Oscar issues- Please Help!

[Azorek]

I recently moved our Oscar to a 125 aquarium, and added another Oscar and a large pleco. The larger Oscar has been behaving very strangely- when I walk in the living room I'll see him at the back of the tank by the filter and water heater, with his nose (?) pressed up to the heating element section of the heater. I wasn't too concerned the first time I saw it, but now he's got what almost looks like a burn mark next to his nostril. I'm taking the heater out now, I just want to know what's wrong with him, if anything similar has happened to anyone else?

Water parameters are good, ph 7.4, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate around 20 ppm. I do 30% water changes at least once a week plus scooping pleco s#!t out every darn day. He seems to be going through a growth spurt now that his tank size has increased.

 

[GoneHuntin]

How long has he been in the new tank. My oscar is a pouter over water changes and rearranging much less moving to a new tank.

 

[Azorek]

About two weeks now. Yeah he sulked terribly before, this might just be a new symptom?

 

[terrancetheoscar]

No it's a strange but normal behaviour for them they are called River dogs for a good reason mine sulked for weeks when i first put him in but he is the king of the tank he's in water changes can make them do it , changes in tank decorations new fish seeing himself in the mirror "I'm having a bad scale day" they are a strange but loveable fish

 

[superman818]

I've owned Oscars all my life and that has always been something they do. Mine always love sleeping/resting on the heater. Do you know what your water temperature is? Maybe the water is cooler now in the bigger tank and he just likes being warm next to the heater.

 

[terrancetheoscar]

If you temp is right there is one other thing you can do lie it side ways near the bottom of the tank it stopped him sulking for a while once he figured out that he can't just sit there .. try that and let me know how it went

 

[RareExoticFish]

It might just be he is trying to get heat, It looks like you have only 1 heater in the whole tank.
I have a 180 gallon with three 300 watt heaters on the right, left and middle parts of my tank. So if it is that your heater is not heating the tank enough then i would buy 2 more 100 - 300 watt heaters and evenly put them through out the tank. ex. 1 on the right side, one on the left and one in the middle.
Nice tank by the way.

p.s water should be 76 - 80 degrees F

 

[Azorek]

We're in Florida and with the heater the tank is at 83! I might just take
It out permanently and see where the temp goes from there... Thanks btw, I'm adding some manzanita and a few silver dollars soon... Should liven it up a bit. I personally don't like the pleco at all, but it's the husband's favorite so...
Thanks for all the advice, if the water gets too cold I'll try repositioning the heater and/or adding another one.