I have just set up a new tank which I got for free from my dads old work. It's only 130 litre, but my Oshie is still pretty small. I've got a 230 litre ready to go when needed. It looks so bare at the moment , just two logs, and one plant. Oshie dissapears! haha. I brought a new canister filter for $200, set it up and found that it leaked all over my floor. :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
So now I have to take it back to the shop tomorrow, I'm so angry. You buy something expensive, and you expect it to work!!!!!!! But I'm so happy with the tank. It's the biggest thing in my bedroom! haha. I'm not sure what to use on the bottom, fine gravel, larger gravel??? I'm not sure what's best if anyone want's to let me know? But for now, the filter and heater took me back a little in cash, I'll just get the damn filter back in! My Oshie is pretty happy though, after sulking for the firat day in his new tank!

Sounds like you're happy with your new tank, look forward to seeing some photos. Regarding substrate. I like sand. It's all personal preference really. Some of the very fine gravel is very nice. Don't go for this horrible coloured stuff, it's so tacky (sorry if anybody has got it on here)

Just remember that with sand, all the crap lays on top, it's very easy to keep clean. Personally, I think a tank is cleaner with sand because you can see when you have cleaned it properly, unlike a lot of gravel.

Yeah. I had the coloured stuff in the old tank. It was a pain in the arse to clean, it was the big chunky stuff, and it's more ornamental, like for a small goldfish bowl. I think I will go for the very fine gravel. I looked at it today, and liked it! My red tailed shark died today!!! The tank had a high ph so I went to the fish store. It's looking better now, but my little shark had alredy died. I checked the water so many times when I set it up. I'm so sad. He had grown so big! I just hope my little Oshie will be alright now! I gave him a danio to cheer him up! He wasn't eating alot. He chased it right away, so I'm hoping he'll be fine!

Unfortunately there is the only down side of keeping fish, it can be very worrying when they are not well. You can take a dog to a vet, it's not that easy with a fish.

I have put in a new plant, and will have the rocks and grabel soon. I'm pretty sure little Oshie is alright. I put a feeder fish in with him last night, and he went crazy!!! Yay. I brought some more feeders today, so they'll be his treats over the next months. As he's still only small. The water is back to normal, so I think things are going to be ok!

You are putting some grabel in your tank? That's a new one on me

If you can get a good root system down, there is a possibility your plant will be okay. Although Oscars do have a reputation of destroying them. I gave up in the end trying to keep Oscars and plants together

Try putting plastic plants in and you will always be putting them back into the substrate. I dont know whether they think its fun or they dislike them but they just keep pulling plants plastic or real ones. They start doing this as soon as they are big enough to move them and they dont need to be that big! I have rocks and bog wood in my tank. I rest the bogwood on the rocks and i found that if a put a plastic plant wedged between the rock and bogwood the oscars mostly leave it alone, but not always. I also found that those plastic plants that hang down (they are secured with a sucker) are good for covering pipework but you need to put a weight on the bottom of each arm as oscars keep grabbing them and trying to move them up the tank and the things float otherwise

You can also do like I did. Deep root the plants in clay flower pots. That way, the plant is deep and less likely to be dug up and secondly makes it easy to move around for cleaning or redecorating purposes.

PHOTOS:
www.oscarfishlover.com/component/option,...ew/id,1123/catid,24/

I see you point however i try to make my tank look 'natural' like the plant has planted itself. there is no easy solution with plants and oscars

As I got and get older, I got away from the hard work of good natural looks in favor of good easy maintenance. My 120 gallon Angel tank was all natural, with special substrate called Flourite (for plants) and many larger live plants, Swords etc. It was gorgeous and very biologically established. I had two built in corner overflows through the bottom feeding large canister filters. It was work to clean though....

Grable!!! hahaha. Oops, thanx for pointing out that I cannot spell!! haha. I think I will settle for plastic plants. I have actually drilled a couple of holes in the wood and was able to push the plant through and put the base back on, so it looks like the plant is growing from the wood. I did have trouble before. Oshie kept pulling things out, and moving them to one side of the tank!!! I'd often come in to find the plant floating. Little bugger! But the water is back to normal now and Oshie is happily chasing around his meals!! YAY. I should have the tank done tomorrow. I will have the GRAVEL... and a couple of rocks in for the others to settle. Thanks heaps for the knowledge!!!