Are you watching your oscar fish moving around the gravel and rocks and wondering why they are doing this? Are they showing signs of discomfort or just redecorating? In this article, we’ll look into the possible reasons why your oscar fish are moving the gravel and rocks around.
Why Do Oscar Fish Move Gravel And Rocks? Oscar fish keep themselves busy by rearranging the rocks and gravel. They are doing so for comfort, courtship, protection or simply to keep themselves busy.
Oscar fish can move around your decorations and plants as well. It can either be frustrating or very funny to watch.
Here are 6 possible reasons why they are moving rocks and gravel.
- It’s in their nature to do so.
- They’re being territorial.
- It’s a strategy for hiding.
- They’re preparing for courtship.
- They’re building a nest.
- They’re looking for food.
Is Moving Rocks A Natural Behavior In Oscar Fish?
Oscar fish belong to the cichlid family of fish species. They are known to move around rocks, gravel and sand in the wild and in aquariums. This is their natural tendency to creating safe spaces or hiding places.
Oscar fish are rather large compared to other cichlid species, but they still carry this natural skill or innate behavior to move rocks around as a possible means to create their own territory.
Is My Oscar Fish Moving Rocks and Gravel Because It’s Territorial?
Oscar fish are territorial in nature. Once they move around some rocks and gravel to get comfortable, they could start chasing other fish away.
Oscar fish are known to be aggressive or show frustration when we try to prevent them from moving the rocks around. They will chase your hand away or try to nip at you if you are in the way of their redecorating.
Oscar fish are creating boundaries with rocks, gravel, plants and decorations. They may even tear plants out of the substrate to create their territory. They could move everything around again the following day!
Are My Oscar Fish Moving Rocks To Hide?
Cichlids are known to move rocks and create hiding spaces from larger fish who may bully them. Oscar fish are larger in size, but they have similar tendencies because they belong to the same family.
An aquarium doesn’t usually offer many hiding places, so moving the rocks may or may not be a futile attempt of creating a hiding space. That doesn’t stop your oscar fish from trying!
Are Oscar Fishes Moving Rocks For Breeding Purposes?
Male oscar fish are more commonly spotted moving the rocks and gravel around. They could be preparing the space for the female to lay her eggs. The male also wants to invite the female into this area they have created to begin the courtship dance.
The female may inspect the redesigned space and approve. The the male darts back and forth and chases her. He may assist in helping her lay and fertilize the eggs in a spot that he has carefully curated.
Do Oscar Fish Move Rocks To Defend Their Eggs?
Soon to be oscar fish parents will do what they can to defend their eggs. The male oscar fish will take on more of this responsibility or he may never get a chance to mate again. He wants to ensure the eggs are safe and could be moving rocks around to create the safest spot.
The end result is a nest of some sort that the oscar fish deems suitable for the time being. He may continue moving more rocks if he is not satisfied. Oscar fish will chase away tankmates from this location, especially if there are eggs present.
Is My Oscar Fish Moving Rocks To Look For Food?
Oscar fish have a large appetite. They eat a lot and create a mess with their waste. They may sift through the substrate to check if there is any leftover or uneaten food.
Sometimes they may want to nibble at the algae growing on some of these because they are omnivores and they know the algae packs in nutrition to balance their diets.
How Can I Make Sure Oscar Fish Do Not Hurt Themselves When Moving Rocks?
- Smooth rocks
- Free of dyes and paint
- Not too small
Try to make sure that these rocks are sharp. Jagged or sharp rocks will harm your oscar fish who are diligently at work trying to redecorate or redesign the bottom of your tank.
The gravel should also be free of toxic dyes or paint. If the rocks are too small, the oscar fish may end up swallowing them as well.
Conclusion
It’s quite normal for oscar fish to move rocks around and mess with the bottom of your tank. They live messy, eat messy and create a mess. A clean tank is crucial for oscar fish. If they are pulling out too many live plants, consider plastic ones.
Stopping your oscar fish from doing something they are naturally inclined to do is going to be difficult. Make sure the rocks are smooth, not too small and free of dyes or paints.
It’s funny to watch them go to work and keep themselves busy by moving rocks and gravel around. We hope it doesn’t frustrate you too much!
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