My Oscar constantly snaps at lid

[Poseidon2.0]

Currently sitting in my bedroom looking after one tank and from the distance I hear the constant banging of my Oscar against the lid. It is a refrain I hear a lot, like there is something he sees that he is trying to get. I wonder if he is trying to catch the drops of condensation or thinks something is a bug. Or is he gulping for air? He is not stressed at all and doesn’t hurt himself doing it. Kind of baffled. Like he is just trying to get my attention. He stops as soon as I come into the room the little jerk.

Anyone else have this happen? Playful snapping the lid? Gulping for air?

I made this vid. He doesn’t snap at the lid in it because I’m watching but you can see bubbles of air come out of his gills sometimes. Done it for years but just never understood why.

 

[Hawkfish3.0]

Happened with my oscars too. Could possibly be that when the drops of condensation fall into the water, he thinks it’s food being dropped in. They can be relentless pig-like eating machines. They are also highly intelligent and capable of being conditioned to respond to certain stimulation.

 

[neutrino]

One of my kapampa gibberosa, 12" male-- when he was in the living room tank he'd go to the surface, capture a bubble of air, go to the bottom and release it with a small audible pop you could hear if you were close enough. He'd do this repeatedly, like ten minutes at a time, as though it was a game he invented to amuse himself. Sometimes he was trying to get my attention to feed him, much of the time not. You could tell the difference, when he wanted fed he'd do it at my end of the tank and watch me as he was doing it. Otherwise he didn't, apparently something he just liked to do for whatever reason.

Sometimes the smarter, or more behaviorally flexible, cichlid species do funny stuff you can't exactly explain.

 

[Poseidon2.0]

Sometimes the smarter, or more behaviorally flexible, cichlid species do funny stuff you can't exactly explain.

That is so true. Just that I want to strangle my fish sometimes he is so noisy!

I love kapampa gibberosas. My favorite African cichlid.

 

[LBDave]

That's a great looking oscar! Since it is by itself it may be more prone to mischief. They are pigs and it is probably food getting behavior I would think. My oscars sometimes snap at the top bracing and cover thinking there is food somewhere out there. But it's not that frequent like yours. How old is the oscar?

 

[Poseidon2.0]

That's a great looking oscar! Since it is by itself it may be more prone to mischief. They are pigs and it is probably food getting behavior I would think. My oscars sometimes snap at the top bracing and cover thinking there is food somewhere out there. But it's not that frequent like yours. How old is the oscar?

Thanks! He is a little over five years old. Yeah, all by his self at the moment, have had him with other fish but in a larger tank. He’s pretty aggressive.

Wouldn’t be surprised if food related, though am thinking of trying ping pong balls as some people do.?

 

[LBDave]

Yeah toys I guess could help or maybe you will get more noise! Believe me this oscar probably wants attention. They are smart.

 

[moe214]

The light reflection from the droplets is usually why they do it

 

[LBDave]

I really think this oscar is trying to get attention as well as being bored.

 

[Poseidon2.0]

I really think this oscar is trying to get attention as well as being bored.

That's my read. He literally stops doing it the moment I walk in the room then does is water-doggie dance. I sometimes put my hand in and he will swirl around it like a dog. I have to raid my son's toy chest to find some floating plastic balls from one of his toy-guns. It may cause more noise as you say. He is going to get put back in a 6 foot tank this summer and will probably obtain some ditherers like silver dollars for him to chase around or maybe a poly or two. He's in a room I don't hang out in a lot, which may be part of the problem too.