Best substrate for keeping Oscar/Oscars

[Scarlet knight]

Has anyone ever kept Oscar/Oscars with sand substrate? Is it better then gravel? I had one years ago with gravel, fish dug a lot! Had several ornamental rocks that were always dug out and around, with gravel usually found "duned" around the aquarium. Just wondering if sand is advisable or better?

 

[hdultra]

I like the sand Cichlid Substrate - Aquarium Advice Product Reviews. Also crushed coral would be good. You could mix it with river bed substrate. But the sand and the coral will help buffer and keep a stable PH.

 

[mudraker]

Most cichlids like Oscars are big time landscapers. They also really like sand.

It can muck up your filtration if yours is too vigorous in its efforts.

I use a heavy type manmade sand with my JDs and its unbeleivable what they do in there. The heavier stuff doesn't foul the water when they decide to move have of it to one side of the tank.

Oscars aren't really that picky about their substrate in the long run though.

 

[HUKIT]

I use Caribea Sea Tahitian Moon sand in all my tanks including my pair of oscars and they love to sift and redecorate the sand. I would never go back to gravel even if I was paid. Tank maintenance is 100 times easier with sand since everything falls on it's surface and not down in the nooks and crannies that gravel has.

 

[Crepe]

I like the sand Cichlid Substrate - Aquarium Advice Product Reviews. Also crushed coral would be good. You could mix it with river bed substrate. But the sand and the coral will help buffer and keep a stable PH.

The CC would raise the pH too much. Oscars are South American fish. You need acid to neutral water for them.

 

[hdultra]

I use Caribea Sea Tahitian Moon sand in all my tanks including my pair of oscars and they love to sift and redecorate the sand. I would never go back to gravel even if I was paid. Tank maintenance is 100 times easier with sand since everything falls on it's surface and not down in the nooks and crannies that gravel has.

I like his choice. Are there diffrent colors. My mix only comes in two black n white.

 

[Oscar Man]

Yes at your local pet store there will be substrate specifically for cichlids I have it for my oscars they like it and do not eat it like gravel