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1916 results for “pica”
Plecostomus
The Plecostomus — the 'sucker fish' or 'garbage fish' — clings to glass and plants scraping algae, but it is no miracle cleaner: it eats prepared food, nibbles slow tankmates, and makes heavy waste. A scaleless, salt-sensitive tropical catfish from South America, it needs soft, warm water and lives 8–10 years.
Discus
The Discus is the 'king of tropical aquarium fish,' prized for its round, vividly patterned body and calm schooling nature. A cichlid from the Amazon basin, it needs a large, stable, warm soft-water tank kept as a group, and lives 5–6 years on a careful 'four-fixed' feeding routine.
Black Arowana
The Black Arowana is a South American freshwater predator from the Amazon and Guyana, born with two long barbels and flowing fins. Aggressive and best kept alone in a covered tank over 120 cm, it needs 24–28°C soft water and a meaty diet of live foods. Watch for white spot and tail rot.
Oscar
The Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a large, personable cichlid from the Amazon basin that can learn to recognize its owner and even leap for food from the hand. A voracious carnivorous predator — it will fight or eat tankmates — it needs a big tank and, despite its thuggish nature, is one of the most interactive tropical fish you can keep. It can live 10 years or more.
Rainbow Shark
The Rainbow Shark (Epalzeorhynchus frenatus, formerly Labeo frenatus) is a mid-to-large tropical cyprinid from Thailand and Indonesia, reaching about 12–15 cm. Easy to keep and not fussy about water, it is nevertheless aggressive and territorial — it will nip the flowing fins of slow tankmates — so it suits a spacious tank with robust, similar-sized fish.
Halfmoon Betta
The Halfmoon Betta is a tail-form of Betta splendens whose caudal fin spreads to a full 180 degrees (or more, in the prized Over-Halfmoon type), resembling a half moon. A labyrinth fish that breathes air at the surface, it is easy to keep but must be housed alone or with peaceful tankmates because males fight.
Cardinal Tetra
The cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) is a small South American characin with a glowing blue-green stripe and red lower body. A peaceful schooling fish, it needs soft acidic water at 24–26 °C and dim light.
Arowana
Arowana are large freshwater bony-tongue fish (family Osteoglossidae) prized worldwide as ornamental and feng shui fish. This guide covers their varieties, appearance, care, ideal environment, and feeding.
Guppy
The guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a peacock-tailed livebearer from South American river basins—easy to keep, with hundreds of strains. Keep at 22–26 °C, pH 7.0–8.5, and feed a varied diet of flakes, brine shrimp and daphnia.
Parrotfish
The parrotfish (family Scaridae) is a brilliantly colored marine reef fish named for its beak-like mouth; adults reach 1.2 m. It likes warm, soft, acidic water and well-oxygenated tanks, and at night spins a mucus 'cocoon'.