# Experiment 1: Oscars and Live Plants.



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

Currently attempting live plants in my Oscar tank. Why ... well live plants are way more natural and have many benefits. but you guys/gals already knew that.

*Specs*
The tank is/has: 90 gallons, kings play sand substrate, 2-40 watt shop lights, eheim 2217, and a 250 watt heater.

*Livestock *
2 Tiger Oscars, and 1 common sailfin pleco.

*Plants*
Corkscrew val, java fern, bacopa, and dwarf sag.
*
Other Information*
Little fertilizers added once in a while, just flourish phosphorus, nitrogen and iron. no CO2 added. 10% water change every week. Filter cleaned once a month. fake plants (to make them think the live ones are not real?). Tank kept at 80 degrees.

Well we will see how this goes. As many of us know it is pretty much impossible to have live plants in with Oscars. However mine do no seam like diggers or ones that will tear up plants (they better have not heard me).

Okay so the bacopa and dwarf sag have floated to the top and the Oscars tried eating them so they are done and out for the count. I don't think that they up rooted them though, the sandy substrate seams like it wont hold small plants because they just float out of it. (any ideas to keep them down?)

vals and java look untouched and look as though they are growing .

*Pictures*
Will be coming soon.

(though of making this thread part way though experimenting)

*Side note, currently saving up for bigger tank, and filters for the Oscars*

Also feel free to post what you might think what will happen. Looking forward to hear what you have to say both + and - are welcome.

Happy Easter everyone


----------



## Fishyfishyfishy (Mar 3, 2008)

Any results? I tried and failed 5 years ago.


----------



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

Sorry for the delay.

So far so good with java fern and corkscrew Val. They are growing good considering the conditions they are in. 

The oscars are lawn mowers with bacopa and dwarf sag. They were pretty hungry one day ( more than usual anyway) and watched them desiccate the two.

Which plants did you try 5 years back?


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Fish on the Mind said:


> The oscars are lawn mowers with bacopa and dwarf sag. They were pretty hungry one day ( more than usual anyway) and watched them *desiccate *the two.


Wow, I didn't know Oscars had the power to dry out your plants, even when they were underwater


----------



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

They can pick them up and toss them out of the tank lol


----------



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

However I meant to put down disintegrate.


----------



## default (May 28, 2011)

My oscars used to chew plants up for my pacu 
I would of thought your Pleco would be fine dining on some salad
Keep us updated!


----------



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

Okay so there now is some new Val's in the tank as well as some rotella/mayaca combo in there. The new vals are jungle vals. Just added them in today.

The Val's that I first tried were mini twisters and I believe that they are able to be in the same tank with Oscars (depending on the oscar personality of coarse)

Here are some pictures


----------



## Fish on the Mind (Feb 9, 2012)

Out with the fake plants! Now to see how the oscars react to the change. Never planed to take the fake ones out today but I went past the tank to get out of my work clothes and just had to do something about it so out they went. Haha never even made it out of my work clothes. I am sure all of you have had that feeling before . Anyways here is how it is set up now.










Oh side note, when I was rearranging the plants I seen new shoots coming out of the jungle Val's. Also put bacopa back in this time in bigger bunches. The ones that were in before we're small so I think the oscars may have been curious and nipped at the bacopa which destroyed what was there.


----------

