Astronotus fish

Description of the Astronotus fish

Astronotus (Astronotus ocellatus) is a unique fish in every way. This is by no means a living element of decor, like many other ornamental fish, but an intelligent pet, one might say, a family friend.

Astronotus are very large fish that need a large, spacious aquarium. In shape, they resemble a regular oval, which is facilitated by large rounded fins. They have a large head with a massive forehead, for which they received the second name “river bulls”. The fish are quite elegantly colored: bright yellow, orange or brick-red spots are scattered over a dark background. Moreover, the intensity of color may depend on the lifestyle and even the mood of the fish.

Astronotuses are the real intellectuals of the aquarium. They perfectly recognize their owners, allow themselves to be stroked and even amenable to training. However, it is worth noting that absolutely all fish from small guppies or neons to huge parrot fish are far from stupid creatures, they have their own individuality and character, but astronotuses among them are perhaps one of the most sociable and contact.

Of course, high intelligence requires a special approach to content. For example, these fish are very negative about any competition in the aquarium, so it is better not to have more than one pair. Moreover, being absolutely omnivorous, they can easily eat smaller inhabitants, and challenge those equal in size to a fight.

In general, Astronotus is an ideal pet for those who do not have the opportunity to have a dog or cat at home.

Types and breeds of astronotus fish

Breeders have worked on this fish, so now we can choose from many varieties of colors and shapes.

Wild Astronotus. The least brightly colored variety. The combination of dark brown and pale yellow or whitish spots in combination with red patches make these fish invisible in the dense thickets of algae in the rivers of South America.

Red astronotus. The fish is painted almost uniformly – brick red. Black fin trim.

Tiger astronotus. Closest to the wild form is the variety of Astronotus. Several branching black stripes run across a red or yellow background. The fins are invariably dark.

Albino. Unlike most albinos of the animal world, these astronotus have spots of red or yellow on a white background. They can either be chaotically scattered over the body or form stripes, and such fish are called albino tigers. An interesting red albino, the spots of which merge into a solid fill on a white background. Only on the muzzle and fins there are colorless areas.

Angry. They look like albino, but differ in black edging or spots on the fins. There are also brindle and red lutino.

Lemon (solar) astronotus. A rare breed characterized by a bright yellow or golden color on a white background.

golden oscar. These fish are also colored golden, but have black tinting on the fins or head.

Super red. A very rare color – a monochromatic rich scarlet color without black shading.

Also, some unscrupulous breeders sometimes artificially tint Astronotus, getting blueberry and strawberry varieties. But, firstly, it is very harmful to the health of the fish, and secondly, this color fades rather quickly. 

Compatibility of astronotus fish with other fish

But this is a stumbling block for many aquarists. The fact is that for all their intelligence, astronotus are very quarrelsome fish. They are incredibly jealous of their beloved owners and do not want to share them with any other inhabitants of the aquarium. In addition, being very large and omnivorous, they can regard other, smaller fish as food and simply eat them. 

Therefore, if you decide to get Astronotus, it’s better to immediately abandon the idea that many different fish will swim in your aquarium, and put up with the idea that you will only have one pair of Astronotus and, possibly, a few large catfish. 

Keeping Astronotus fish in an aquarium

If, having come to a store or market, you saw tiny astronotus for sale, be sure: these are fry, from which real giants will grow over time. Therefore, you can start them only if the volume of the aquarium allows you to. 

Otherwise, astronotus are very unpretentious in content.   

Astronotus fish care

Astronotus do not require any special care, different from other fish. The main thing is to create the right conditions for these giants. 

First, put a fairly thick layer of soil on the bottom, consisting of pebbles or coarse sand, so that the fish can successfully dig in it. 

Secondly, use artificial or floating plants, otherwise your pets will simply dig them up. 

Thirdly, keep in mind that astronotus, like funny puppies, like to play with all available objects, but they do it rather clumsily due to their size, so make sure that, having played out, they simply don’t throw any decor items out of the aquarium, don’t splashed water or did not jump out themselves. To do this, it is best to cover the aquarium with a lid. 

Aquarium volume

As you might guess, fish, whose size reaches 30 cm, require large volumes. Ideally, one fish should have at least 100 liters of water. Of course, they survive in smaller aquariums, but remember how unhappy the animals are, planted in the cramped cages of zoos. So it will be better if you put your scaly pets in a spacious apartment.

Water temperature

Atronotus are not as demanding on water temperature as, for example, discus, and are quite capable of surviving at 25 ° C. That is, if your aquarium is at room temperature, then the fish will be quite comfortable. Ideally, the water should be between 25 and 28 °C.

What to feed

It is difficult to imagine a more omnivorous fish than astronotus. Meat, fish, vegetables, earthworms, greens – this is an incomplete list of what they are happy to eat. But it is best to give them a special balanced food for cichlids. 

The appetite of these fish is excellent, so you can feed them more often (most importantly, then do not forget to change the water once a week), and then you will get well-fed and contented pets.

Reproduction of astronotus fish at home

Since Astronotus are most often kept in pairs, there are no problems with reproduction. Unless, of course, you were able to correctly select this pair, because males practically do not differ from females. But, if you succeeded, when the fish are 2 years old, wait for the addition of the family. 

The main thing is that your pets should not have any stress in life – astronotus, despite their large size and rough appearance, are creatures with a fine mental organization that are hard going through any shocks. Sometimes it comes to the point that a couple that laid eggs, having experienced stress, can eat all their offspring. So, if you want to get cute spotted babies, protect the psyche of the scaly family 

Popular questions and answers

Answered the questions of novice aquarists about astronotus owner of a pet shop for aquarists Konstantin Filimonov.

Sources of

1. Shkolnik Yu.K. Aquarium fish. Complete Encyclopedia // Moscow, Eksmo, 2009
2. Kostina D. All about aquarium fish // Moscow, AST, 2009
3. Muddy Hargrove, Mick Hargrove. Freshwater Aquariums For Dummies, 2nd ed. // M.: “Dialectics”, 2007
4. Umeltsev A.P. Encyclopedia of the aquarist, 2nd edition // M .: Lokid-Press, 2003