How to Keep Oscar Fish? Methods for Breeding This Large Tropical Fish That Is Both Edible and Ornamental

The Oscar fish, also known as the tail-star fish, piglet fish, and so on, belongs to the order Perciformes, family Cichlidae, genus Astronotus. It is native to the Amazon River and the territory of Guyana in South America. It was introduced to our country in the 1970s, and not only is its appearance lovely, but its meat is also very delicious, comparable to grouper. The Oscar fish is a large tropical fish that is both edible and ornamental, and especially as a high-grade tropical ornamental fish, it is greatly loved and favored by people, and therefore has broad development prospects in our country. So how do you keep Oscar fish? Below, the editor of Tuliu Network will show everyone~

I. Water quality management

1. When most fry can swim horizontally, the fish nest can be taken out, and the water level should be controlled at about 25cm, with the aeration rate kept small. Siphon off waste once every day at 7:00 am, changing 5cm of water each time; the water used for changing must be treated, and during water changes the water should also be allowed to flow slowly into the tank along the wall.

2. The aeration rate should be adjusted to the maximum, and if conditions permit, running water should be maintained as much as possible. Waste removal depends on the situation; the pond can be washed about 2 times per week. When washing the pond, do not scrub forcefully; simply wash away the waste at the bottom of the pond, and do not wash away all the moss. The water level should be controlled at about 50cm. When the water temperature is below 22C, measures to preserve moisture should be taken, and the fish can also be moved into an insulated pond or fish house.

3. The water quality for breeding should be appropriately softer, as this is more conducive to spawning, fertilization, and hatching.

II. Fry rearing and grow-out

1. Newly hatched fry can be fed paramecia, and after about 7d they can gradually be switched to brine shrimp; after 15d they can gradually be fed soft pellet feed and bloodworms; after 25d they can be placed into cement ponds at the appropriate time for rearing. 2.5.2 Rearing in cement ponds

2. The cement pond should be scrubbed clean with water treated with bleaching powder, and the incoming water must be strictly filtered. The water level should be about 50cm. After adding water, splash in 5mg/L of bleaching powder, and after 4 or 5d, once the toxicity has disappeared, the fry can be stocked. There should be a shade net above the cement pond, and several air stones should be placed in the cement pond, with the aeration rate adjusted to the maximum. Set up one feeding station every 2m along the pond wall.

3. Feed twice a day, once at 9:00 and once at 16:00, and the feeding amount should be such that it is eaten within 15min after feeding.

III. Selection and cultivation of reserve broodstock

1. After 1 month of rearing, reserve broodstock can be selected, with the criteria being better growth, larger body size, better body color, and so on.

2. Selection and cultivation of market fish After selecting good reserve broodstock, add color-enhancing substances to the feed to make the fish body color bright and gorgeous, and at this point they can be sold as market fish.

IV. Disease prevention and control

1. Bacterial gill rot disease In cement ponds, dibromohydantoin at a concentration of 0.3mg/L can be splashed over the whole pond, and splashed again the next day. In aquariums, aquarium-specific drugs can be used for prevention and control.

2. Body rot disease This is the most common disease, mainly occurring in aquarium shops and consumers' homes. Its causes are injury to the fish body during transport and handling, plus poor water quality management. The pathogens may be parasites or bacteria, and aquarium-specific drugs can be used for treatment, but such drugs are often prohibited drugs for edible fish, so they must be used carefully and the condition of the fish observed closely. It is best to soak with 4mg/L potassium permanganate + 0.3% salt water for 1d, add allicin to the feed, and control the temperature at about 30C.

3. Trichodiniasis A mixture of copper sulfate and ferrous sulfate at 0.5mg/L can be splashed over the whole pond, and the next day dibromohydantoin at 0.3mg/L can be splashed over the whole pond. If reared in aquariums, some aquarium-specific drugs can be used for treatment.

At present, Oscar fish kept in aquarium shops and consumers' homes show a trend of increasing diseases. This is mainly because the technical handling in aquarium shops is improper, planting hidden dangers, while many consumers also manage them improperly when keeping them at home, so the symptoms of fish disease appear. Alright, the above is what the editor of Tuliu Network has brought everyone on how to keep Oscar fish. Friends who like it are welcome to follow Tuliu Network. See you next time.