Oscar Fighting

[ECCO_]

If two oscars of the same size are fighting, are they doing this if they are equal?
Also, when the big oscars fight and open theyre moves biting in eachothers face, do they hert eathother?

 

[backley420]

they fighting for the right to something

 

[BigIan]

Adult oscars are very territorial. They hit adulthood and start looking to breed, and so will see any other large fish as competition either for breeding or as a threat to there potential offspring. and so will fight.

most people say you should only keep one oscar in a tank or 6 plus as with 6 plus the aggression will be spread around and also with a 500+ gallon tank that is recomended for 6 oscars theres plenty of room for them

we used to have an oscar and a parrot fish
untill the oscar matured and started attacking the parrot so we re-homed the parrot.


my advice to you is to re home one of the oscars mate

 

[ECCO_]

I dont have oscars, but I was wondering about theyre behaviore.
And what if the attacks are light and dont leave the fish injured?

 

[BigIan]

they mat start off light but will eventually become a brutal fight.

and aswell as that one fish will become stressed and more prone to disseases such as white spot and hole in the head.

 

[ox5477]

Their fighting doesn't always lead to heavy ground and pound (but this is the case more often, as they are disputing over territory and the rights to mate with a female). Sometimes it is two fish beginning to mate, but the chances that two random fish you picked will be a male and a female and that they will mate is very very slim.

Ian is right that you need either one oscar, or a good sized group. And with the tank needing atleast 400 to 500 gallons for the group, thats quite a commitment for most people so you def only want one oscar in a tank

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'd also like to add that the "touching of mouths" that you see is called lip-locking and is a classic means of fighting between cichlids. lip-locking can become quite violent and i've seen several emergency topics about broken jaws as a result of too much fighting.

unless this is a purely hypothetical inquiry, these oscars should be separated immediately.

 

[ECCO_]

Usaully in fish, the female is larger. Oscars get huge, how can you tell wich is male and female?

 

[ox5477]

Usaully in fish, the female is larger. Oscars get huge, how can you tell wich is male and female?

I believe the only way you can tell before two of them actually breed is through a surgical procedure in which the innner organs of the fish are seen. From outer appearances, there is no way to tell the sexes apart in in oscars

 

[BigIan]

Usaully in fish, the female is larger. Oscars get huge, how can you tell wich is male and female?

I believe the only way you can tell before two of them actually breed is through a surgical procedure in which the innner organs of the fish are seen. From outer appearances, there is no way to tell the sexes apart in in oscars

most chiclids are nigh on impossible to sex untill they breed, or you get some blood tests done

 

[ECCO_]

Heres another question, All these people keeping Large or nice sized goldfish with oscars, why dont the oscars attack them?

 

[england]

i did it for one night with my two comets xtra large 7inchers and my oscars were 4inches had tank probs and in morning oscars beat crap out of em ....so dont do it....there ok now mind one of my sisters have them at her place

 

[ECCO_]

Yeah, Im glad theyre ok. I had seen it done on youtube and pictures of people putting large goldfish in oscars tanks.
I also saw a tank with african cichlids and angels...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

you also see people riding motorcycles off of cliffs on youtube just because someone can attempt something doesn't mean that it's a good idea

 

[jollysue]

I was told that it would no longer be safe to put a male oscar in with a mature female Oscar (about 12") as she would no longer share her tank.

Also, can not an oscar be vented to determine sex?