Why Does My Tiger Oscar Rearrange the Tank?

Tiger oscars are large aquarium fish in the cichlid family that have a reputation for being intelligent and full of personality. If you̵7;ve never owned an oscar before, you may be in for some surprises, as they have very distinctive behavior patterns, including a penchant for redecoration.

  1. Behavior

    • Tiger oscars love to move things around in their aquariums. They will dig underneath rocks or other decorations, moving gravel around in their mouths. They̵7;ll also often uproot any plants you have in the tank. They sometimes attempt to play with the aquarist̵7;s tools, messing around with heaters and filtration equipment you have in the water.

    Intelligence

    • One of the reasons for this constantly inquisitive behavior is the oscar̵7;s unusually high intelligence. Because they have large, active brains, oscars need to ̶0;play̶1; in an investigative way, just as a child might. It̵7;s a way to get to know more about their environment as well as a way to entertain themselves.

    Territoriality

    • The oscar also rearranges its environment because it is a territorial fish. It thinks of the tank as its domain and will create its own ̶0;nest̶1; within that territory. Once the tank is to its liking, the oscar will settle down to guard its territory -- at least for a little while, until it̵7;s time for the next redecoration.

    Adapting

    • The oscar keeper must plan the aquarium carefully. It̵7;s smart to invest in artificial plants, which will prove more durable than real water plants if the fish digs them up. Any large rocks or other decorations you have should not be in danger of hurting the fish or damaging anything if they are moved or undermined. Make sure your filtration system and other equipment is securely stuck to the side of the tank.