Setting up my new 120 Gallon Tank

[Axredx]

Hello everyone, I am so exited to ask this question! Setting up a 120 gallon tank it is. My wife and the kids are on vacation till August 17th, so I'm doing something that my wife would probably disapprove. I'm buying a 120 gallon tank with a 40 to 60 gallon sump. Now before I got married I had a 75 gallon tank and I had 2 red Oscars, 1 gorgeous Pletco and 1 Blood parrot Cichlid. I used to clean than tank top to bottom every month, I had 40 gallon plastic containers and I used to pull fish out and tear tank up till it was sparkling clean. Basically I would restart water cycle every month, the noob that I was. I struggled with cloudy water I never realized what stress I gave those fish and myself once a month. The Oscars were 13 inches long, the pletco was 22, and the blood parrot was 9 inches it was a big boy and he was the bully lol. I had them for like 7 years till I gave the tank and everything away, that was 15 years ago.  So now, I want to do something everyone will say not to, don't add plants to a new Oscar tank. I have come to love plants and what value of health they bring to a tank. Some are a pain to maintain but the service they provide to a tank is unquestionable. So, I need ideas on how to keep a decent amount of plants that my Oscars are not going to uproot and tear up. I will have 3 Oscars 1 Pletco, and maybe 3 blood parrots. Clock is ticking I have  6 weeks till my wife and the kids get back, I have to have the fish in there by then, so that my 4 year old will say I love them they are staying, lol. Once my little girl names a fish they become part of the family.

[lefty o]

id start with an anubia. they are fairly easy to keep alive, and the leaves are pretty tough as far as plants go.

[Solstice_Lacer]

I agree, attach some anubius to rocks or wood. They are tough plants

[Atitagain]

I have a 75G with 1 Oscar and a bristlenose for plants I use pothos growing from the back, bamboo, and jungle vallisneria. My val is very well rooted and protected by some larger stones.

I suggest not to worry about any stem plants sooner or later they will be ate or uprooted. Getting well established rooting plants when they (the fish) have any size to them is very important. Starting with small Oscar’s and plant some vallisneria let them grow together. Anubias like @lefty o suggested is a great option as well.

as much as I don’t like enabling bad behavior I do love a great set up for Oscar’s, good luck mate!

[Axredx]

That's a beautiful fish you got there.

[Colu]

What I would suggest is getting the plants well established before adding the Oscars giving them some time buildup there root structure you could also add some Javan fern and some floating plants like water lettuce Amazonian frogbit