My Oscars are fighting,should I be worried?

[Carmen1979]

Sorry I'm posting this in two different forum sb/c I'm worried and want to get an answer as soon as I can. I have two Oscars in a 120 gallon (along with a few other small fish). They are both about 5 inches, one is albino and the other is a tiger. Normally the albino is more shy and hides more, and if there's any aggression it comes from the tiger but it's usually very short lived. For the last 15 minutes or so they've been fighting (or doing a pre mating ritual, I have no way to know) but the albino seems to be the aggressor. They're doing a lot of lip locking and the tiger is getting a dark spot above his mouth that presumably is from that. They keep basically swimming in small circles and lip locking. I know that some fighting is normal with Oscars but this has been going on a long time. Should I be worried yet? I was going to head to bed but now I'm worried about them. I'd appreciate any advice I can seperate them (I dont' have another tank ready to go but I have a divider I could put in).

 

[tlindsey]

Sorry I'm posting this in two different forum sb/c I'm worried and want to get an answer as soon as I can. I have two Oscars in a 120 gallon (along with a few other small fish). They are both about 5 inches, one is albino and the other is a tiger. Normally the albino is more shy and hides more, and if there's any aggression it comes from the tiger but it's usually very short lived. For the last 15 minutes or so they've been fighting (or doing a pre mating ritual, I have no way to know) but the albino seems to be the aggressor. They're doing a lot of lip locking and the tiger is getting a dark spot above his mouth that presumably is from that. They keep basically swimming in small circles and lip locking. I know that some fighting is normal with Oscars but this has been going on a long time. Should I be worried yet? I was going to head to bed but now I'm worried about them. I'd appreciate any advice I can seperate them (I dont' have another tank ready to go but I have a divider I could put in).

If you are uncomfortable about the situation divide them off. I will let others chime in pops

 

[Frank Castle]

If you are uncomfortable about the situation divide them off. I will let others chime in pops

+1

Personally, I don't know that Oscars are really equipped to cause much damage to large fish, I know they have tiny bristle-like teeth but if they don't have a lot of jaw strength this means virtually nothing. I had a friend w/ 4 Oscars in the same tank w/ JD, FM, Convicts, etc and despite being horribly overstocked, no fish were scarred or bruised that I can remember,.....I would turn out all the lights and watch them in the dark to see how they act afterwards before deciding what to do. If you don't like it to the point that u have to, like Mr. Lindsey said, I guess another tank or a divider might be the way to go.

 

[Carmen1979]

Of course the second I posted this they stopped fighting! Thanks for the input

 

[Frank Castle]

Of course the second I posted this they stopped fighting! Thanks for the input

The scuffles and usually short and sweet with Oscars....they're not really built for fighting like other CA/SA Cichlids are

 

[pops]

agreed, the Oscar are not going really DMG each other to bad, my mated pair lip lock from time to time, not a issue, more a yes I am still top dog, now is it supper time?