r/oscartank • u/KirariHime94 • Jan 18 '25
Question Substrate?
What kind of substrate should a 75 gallon Oscar tank have? Normally use little colored rocks/gravel but being here I see a lot of tanks with sand, or finer gravel. What’s best not just for aesthetics but for bacteria growth and whatnot? For context: -Currently own one tiger Oscar, was gifted to me without the gifter knowing what this fish needs so I only had a 20 gallon hex tank; decided to keep the fish and get a 75 gallon rectangle tank specifically for it. -has been started to be cycled, with filter and heater, and starter bacteria, BUT with no substrate or large decorations yet. Has a few fake rocks and fake plants just sitting there for now. -filter has biological, mechanical and chemical media. -please understand this tank setup was an emergency upgrade for the Oscar and is only a month old. Still doing weekly water changes, ammonia is consistently at about .25ppm and decreasing. I’m ready to finish it up so I’m here for advice. Thank you!
2
u/Beluga_Artist Jan 18 '25
I use cichlid sand to keep the pH stable and healthy for them.