My two oscars do this weird gill thing where they extend their gills away from their body, kindof. It's hard to explain but I will try to get a picture. They only do this when they look directly at each other but they don't fight. Does this happen to anyone else?
Is this normal for anyone else that owns oscars?
- Thread starter BillyBoy
- Start date
Gill flaring is pretty common among cichlids. It happens during territorial disputes, spawning displays, and sometimes just when they're sizing each other up.
Mine flares his gills all the time, it quite normal. They might be ready to mate or something.
It's just a way to make themselves look bigger, so it's either an intimidation tactic or their showing off for a potential mate