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.
    

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-