Toys for Oscars

A very popular question on many forums is what kind of things to use as "toys for Oscars". Firstly, do Oscars actually play to amuse themselves? This is an extremely contentious issue on many Oscarfish forums. I have had many a debate about this subject and I have probably annoyed quite a few people with my views. People often refer to fish as "enjoying themselves". This is where I actually disagree with a lot of people. I do not believe that fish actually enjoys itself. I don't believe that a fish will play like a dog does. What I believe a fish will do is investigate a "toy " because it is something different that they may not have seen in their tank before. Fish are still primitive and have not evolved to the extent of knowing what "enjoyment" actually is. This is my personal opinion, you may well disagree with me.

Some Oscars will pay a lot of attention to things that are put in their tank, they may even throw them around the tank like a dog, other Oscars may totally ignore novelties that have been put in with them, so to be quite honest, that is a question that is very difficult to answer. However, nobody can dispute that Oscars are very inquisitive creatures that will investigate any foreign object that has been put in their tank. If you want to give your Oscar something to "play with" then choose the item very carefully . Make sure they can't swallow it. If a fish was to swallow a foreign object, it would almost certainly be fatal. Don't put anything in that has sharp edges on it. If you put painted objects in just make sure that no toxins are going to leach out of them. Any plastic object that floats can be used. Just make sure that whatever it is, it is clean before you put it in the tank. Some people use ping-pong balls. You can either drill holes in it so it sinks, or just leave it floating. I have even heard of people using those little remote-control toy submarines. Your fish won't necessarily show any interest. You may find that he will go and have a look and then not bother any more.

Every fish is difference. I have seen fish actually knock a ping-pong ball out of the tank every time it is put in, which is quite funny. If your fish shows no interest in an object, try something else. You could try buying yourself a small fishing float. Using fishing line, have a small plastic lure hanging below, minus the hook of course. This will float along the surface of the water and won't stay in the same place all the time, your Oscar could well spend ages investigating this.

If you want my opinion on toys for Oscars, don't bother, it's a waste of time in most cases.

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