Golden Oscar

Dr Abe V Rotor

These Oscars are our pets at home. They have been with us for nearly two years now.  They are actually albinos, culled from the colorful Oscars we are familiar with. Surprisingly as they grew they began to display impressive colors of gold and orange and gray - which didn't show up when they were fingerlings.  And what is more interesting is their ability to modify their appearance with the hour of the day and the kind of weather. We designed a backdrop of underwater scene to complement their mimicry and camouflage.  Indeed it makes a stage of sort to entertain us and our guests.     

 It is difficult to breed Oscars in captivity, more so in small home aquarium.  Like any group or community Oscars establish a pecking order. The tighter the competition for food and space, the more the dominant members become aggressive.  If this is the case, transfers to another aquarium those in the lowest rung of the order.     
               

           
Oscars are tame and playful.  Just don't tease them with bare hands.  
They have tiny sharp teeth. 

Gleaning on crumbs give a double image of this fish.

 Remove remnants and waste daily with a net, and keep 

the water clean and fresh. 

Astronotus ocellatus belongs to the cichlid family under a number of common names like oscar, tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, or marble cichlid.  In South America where the species naturally resides, A. ocellatus specimens 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. In spite of its slow and limited growth its potential for aquaculture is highly regarded.  However, it is more popular as aquarium fish owing to its variety of colors and  design.