Oscar Tank Set Up Ideas

[pinfish]

Hello All!
I am thinking about revamping my Tiger Oscar's Tank and wanted to get some opinions and what everyone would recommend for the guy.

Right now I don't have any substrate in but I was thinking about changing that. I have had substrate in before and when I do he does enjoy digging around in it. If I were to re add substrate, what would you go with? Brands? Gravel vs Sand etc? He originally had sand, but it was trapping all of his waste making it hard to clean when I went to do his tank changes etc.

I was also wondering about anything I could put in his tank for enrichment? I am trying to keep him from being bored and also away from his tank heater lol. He likes to play with it. Maybe something that he could use as a toy, but nothing he could swallow or get stuck around him, cut him, etc.?

I was thinking about adding a new hide but hate the planter pot look. Has anyone done any cool DIY big hides for their tanks? Have any ideas? Thanks!

Happy Fish Keeping!

-PinFish

 

[tlindsey]

Hello All!
I am thinking about revamping my Tiger Oscar's Tank and wanted to get some opinions and what everyone would recommend for the guy.

Right now I don't have any substrate in but I was thinking about changing that. I have had substrate in before and when I do he does enjoy digging around in it. If I were to re add substrate, what would you go with? Brands? Gravel vs Sand etc? He originally had sand, but it was trapping all of his waste making it hard to clean when I went to do his tank changes etc.

I was also wondering about anything I could put in his tank for enrichment? I am trying to keep him from being bored and also away from his tank heater lol. He likes to play with it. Maybe something that he could use as a toy, but nothing he could swallow or get stuck around him, cut him, etc.?

I was thinking about adding a new hide but hate the planter pot look. Has anyone done any cool DIY big hides for their tanks? Have any ideas? Thanks!

Happy Fish Keeping!

-PinFish

FINWIN

 

[DawnMichele]

Hello. I have some gravel and plastic plants in my 125 for my Oscar Big Boy. He loves to play with the plants and gravel. I use to have some rocks in his tank until he started hitting the glass with them.

 

[FINWIN]

For sure O's will get into everything. Mine used to pull heaters off the suction cups. Even went through a phase of pulling filter pads out of the hob filters. I got Brick one of those toy party favor basketballs. He loves it. It's beat up and scrubby but he plays with it every day and uses it for stress relief. He didn't play with it right away but gradually poked at it. Now he'll punch it clean across the room.

I use sand and let him dig. Then I'll drop a few pounds of river rock (1-3 inch) in his pit. He loves moving those around and arranges them constantly as well. He has a huge pit in the center of the tank and frames it with vines he can peep through and over. He also likes taking bubble baths over the airstones and will sit in front of the powerheads letting them blast his face.

So my list would be

river rocks, toy ball, sand, silk vines to drag around, airstones. The more options the better. Oscars are too intelligent for their own good sometimes and get into things. I learned the hard way not to leave large heavy decor in the tank (especially vertical stuff). He'd knock it over against the glass. Brick loves ripping stems out of tall plants too. I'm always finding floating pieces.