i am trying to make a hiding place for my large oscar. i want to use rocks but i don't know how to hook them together safely. And how should i clean the rocks so thiers no bacteria on them.
2007-11-25 12:19:50 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
First of all, Oscars aren't like some cichlids that hide in caves. Therefore , they do not need caves. They will make their own places by moving the gravel around. Any type of caves you build out of slate or rock will eventually get thrown against the glass and crack it. Hardly worth it.
You can buy aquarium plants with weighted bottoms that match your gravel.. The oscars can toss them around, but they always go back into place.
Good luck!
2007-11-26 18:04:45 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. Kalyfran 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depending on the current size of your oscar, a piece of PVC cut to a length that will fit in your tank makes a good cave. If you want to make it look more like the rest of your tank, get a tube of aquarium silicon to put on the PVC, then roll it in aquarium gravel so it sticks to the outside.
You could also use stacked brick (against the sides of the tank) with slate on the top to make a cave, or just a large piece of slate leaning against the glass (be sure it won't fall!).
If you're handy with a drill (or know someone who is) drill small holes through lava rock and use zipties to hold them together. Or use a plastic milk crate as the base and tie them to that (you may need to cut some of the plastic on the sides of the crate to make entrances and exits).
If you buy rocks at your pet store, all you would need to do is rinse them. If you're using brick or PVC, you'd just need to rinse also. If you use rock you find, you first want to be sure it won't change the pH in your tank - try dripping some vinegar on each piece and get rid of any that fizz. Then soak the rocks in water and check the pH after a few days to see if it changes from the original pH. If the results are the same, clean the rocks by soaking in a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 19 parts water) for 15-20 minutes. This will kill any bacteria, algaem snail eggs, etc. Just be sure to rinse them well and let them air dry before you add them to your tank.
2007-11-25 20:38:39 · answer #2 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
find long flat rocks,scrub the rocks and stand them up against the front side of the tank(for viewing)with one rock and the wall holding up the "ceiling" rock
2007-11-25 20:30:25 · answer #3 · answered by Adrian B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well i don't know what an Oscar is...but bacteria grows on everything....
2007-11-25 20:27:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋