tiger, Oscar bronze and the Oscar veil.
Care: Oscar Fish is fast growing and widely used in aquarium fish. In nature, its geographical distribution is in the Amazon basin and dams in the Northeast and Southeast. Oscar fish prefers a slightly acidic pH, between 6.5 and 6.8.
When raised in aquariums, partial water changes (20%) should be done more often in summer than in winter. The temperature must be between 21 and 26°C, at lower temperatures Oscar can stop feeding.
Oscar needs 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light. At night, when at rest, he is almost lying down. Aquariums of 100 to 200 liters are needed for an adult individual and the aquarium must always be covered, as Oscar fish easily jumps out of the aquarium. It has dark coloring and mosaic designs when young and as it grows it gains light and dark patches of grayish green and orange. On the caudal fin there is an ocellus, a dark circular spot surrounded by a bright orange.
His hobby is tinkering with the decoration of the aquarium, even managing to take large stones from one corner to another, turning over the substrate and pulling out plants. There are reports of Oscar who eat from the keeper’s hand, let him caress his back, so they are very nice and sweet fish when used to their owner!
Reproduction: The ideal for reproduction of the Oscar is an aquarium between 200 and 250 liters. The water should be around 28°C.
There is a big stir in the aquarium before mating, and so-called ‘mouth games’ happen, which are a test of strength, where male and female face each other with their mouths wide open. After a few battles and biting each other, the couple move away from the other fish in the aquarium. A tile is placed facing downwards so that they prepare the place for spawning, the female lays the eggs in a circular motion while the male fertilizes them between 800 and 2,000 eggs.
After spawning, there is a great agitation in the water caused by the fish, with their fins, to oxygenate the eggs, and as a defense and protection against the attack of fungi and bacteria. After 3 or 4 days the eggs will hatch. The male then transports the fingerlings in his mouth to holes he makes in the substrate, taking care of them until they can swim on their own.
In the first days the fingerlings feed on the yolk sac. When this is finished, it is necessary to provide food such as beef pates, liver and non-fat fish, microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp. They should be fed every two hours in moderation.
For adults there are specific foods for carnivores, they also like small fish, heart and liver in small pieces. Vitamin ¨E¨ is essential in your diet, for its good development and good reproduction.
Always remember to have good filtration in the aquarium.