My Pet

My pet is a fish. It is a "OSCAR".

Astronotus ocellatus is a species of fish from the cichlid family known under a variety of common names including oscar, tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, or marble cichlid. In South America, where the species naturally resides, A. ocellatus are often found for sale as a food fish in the local markets. The fish can also be found in other areas including China, Australia, and the United States. Although its slow growth limits its potential for aquaculture, it is considered a popularaquarium fish.A. ocellatus have been reported to grow into a length of 34 cm (approximately 15 in) and a mass of 1.6 kg (2.6 lb). The wild caught forms of the species are typically darkly coloured with orange ringed-spots or ocelli on the caudal peduncle and on the dorsal fin. It has been suggested that these ocelli function to limit fin-nipping by piranha (Serrasalmus spp.) which co-occur with A. ocellatus in its natural environment. The species is also able to rapidly alter its colouration, a trait which facilitates ritualised territorial and combat behaviours amongst conspecifics. Juvenile A. ocellatus have a different colouration from adults and are striped with white and orange wavy bands and have spotted heads.

This fish is very intelligent, it can even recognize it’s owner. Oscars have they own ideas, although they're not the only fish having them. If Oscars don´t like how the items are placed in the aquarium, they pick them up and replace them, or they spit it out from the tank. It doesn’t matter if the plant orrock is real or plastic. If you have a high aquarium, standing near it can be dangerous. The best choice is to have a sand bottom and a few big rocks in the tank. Sometimes Oscars pretend that they are dead. In nature they pretend to be dead and wait until a small fish comes close so it can be caught and eaten.

Basic information about the Oscar fish species:

Maximum size (min-max): 30.0 - 40.0 cm ( 11.8 - 15.7 in)
Recommended temperature: 24.0°C - 30.0°C ( 75.2°F - 86.0°F)
Recommended water hardness (dGH): dGH 4.0 - 18.0 N
Recommended pH of water: 6.5 - 7.5
Origin: South America