COOLEST FISH

   Oscars belong to the family of cichlids; well one can easily say that just by looking at them. But judging them just buy their looks is a wrong thing to do. They are well known for their aggressiveness and territorial behaviour which makes then a kind of fish at beginner should never even think of having. And searching for a perfect tank mate is kinda difficult, and one wrong decision and you can see some dead fish at the bottom of your tank.

They are very famous in the aquarium world everyone familiar with aquatic fish has or had them. They are known by various names some call them Oscars, some call velvet cichlids, and others call them marble cichlids well they stand for their name. They are freshwater fish found in South America which are now shipped to various parts of the world as aquarium fish, and some breed them. Normally like any other cichlids they like slow-moving water, and they spend most of the time resting, so next time you see your Oscar laying in the bottom of your aquarium don’t tap on the glass just let it be.

APPEARANCE

      Oscars are somewhat large, and quite stocky cichlids they have oval-shaped body, largemouth, large eyes and large head. Dorsal fin is spinous and second is composed of soft ray and has a round shape. The anal fin is also spinous and rounded edge, the base of both dorsal and anal fin is scales. They come in various colours and fins the above mentioned are common ones which are found in freshwaters.
Nowadays due to selective breeding and generations, many varieties of Oscars exist that includes albino Oscars. And some have long and wavy fins which have been produced for aquarium enthusiasts.

PERSONALITY
      The main reason why Oscars are infamous because these fish have an amazing personality, those bulging eyes just make you soo happy when you see them and they react in the same way, these fish are smart compared to other fish and they grow so fast that you won’t even realize it, they can grow up to 3-5 inch in 6 months in a well-maintained condition, they are the coolest fish in the aquarium world.

FEEDING
       Feeding an Oscar is not a big task because it is omnivorous in nature and it basically eats anything that floats on the top of the aquarium.
Its nutrition should contain a high protein diet to stay healthy and active; you can purchase a normal flake or pellets from the shop which contain all the vitamins to keep them healthy.
I suggest you feed them live food once in a while because it brings out their natural habitat of preying on its food it keeps them active.
Other things include vegetables, shrimp, blood worm… etc.


TANK MATES
Finding a tank mate for Oscars is very difficult, their aggressive nature doesn’t allow them to make friends and they end up killing or eating them.
Here are some fish which get along with them with the right size tank
• Blood parrots
• Silver Arowana
• Silver dollars
• Green terror
• Clown loaches
• Severums
• Jack Dempsey
• Giant gourami
if there are any other fish I missed please mention in the comment section.

TANK REQUIREMENTS
Oscars grow very fast in the right environment and with good nutrition.
I remember getting my first Oscar and they grew to almost 5-6 inches in the first 6 months. So I recommend at least 55-gallon tank for each Oscar an add 30-40 gallon on adding another Oscar Just in case if they get territorial.

They don’t like much decoration in their aquarium so keep it nice, simple and clean. Also place a cave for them to hide away in their territory and a place to rest.
Ideal water condition is 70-80 F, and maintain a water level PH of 6-7.4.
They are big eater so they litter all-around the aquarium so keep in mind to clean the aquarium every week or at least perform a 50% water change every week.
They don’t require any special things in the aquarium just a filter to clean the water and a heater to keep the temperature in check.
                            here is a quick video on how fast an oscar can grow

                                  

                         Summing altogether Oscars are one of the coolest fish in the aquarium world and everyone likes it. I'm basically a big fan and I almost joined every group about the Oscars and learn more about them. There is no limit to the happiness they give you to experience it one has to buy them and keep them as a pet. I like naming my pets well even fish once they come into your house they are the part of the family.
    

HE IS UGLY , BUT UNIQUE

Lets be straight everyone hates hard work or some of us do, that includes maintaining an aquarium Cleaning it is a lot of work but what if someone does it for, someone from inside sounds fun right now that where upstream loach comes in or commonly called cleaning fish, interesting isn’t it!!!! Almost every aquarist had kept and bread them so let's look at what they have to say about these interesting creatures

ORIGIN

Hillstream  loaches are special creatures that are found in fast-moving streams in Asia, these animals have unique streamline body which allows them to glide through fast-moving streams without using much of the effort,  there are around 99 species of them all around. We often confuse them with catfish but there are really not alike, These fish have a suction like a cup which help them to  stick on the rocks to reduce the impact on then from the fast-flowing water rushing above them, They have a lifespan of 7-10 years.

FEATURES

Every fish is unique in their own way, well here are some of the features of Hillstream loach

*Presence of barbels around the mouth, 3-6 pairs

*Having very few to no scales, Most of them have smooth bodies

*They are torpedo-shape

*On the lower edges of their fins are minute spines that aid them with resisting the drag of fast-flowing water

*Flattened undersides that almost make them resemble snakes. Those with highly flatted underside are believed to have previously inhabited stream with faster running water as opposed yo those with less flattened undersides

*Have slightly large fins used to wing themselves into rocks crevices

*Have sucker type kind of mouth

*Have got modified pelvic and pectoral fins to a powerful suction like cup Which allows them to cling onto rocks, crawl and even eat on surfaces that are prone to high speed water.
                 here's a video of loach fish cleaning the aquarium

  REQUIRMENTS

To keep Hillstream loaches happy you don’t need to have a fancy or a complicated fish tank, Since these fish live in a very harsh environment it becomes really hard for then to live in a clam, or still environment so I recommend you to use powerful pump either to keep them active and well worked out. Recommend you to keep the water PH between 7-8, And they get along with almost any fish so one has nothing to worry about the tank partner, but they are omnivorous they feed on both plants and flesh so if they  sense any other fish smaller than them, there might be chances of getting eaten by them, and also keep in mind that these are freshwater fish and water temperature a major  thing to take note of and the nitrates also can prove to be a challenge to them.

FEEDING

As I mentioned earlier these fish are omnivorous, they eat almost anything that hits the bottom of the tank  even dead fish, they can even be feed with normal fish food but they  prefer to feed on algae in between rocks and once on the glass, they even feed on small shrimps as a part of the food chain

4 TYPES OF FISH WHICH CAN LIVE IN A BOWL

Lets be straight I hate bowls, And keeping a fish in it nahhh!!!!!

They are really small, and fish can’t even Roam around quite properly and they get dirty pretty quickly. 

And the fish living in the bowl often come closer to the surface as they don’t get enough oxygen supply.

All tropical fish do not fit in a bowl, because they need more oxygen to breadth, only the small fish can be fitted in the bowl,

And here are some of them

1)GUPPY

Guppies are pretty small fish which can fit right in the bowl and also they require lil amount of oxygen, they have a beautiful dorsalfin and a person can easily distinguish between male and female as the male guppies are very beautiful and have a well lit up colour. These fish reproduce very quickly and they have a life span of 2years. There are more than 100 varieties of guppies all around the world. 

2)BETTA FISH

Commonly called as FIGHTING FISH, it is one of my favourite variety of fish either because of their beautiful fin colour or their behaviour. They are territorial fish and they don't enjoy other fish roaming in their territory, not even his own kind.they are preferred to be kept alone and that can breadth oxygen directly from the air that's why they are kept in bowls.

3)NEON TETRA

Tetras are pretty beautiful fish perfect for beginners, as they are small good looking and they preferably go about in groups 3-5 fish come together to form a school of tetras, They are pretty entertaining to watch.

4)GOLDFISH

Pretty famous fish as they are known by their colour, these fish look beautiful in bowls as they are very active and easy to look after, one can even gift him as a token of love, but they do mess up the place quickly since we cant implant a filter I recommend you to clean the bowl weekly.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

*The fish mentioned above are very small fish size ranging from 2-5 cm big

* water should be changed once per 4 days as to dissolve oxygen for fish to breath

*I prefer to use aquatic plants in the bowl

*do not overfeed, because these fish are small they require less fish food

*Keep in mind to check water temperature (tetras, guppies)

4 TYPES FISH EVERY BEGINNER SHOULD HAVE AS A AQUARIST

  “Every expert started of as a beginner”, if u want to be a successful aquarist u should start off with the fish which are easy to maintain and helps u learn much about them so let us dive right in

1)GOLDFISH

Goldfish as the name suggest it is gold in colour. And they are pretty much everywhere and they can fit right in a bowl or small, medium aquarium, one thing about these guys is that they don’t actually have a stomach so the more you feed the more they eat the faster they die.

They have a life span of 10 years

2)GUPPY

Guppies are also called million fish, it is  because they reproduce very quickly, they come in a variant of colours, they are originally from America they are pretty small fish with beautiful coloured fins, they are  freshwater fish so to have one u should basically have your aquarium clean

They have life span of 2 years

3)KOI

KOI is basically a tropical fish which is kept at home, buildings, offices for decorative purposes .theyre are several varieties recognised  by Japanese, these fish are famous for their adaptability in any environment  and they come in different colores most famous and noted are red, white, orange

They have life span of 25-30 years

  

4)TETRAS

All freshwater, small, characiform of fish are called tetras. These fish have very small adipose fine between dorsal and caudal fins. Tetras are very small and easy to keep as pet as they are small are very beautiful to look at and they require very less oxygen as they are very small fish

These fish have an incredible life span of 10 years

4 EASY STEPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR HOME AQUARIUM

  The principle of AQUARIUM was termed by a well-known chemist, RobertWarrington, who said that plants added to water in a container would give off enough oxygen to support animals, as long as the numbers of animals did not grow too large.An aquarium is basically a closed container where aquatic plants or animals are kept for research or show purpose. The term aquarium is derived from the Latin language, where “aqua” means water and “arium” means “Place for relating to” this word was coined by the naturalist  PhilipHenry Gosse. The aquariums basically comes in different shapes size from giant Aquarium used in public aquariums, shops, zoo to small bowls which can be kept at home by fish enthusiasts. The larger aquariums might have larger fish, turtles and plants to make it look attractive and beautiful.

           An aquarist is a person who maintains the aquarium and looks after the fish, he also constructs the aquarium for the people, which is basically made of very thick and strong glass preferably acrylic. An Aquarium can hold water from small as 1 gallon to several thousand of gallons.there are specialized equipment for maintaining water quality and health of the aquatic animals

                                             BACK 19TH CENTURY keeping an Aquarium in their house became famous throughout America, and the trend spread worldwide like wildfire soo by the end of this era every house had an aquarium either for a showcase or as a hobby. During the victorian era, the aquarium had a pretty common design, where there was a glass in the front and other corners where made of wood and base was made of slate. But  This was changed later as the technology grew.

WHAT IS AQUARIUM MADE OFF?

  Aquarium comes in almost all size and shape. Most of the aquarium contains five glasses bonded

together by a silicone sealant. And the top opening is covered by a plastic frame, however, the aquarium is very brittle and can develop crack if the maintenance is very poor. Where in other case bowl are very small generally made of plastic or glass and is available in spherical or round shape. In large aquaria, fibre reinforced plastic is used, but however, this material is not transparent. In some cases, concrete is used where size and volume doesn’t matter. Concrete should be coated with a waterproof layer to stop the water from cracking open the concrete

Glass Aquarium is very popular because of its looks and design, when the silicon sealant became very famous for its strength to hold the materials together it eliminated the use of the structural frame and the glass aquarium came out to be more scratch-resistant and easy to clean

HOW TO MAINTAIN AN AQUARIUM 

compared to the times before the aquarium is easy to maintain today, It is because of the technology that is with us today, most aquarium is vulnerable to the algae that grow inside the tank due to steady water, which can prove to be a trouble sum because e as the time pass they grow by consuming the oxygen in the tank which might be dangerous for the aquatic life, other than algae there are other bacteria might grow inside the aquarium which can cause serious illness to the marine life inside the tank. The main reason why the aquarium is exposed to such bacterial activity is because of the stagnant water,

Here are some tips to maintain your aquarium to look beautiful and mainly to save your fish from diseases

1) Change 25-30% of the water once per two weeks

2)Take note to clean your water filter once a week

3)Do not overfeed your fish

4)If ur using tap water, keep the water in aerated condition for 24 hr before use , Because it contains chloramine which is harmful for sea animals

HOPE THIS ARTICLE HELPED YOU, THANK YOU

BETTA FISH

             Betta fish or also called as “Siamese fighting fish” is one of my favourite freshwater fish, It is either because of their perfect blend of their beauty, aggressiveness, and personality, I just love them in this article lets talk about their habitat, appearance, feeding and how to look after them in your home aquarium.

HABITAT

Betta fish is a popular fish in the world of the aquarist, they are origins or Thailand and belong to the family of gourami, they live in slow-moving rivers, small creeks or even rice paddies, they have a unique way to adapt to its surroundings because they are becoming a true labyrinth fish, they can live outside of  water for a short period of time, as they can inhale oxygen directly from the air, that’s the main reason why they can sustain themselves in stagnant water and oxygen-deficient water

People on 19^th century are known to have bred betta due to their line of aggression in the wild, and in captivity the fight lasts only for a few minutes  before one fish backs off or the willingness to fight is over, they can live in the water where the temperature ranges from 76-80 degree.

APPEARANCE

Bettas which appear in the wild are completely different when compared to the once which are bred by the aquarists, bettas which are found  in the wild are small rounded fins are dab brown in colours, The spectacular colour which is present now is due to the long generation of selective breeding. 

The vibrant colour exhibited by the fish is due to pigmentation present in their skin, and they also exhibit such colour only when they are agitated.

Breeders have developed various types of betta throughout the generations.

*veil tail

* crown tail

*comb tail

*half-moon tail

*rose tail

*feathered tail

And a never ending list goes on.

FEEDING

Bettas diet consist of high protein and fibre, in the wild, they feed on blood worms, shrimps and almost any small fish. They have upturned mouth which allows them to feed on anything floating on the surface of the water, feeding them with commercial food or pellets  are also fine because they contain all the ingredients to promote their growth and digestion.

TANK REQUIREMENTS

Many new owner considering their size put them in a small bowl, just because they are small doesn’t mean they do not like to explore a lot, according to me 6 gallon tank is perfect for a betta fish, and also they like to jump a lot so remember to buy yourself an aquarium lid, betta fish are known as “Siamese fighting fish”, because of their aggressiveness towards their own kind  therefore all bettas including both male and female should be housed separately, bettas are not used to swim in strong current so I recommend the owner to use a less powerful filter like a sponge filter is suitable, And I also recommend to use a bright coloured light so that your boy gets well lit up and look beautiful, Decoration is a great source of enrichment to your aquarium, so design a look that is both beautiful and fun for your pet to explore consider adding live aquarium plants which can make your aquarium look natural.

KEY THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

*Maintain water PH about 5-7

*Water temperature about 70-80 degree

*Do  not put to bettas on the same tank

*Do not over feed them
here's what happens when two betta fish are put in a single tank-