Not so smart Oscar suggestions...

[Fluidsuit]

So I have a ~10-12" Oscar in a 220g. The lighting in my office and the tank, I guess, are such that there is enough of an internal reflection that he must see himself and loses it. He'll sit for 5-10 minutes flailing himself away at the side of the tank trying to attack his reflection. Of course like all good outboard motors in a confined space, much of the gravel and decorations as a result get relocated.

Any suggestions, apart from ensuring it's brighter outside the tank than inside to try to reduce these demonstrations? Second one I've kept that does this, so I'm assuming it's not uncommon as they reach maturity.

 

[Ihsnshaik]

I had this problem with a 15.5" Midas. At first he would get so excited he would bang the glass so hard when he saw me. Then he started bashing the tank around thinking theres another fish in the tank. Then he started breaking everything. He was with his girlfriend and he got aggressive at times so made a divider. He broke it and he was bleeding on his head. He bashed it open he didn't give a rats ass about anything. I've had this fish for 6 years and he knocked out 8 very large 8-14" fish over night. When I say knocked out I mean killed brutally thats when he started breeding.

What stopped everything was smaller fish. He would chase them but can never get them aka dithers. My dithers were cons to texas to vieja. Anything I would get for close to nothing.

I would try some cons in your tank. 2-3" ones and see if he improves. He will try to hurt them rather than hurt himself lol

 

[Fluidsuit]

Thanks Ihsnshaik , good to hear I'm not the only one. I suppose this partially explains why in most tanks you see mature fish online they usually don't have much of any decorations. I do have 5 Balas in the tank, a Severum, Dempsey, and Freddy that get his attention once and a while. When you say adding cons, do you mean adding 2-3" Oscars or something else?

 

[Ihsnshaik]

I means convict cichlids. Oh so you have tank mates... Mine didn't at the time minus his partner but she would be in her cave most of the time or her area. Don't know what else I can help you with I had fish like that and they get better usually by adding some other tank mates something for them to chase.

 

[ehh]

Thanks Ihsnshaik , good to hear I'm not the only one. I suppose this partially explains why in most tanks you see mature fish online they usually don't have much of any decorations. I do have 5 Balas in the tank, a Severum, Dempsey, and Freddy that get his attention once and a while. When you say adding cons, do you mean adding 2-3" Oscars or something else?

Knowing now that you have the other fish in there, more fish isn't going to help.

 

[Ihsnshaik]

Knowing now that you have the other fish in there, more fish isn't going to help.

Yeah didn't know about that.

 

[BMac91]

So, I read that he was attacking himself and we were trying to stop that, is he also attacking other fish or just his reflection? Have you turned the tank lights off completely to see if he chills out when the lights are off?

 

[convict360]

Put cardboard at the side. Remove it when viewing ?

 

[Fluidsuit]

Put cardboard at the side. Remove it when viewing ?

I think that would create more of a mirror affect inside the tank.

 

[Fluidsuit]

So, I read that he was attacking himself and we were trying to stop that, is he also attacking other fish or just his reflection? Have you turned the tank lights off completely to see if he chills out when the lights are off?

Sorry I probably wasn't clear. He's attacking his reflection in the tank, that doesn't happen when the lighting outside the tank is significantly brighter than the lighting on top of the tank. It's not a huge deal was just wondering what folks may have seen to help reduce that I may not have thought of. Thanks for the replies so far.