How to Setup Planted Aquarium Aquascape for Oscar Fish - Complete Guide:

Oscar fish is a don of the aquarium due to its high aggression. Oscar fish are territorial and aggressive in nature, so they don’t usually like other peaceful aquarium mates. They could kill other fish so check out whether other fish are compatible with Oscar fish or not.

Oscar fish are mid-level swimmers & they swim very actively. They can find food at the base of the aquarium. They also uproot plants so make sure that your planted Oscar aquarium is sturdy.

Oscar fries are very small, similar to tropical fish but adult Oscars can be as large as one foot.

They will grow large in the future, so it is mandatory to select a large aquarium for them & add Oscar fries to your fish tank.

This tutorial is about how to setup a planted aquarium for Oscar fish. The first part of the video shows how to paint the fish stand & canopy, & the later part shows aquascaping Oscar fish tank. 

Watch video tutorial about How to Setup a Planted Oscar Fish Tank below:


How to Setup a Planted Aquarium for Tiger Oscar Fish

After adding tough plants to the Oscar fish aquarium, I have added two filters to the aquarium: External Canister filter for efficient cleaning, & Cycled Internal filter from another aquarium.

After my tank completed cycling, I introduced Tiger Oscar & Albino Oscar along with aquarium mates. Clown Loaches have occupied the bottom of the tank because they are bottom dwellers & they can escape Tiger Oscars. Red Blood Parrot can be successfully kept with the Oscars.

 

Oscar Fish Aquarium Setup With Plants - Best Aquascape
Oscar Fish Aquarium Setup With Plants - Best Aquascape


How to Take Care of Oscar Fish:

Oscar fish are classified as messy & they require higher maintenance than other species of fish. They need a quality filter due to the large waste they produce. If you setup a small fish tank for Oscar fish, then it will require lots of maintenance & cleaning.

Oscar fish need a large fish tank. They require at least a 55-gallon fish tank so a big aquarium will offer enough room for the fish to actively swim & form their own territories. Choose more than a 100-gallon aquarium if you want to keep Oscar happy. If you choose to setup a tank for 2 Oscars then I would recommend a 150-gallon tank.

It is crucial to offer a stable fish tank for Oscar fish because changes in water conditions can be problematic for this fish. In case your fish tank water, pH & temperature have alterations, then it can be stressful for your fish. High stress could make your Oscar sick.

 

Painting Aquarium Stand & Canopy:


Painting Aquarium Stand & Canopy
Painting Aquarium Stand & Canopy

I have decided to paint the aquarium stand & canopy. I have painted both the exterior & interior of the stand & canopy with a thick coat of paint. Painting the stand & canopy will offer a beautiful look & will extend the life of the wood. The color of the paint matches home furniture.

 

Oscar Fish Tank is Placed Indoor:


Planted Oscar Fish Tank is Placed Indoor
Planted Oscar Fish Tank is Placed Indoor

I have decided to keep my planted Oscar fish tank inside my home. Me & my friend have successfully placed the aquarium on top of the stand. The 6 feet aquarium was heavy. We have placed the canopy on top of the tank.

 

Oscar Fish Tank Lights:


Oscar Aquarium LED Lights
Oscar Aquarium LED Lights

I have added cheap LED lights to the top of the aquarium. These lights come with extendable brackets that can be used for easily fixing the lights on top of a large aquarium. You can change the color of the lights & choose the one that looks nice to you.

 

Oscar Fish Tank Background:


Aquarium Background for Planted Oscar Fish
Aquarium Background for Planted Oscar Fish

I have added an aquarium background that costs $15. I have nicely setup the background at the back of my fish tank.

 

How to Clean Driftwood:


How to Clean Driftwood
How to Clean Driftwood

I have decided to add 2 driftwoods to my aquarium. It is a bit difficult to clean the driftwood so I choose to add it to a bin containing water for efficient cleaning. Then, I gently cleaned the driftwood with water. Driftwood also needs cleaning with boiled water for removal of tannins. So, you can place a pot containing water on top of a stove, & start boiling the water. Then add driftwood to the pot, & you will notice that the color of water changes & the color changes to tea color. Then, it is time to remove the driftwood & fill the pot with freshwater & again repeat the process until driftwood stops releasing tannins.

 

Oscar Fish Aquarium Setup:


Driftwood in Oscar Fish Tank
Driftwood in Oscar Fish Tank

I have interlocked 2 large pieces of driftwood, & I have attached Java Fern & Anubias to them.


Planted Oscar Fish Tank Aquascaping Completes
Planted Oscar Fish Tank Aquascaping Completes

I have decided to add 40 kg of black sand as substrate for my Oscar fish tank. I have decided to add some rocks & stones too to my Oscar fish aquarium like schist, rocks & river stones. I have protected Sword & Crypt with rocks so that Oscar fish might not be able to dig the substrate & uproot the plants.

 

Oscar Fish Tank Aquatic Plants:


Oscar Fish Tank Aquatic Plants
Oscar Fish Tank Aquatic Plants

I have chosen the following plants for my Oscar aquarium because they are sturdy & could survive longer in Oscars’ aquarium.

  • Amazon Sword
  • Java fern
  • Anubias
  • Crypt
  • Moss


Oscar Fish Tank Filter:


Oscar Fish Tank Filtration
Oscar Fish Tank Filtration

It is recommended to introduce a Canister filter in Oscar fish tank because of their powerful cleaning. Canister filters are setup outside the aquarium, & they receive & send water to the aquarium using an inlet & outlet hose. They are recommended for large fish tanks. They can purify aquarium water due to their efficient cleaning system. They can draw lots of water from the fish tank, & could remove the solid waste particles & other detritus as well as wipe out the toxins released from the waste.

Canister filter has baskets for putting media. Many aquarists choose to add only mechanical & biological filter media in the canister filter baskets. Mechanical filter media removes the solid particles from the water while biological media takes care of the soluble pollutants that release from waste particles. Canister filters provide lots of space for storing mechanical & bio media so they can clean large volumes of dirty water.

 

Canister Filter Media Setup:


Canister Filter Media Setup
Canister Filter Media Setup

I have chosen a 2400 L/H flow rate Canister filter as the main filter for my Oscar fish tank. It comes with a 9W UV globe. I have setup mechanical filtration media in the first two baskets of my canister filter, & 4kg of Seachem Matrix goes into the remaining 2 baskets. In my aquariums, Seachem Matrix has performed better than any other bio media. For mechanical filtration media, I have used coarse & fine foams. Coarse foam should be followed by fine foam because all the large debris particles will be trapped by coarse foam while small particles that can escape the coarse foam, will be collected by fine foam.

 

Internal Filter for Extra Cleaning:


Internal Powerhead Filter for Oscar Fish Tank
Internal Powerhead Filter for Oscar Fish Tank

I have chosen a 2400 LPH Canister filter as the main filter for cleaning fish tanks as well as an Internal Powerhead filter for offering extra filtration. I have altered the outflow of my external canister filter & have added a wave deflector to it to convert it into a wave maker. 360-degree rotation can produce better currents & can offer better surface agitation for removal of CO2 & addition to oxygen.

For more information about Setting up a Canister filter, Check out:


Oscar Fish Aquarium Heater:


Oscar Fish Tank Heater
Oscar Fish Tank Heater

I have introduced a tank heater in the aquarium. Oscar fish need a sturdy heater because they have a problem of breaking the heater. They pretty much destroy anything in their aquarium.

 

Oscar Fish Tank Mates:


Oscar Fish Tank Mates
Oscar Fish Tank Mates

I have setup 6 feet planted fish tank for Tiger Oscar fish & aquarium has been cycled successfully. Now I can add Tiger Oscar fish as well as tank mates to the aquarium. My chosen fish species for 6 feet aquarium include:

  • Tiger Oscar Fish
  • Albino Tiger Oscar
  • Blood Red Parrot
  • Clown Loach

Tiger Oscars are about 12 cm in size, & they are highly active & swim gracefully in the aquarium. Red Blood Parrot is 6 cm in size & Clown Loaches have sizes from 8 to 10 cm. All mates are living peacefully in their new aquarium.

 

Maintenance of Oscar Fish Tank:


Maintenance of Oscar Fish Tank
Maintenance of Oscar Fish Tank

After 30 days, I have decided to clean the canister filter. Fine foam looked clogged & very dirty so I have replaced it. I have rinsed the bio media & mechanical media with aquarium water. In the first two baskets, I have setup coarse & fine foam, & then I have added seachem matrix to the remaining two baskets. I am happy that the canister filter has done an amazing job in cleaning the Oscar fish tank.

Aquapro booster balls have been added to the filter media to quickly release useful bacteria. Use a few booster balls in every tray. It will release useful bacteria that will attach themselves to the media.

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