Oscar Vs ?gravel

[nicky b]

Hey I was just watching my oscar swimming around he's about 4 inch's and he keeps going over the same spot picking up ??Gravel sucking on it and then spitting it back out and he keeps on doing this over and over again, does anyone know why they do this I would like to know

 

[minnnt]

Because he can... There is not much that an Oscar can't move...

 

[XeroTolerance]

Oscars are actually very smart fish. In fact they are so smart they can even become board and decide to play. This is a form of playing to them. Also, what size tank is he/she in? It may be only 4 inches now but they can grow larger than 12 inches. You would also need a great amount of filtration too. You may also want to take out the gravel because they are really messy eaters. Ammonia could easily rise fast. I would recommend 2 weekly water changes to make sure the tank is clean. Well, I'm blabbering now.

I hoped that this helped!

 

[AquaJason]

Most fish tend to do this that is if they are big enough, they do it as by moving the rocks/gravel the water is then disturbed and the fish(in your case the oscar) then feeds off bits of food that it has missed during the last feed.
Cichlids also rearange the gravel in the tank as part of setting up a territory to their standards and what would in the wild attract a mate to spawn.

 

[nicky b]

Yeah I know all this I have fluval 205 in a 200 litter tank and I know they get really big that's why he's going to he's new home boxing day to a 5tf L by 2ft H by 2tf W tank I was just wondering why he's was messing around with the gravel and I do my water changes sometimes 3 times a week if I have time but normally 2 times a week 50% change he gets

 

[nicky b]

Thanks AquaJason makes a lot of sense that does I leave him to it then bet he was justing cleaning he's bedroom knowing its close to xmas LMAO

 

[AquaJason]

Thanks AquaJason makes a lot of sense that does I leave him to it then bet he was justing cleaning he's bedroom knowing its close to xmas LMAO

haha yup

 

[star4]

lol wait till he/she is bigger and starts smashing up heaters, removing the filter pipework from the suckers. Spitting mouthfulls of gravel at you, chasing the gravel vac round the tank when you are trying to clean it. Stealing your sponge as you are trying to clean the glass. Shoving large lumps of bogwood round the tank.

Oscars are fun lol

 

[minnnt]

lol wait till he/she is bigger and starts smashing up heaters, removing the filter pipework from the suckers. Spitting mouthfulls of gravel at you, chasing the gravel vac round the tank when you are trying to clean it. Stealing your sponge as you are trying to clean the glass. Shoving large lumps of bogwood round the tank.

Oscars are fun lol

And thats on a good day!!

 

[star4]

Good day lol, with one of my oscars its daily (no mentioning its name!!) I have had to bury the heater under ornaments to stop him getting at them, because of his short face he has learnt to undo the heater guard!!!

 

[nicky b]

omg really my oscar does chase the gravel vac round now trys to bite little #29### and when i was cleaning the glass befor i put my face over the lid to see what i was doing he jump up and bite my face, i went crazy

 

[XeroTolerance]

^ Same thing happened to my friend once.