Is this a male and female? Oscar fish question

[AtlasM]

Sorry for the mess.
Its hard to get a close up photo of their reproduction organs. But one has a spike the other one has a round thick looking thing, shaped like a bun. But they look like their fighting a bit, they grab onto each others lips and swim around slapping each other, its a 120-130 gallon tank, give or take, and theres nothing else in the tank other than a cross pair of a convict and ballon pink convict.

Edit: Oh right theres a small pleco aswell i had for 2 years, for some reason my oscars are friends with the small ones.

 

[tlindsey]

Sorry for the mess.
Its hard to get a close up photo of their reproduction organs. But one has a spike the other one has a round thick looking thing, shaped like a bun. But they look like their fighting a bit, they grab onto each others lips and swim around slapping each other, its a 120-130 gallon tank, give or take, and theres nothing else in the tank other than a cross pair of a convict and ballon pink convict.

Edit: Oh right theres a small pleco aswell i had for 2 years, for some reason my oscars are friends with the small ones.

View attachment 1499321

What you have described is definitely a Male and Female and sounds like they may be ready to spawn.

 

[AtlasM]

What you have described is definitely a Male and Female and sounds like they may be ready to spawn.

That would be so cool man, i always wanted to breed oscars.

 

[duanes]

The one with the thick tube is female, it needs to be large enough for eggs to pass.
The pointed tube one is male, milt (sperm) is microscopic.
All cichlid females are built this way
below Chuo intermedia

note the size of her eggs

 

[AtlasM]

The one with the thick tube is female, it needs to be large enough for eggs to pass.
The pointed tube one is male, milt (sperm) is microscopic.
All cichlid females are built this way
below Chuo intermedia
View attachment 1499376
note the size of her eggs
View attachment 1499377

aaah amazing, that is so cool.

Btw i noticed my oscars are picking up gravel, and they are attacking or trying to move a big flat rock, or they just bite the top of the rock. Should i just not intervene, and see what happens?
They keep fighting mouth to mouth, then after they become best friends, and then they dig a bit more, then fight again and then become friends xD, would you say my oscars need a bigger tank? or is it just normal mating behaviour?

Edit: i tried moving my convicts to another tank, even tho the convicts showed no fear swimming beside the fighting oscars. But if they are gonna mate, i might aswell spare the convicts from protective parents ^^
I read that oscar spawns likes 82-85 fehrenheit, and juvenile to adult oscars grow and trive best in around 77 fehrenheit.
I got 2 heaters, the one where the nest is is 85 fehrenheit, the other corner has the heat on 77. Would you say i could do that? without messing up the habitat or the flora?

 

[AtlasM]

I relocated the plants and decorations in one corner, cause my idea was, the parents want some place to make that nest, and if they gonna make babies, the spawn proberly want something to swim around in, when they leave the nest.

I then also had to clean the filter, cause i had to. I feel so bad about it, cause i want them to have the time and space to find each other.

 

[duanes]

The "fighting" (as you call it)is ritualistic cichlid mating behaviour.
After the eggs hatch, they will move the wrigglers to one or more pits they will dig, at least until the young are free swimmong.
You will not need to feed the young until they are free swimming, at this point, they will need many small meals per day.
The wrigglers will look something like this, below, and feed off their yolk sack, shimmying (wriggling) in one spot.

When free swimming they will look more like below, and spread throughout the tank.

 

[AtlasM]

I used to breed convicts and red jewels, i remember i removed the fry into a nano tank as soon as they could swim freely. My question is tho, now that both oscars is known for being good parents, shouldnt i just let them have their parents. and then slowly sell them when they get to a cetain size. Or will it stress them that i take a few juveniles at the time?

Oscar fish is my favorite fish, is it weird that i wanna keep them all if they mate, cause i want the parents to be happy, but at the same time i know i cant provide them that space.

 

[tlindsey]

oscars is known for being good parents, shouldnt i just let them have their parents. and then slowly sell them when they get to a cetain size.

Some members will say let the parents care for the fry. Others will say remove them to a growout aquarium. It's easier on you if you leave them with the parents. I personally would remove them over the 1" length to a growout. Tbh most lfs will not buy them but will give you store credit.

 

[santoury]

I've had female pairs of Oscars act like a bonded pair - you can sex them via the breeding tubes as above, but if they are both female; they'll just lay their eggs together and act like a breeding pair.