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It so happened that most large cichlids are not popular and desirable inhabitants of aquariums. Their inherent heaviness, gluttony, aggressiveness serve as serious obstacles to making such fish become universal favorites. Even the fact that most of them are bright, bright, have a bizarre shape and original - "clever" behavior - does not save the situation.
Mansions among a number of powerful representatives of the family Tsikhlovs are eye-sighted astronotus, or cichlid- "Oscar". These giants are hardly worth complaining about the non-recognition of the aquarists. For fans of large cichlids, they are just as welcome as for an actor - the same prize in the world of film business.
Lovers in astronotus almost everything: and gracefulness, which, logically, should be foreign to similar rags up to 30 cm long and weighing up to 700 - 800 grams, and a naive "veal" look slightly goggled eyes, and a bright color. Plus, everything is touching and tender relations of partners, side by side following each other.
For the first time I saw these fish, really scared me by their size, at one of the aquarium exhibitions somewhere in the early 80's and was for a long time under the impression of what I saw.
The dimensions of the astronotus exhibited so far differed from those that I considered permissible for inhabitants of indoor reservoirs, that I gave myself a vow not to acquire such a miracle even if only because in my "school" aquariums measuring 60X35X30 cm they are all Equally would not have settled. There was only enough to admire the magnificent 30-centimeter handsome men, painted in coffee-black colors with beige-gold divorces on the body. (How did I know that in 10 years this variation would be the most losing and rejected "pros" because of the appearance of other more ornamental lines: red, tiger, gold, white, pie).
A couple of months later, wandering around the Bird Market and gawking at the outlandish inaccessible to expensive fish, I saw a mesmerizing advertisement. Pass by and it was impossible to stop. In addition, a small crowd of visitors gathered near the bright screen with the fish. Under a large selection for the dull "Novelty!" The seven colors of the felt-writing set were adorned with the name that inspired the works of R. Heinlein or A. Clark - "The Black Star".
Such a capacious fantastic image was backed by a handful of motley young fish, unusually moving in the water. The seller (he is also the lucky owner of these treasures) is important, but he briskly explained the advantages and characteristics of his goods to the potential buyers who were crowded together.
Then I was pleased to learn that the "black star", a new medium-sized fish, is quite suitable for standard (but better) more aquariums, in which, feeding on any live food, it grows willingly to 10-15 cm. For a particularly meticulous fork, the size was Increased to 18 cm. The cost of such a poetic name of the fish was quite satisfactory, and I became a happy owner of two small (2 - 2.5 cm) fishes, carefully caught by the seller. According to his assurances, it was a male and female.
I foresee the skeptical grin of a modern aquarist., Spoiled by the abundance of aquarium literature, but I want to remind you that in those days not something to buy, but even to take in the library some literature about ornamental fish was very difficult - they were issued very rarely, Almost instantly became rarities. Of the reference books most often met the book of M. Ilyin, but to buy it (and then only with hands) was the limit of the dreams of almost any novice aquarist.
My first reference book was the book by S. Frank "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fishes". For her, I determined who exactly is living with me. To say that I was disappointed, means not to say anything. Since the largest available reservoir in my possession was soon narrow, and I had no opportunity to increase their living space at that time, I had to give my grown-ups noticeably grown to pets.
Cichlid-Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), or even after it the romantic name "black star", inhabits the waters of the vast basin of the mysterious Amazon, the Rio Negro river, the upper tributaries of Parana and Paraguay. In nature, fish reach a length of 35 cm, in aquariums up to 20 - 30 cm.
For the content of astronotus, a reservoir with a capacity of 200 liters is best. In a smaller volume it is more difficult to ensure the formation of a friendly pair, besides, in a limited space, the fish are unlikely to be able to fully manifest the form given by nature.
To get a full pair, it's better to buy a flock of 8 to 10 strong, well-fed teens. Try to pick up different individuals, then you can not go into the subtleties of the roundness of the body or the length of the fins - all the same in the group will be both females and males.
There is no clear sexual dimorphism in fish. Nevertheless, having at least a little experience, the aquarist will easily notice that the adult male is colored brighter, more intense; It is larger than a female, has a more bulging body.
If the pair was formed from a flock of teenagers, then, as a rule, it is quite stable and friendly. Stories about a quarreling, fighting couple refer only to forcibly united adult fish or to a couple who were in a flock at the lowest level of the hierarchical ladder. Such pairs often break up if other representatives of the species are attached to them.
Optimal conditions for these fish are as follows: rigidity 5-30 degrees, pH 6.5-5.5, temperature 21-32 degrees C. Continuous aeration, water filtration is necessary.
Astronotus is quite lenient to the environment. For example, I had to keep them in water with stiffness of both 2 degrees and 36 degrees, with a pH of 5.0 to 9.5 and a temperature of 18 to 35 degrees C. Not many tropical fish can find such survivability. By the way, astronotus, like most aquarium inhabitants, need regular water refreshing: it is better to do this once a week, substituting up to 1/3 of the total volume. For the attention of curious aquarists (but not as an appeal for execution) I can say that at one time I changed the adolescents of astronotus 60 - 70 and even 80% of the water, pouring warm (30 degrees C) directly from the tap, and judging by Appearance, the fish did not feel discomfort at the same time.
The fishes are not fastidious to the fodder, but being predators by nature, they prefer animal food: bloodworm, coret, tubule, small live fish, slices of lean meat, fish, squid and shrimp. From dry forages, they are pleased to collect granules of the firms "Tetra" and "Sera" intended for large fish from the surface. On one-two meals a day and under suitable spatial conditions, about one and a half years, astronotuses reach adult sizes and become sexually mature.
A retired couple occupies a certain territory and protects it from other fish. In the future, it is better to isolate the pair, setting off neighbors, and not to disturb. With the approach of spawning, the nature of the Oscars completely deteriorates: they are either hammered to death by all neighbors who are a potential threat to the fry, or they are pushed into the upper corner of the aquarium. I must say that the bite of adult "black stars" can leave a tangible mark on the person's hand, and what to say about fish: large and medium-sized barbs, cichlazomas, red parrots, omnipresent catfish suckers, which usually make up the company to astronotus in common aquariums.
Clearing the place for spawning, producers often turn the entire soil, pulling out plants, drifting snags. At the rear wall of the fish, a large crateral pit is digged, and the ground is moved to the sight glass. Therefore, it is better to select a community of same-sex Oscars for the demonstration aquarium, and keep the temperature at the level of 23-25 ​​degrees C.
For breeding, the temperature is raised to 28-30 degrees C, doubling the water exchange. In the diet, you can include large bloodworms, earthworms, dragonfly larvae, tadpoles. The hardness of water on the threshold of spawning and hatching of larvae is better not to raise above 8 - 10 degrees, pH 6.5 - 7.2. Lighting is weak, better around the clock.
1 - 2 days before spawning, a large pear-shaped ovipositor appears in the female, a small seminal duct in the male. The female lays 200 to 2000 eggs on a large plate-shaped stone. Caring for caviar is carried out by both parents. At a fright, stress manufacturers can destroy a clutch or fry. After 6 to 10 days, the young begin to feed on the epithelial secret of the parents in combination with small plankton. The fry of astronotus are painted in black with irregular white strips. Newborn Oscars look a bit like marine amphiprion clowns.
For artificial incubation, the eggs are transferred to a separate 30 - 40 liter vessel. It is better to take water from the aquarium with the producers. A sprayer is placed above the masonry, creating a current of water by the air. Add methylene blue to the incubator until blue. Temperature 29 - 30 degrees C. The starting feed for juveniles is "live dust", worse - nauplii artemia.
It is hardly reasonable to say that it is necessary to get astronotuses for every aquarist. Let the lover of characteristic fishes himself clarify this question for himself. In any case, the decision of the aquarist will not detract from the merits of these majestic Aboriginal people of the Amazon. With proper care, optimal conditions for Oscars can please the caring owner with their habits for up to 15 years.


S. Elochkin, Moscow Aquarium No. 2, 2001.