Oscars 'schooling' in resort pond

[islandguy11]

I can't say I know a super lot about Oscars but I've always had the view of them not being very sociable toward each other or other fish, esp. as they grow older. So I was a little surprised when I saw these Oscars swimming together quite nicely together in this pond at a hotel I worked at today.

In my eyes their behavior was actually kinda part-shoaling, sometimes just hanging out together, and part schooling, often swimming together in decent unity. I guess it just demonstrates that in larger, more natural settings a lot of fish may act differently than in our relatively cramped aquarium tanks.

This pond is actually way bigger than it looks in the video, and goes back about 50 feet on each side and under that walkway. On one of these sides there was another group of Oscars hanging around some water lilies.

 

[tlindsey]

I can't say I know a super lot about Oscars but I've always had the view of them not being very sociable toward each other or other fish, esp. as they grow older. So I was a little surprised when I saw these Oscars swimming together quite nicely together in this pond at a hotel I worked at today.

In my eyes their behavior was actually kinda part-shoaling, sometimes just hanging out together, and part schooling, often swimming together in decent unity. I guess it just demonstrates that in larger, more natural settings a lot of fish may act differently than in our relatively cramped aquarium tanks.

This pond is actually way bigger than it looks in the video, and goes back about 50 feet on each side and under that walkway. On one of these sides there was another group of Oscars hanging around some water lilies.

View attachment 1385427

The Oscars have plenty of space so their happy lol.

 

[celebrist]

I feel most antisocial behavior in fish is due to insufficient space and cramped conditions

 

[FINWIN]

Cool. Needs underwater camera!

 

[duanes]

Loose shoals are quite normal in nature, and I agree with Celebrist, the antisocial way oscars and many cichlids act in most aquariums, is what's out of the ordinary.
Consider the uropthalmus in the video below.
Azul imovie edit

 

[Ogertron3000]

Sneak back in with a net and bucket, nice cheap way to fill your tanks........

 

[islandguy11]

Sneak back in with a net and bucket, nice cheap way to fill your tanks........

Ha ha good idea, though actually if I nicely asked the hotel I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I took a few, we've been working together for many years. I'm going to mention more about this pond in another thread to be started in Pond sub-forum but I've seen glimpses of bigger fish in there as well, I think maybe a few Pacu.

I saw hotel staff feeding them once, and get this, it was torn up pieces of bread (though I'm not sure if they might feed them proper fish food at other times).

 

[Ogertron3000]

I would be tempted to get one if I was you and had the tank space.
Would be cool to build your own pond and put a few in there if possible. It doesn't seeM fair to take them from the semi wild and put them in a tank.
Will look few to seeing the thread on this pond, will be interesting to see what else is in there.

 

[islandguy11]

I would be tempted to get one if I was you and had the tank space.
Would be cool to build your own pond and put a few in there if possible. It doesn't seeM fair to take them from the semi wild and put them in a tank.
Will look few to seeing the thread on this pond, will be interesting to see what else is in there.

I have the tank space but not actually the time/desire, in fact I'd like to cut down from 4 tanks to 3 tanks as it is (but am worried about putting my Flagtail and NTT Datnoid in with either of my Arowana, not sure how they'd react after being solo, and don't want to risk losing either the FT or Dat).

But also I feel the same as you mention, and would be reluctant to take any fish out of that nice pond to live in a tank (even if similar is in fact a big if not necessary part of the aquatic hobby/industry).

 

[Ogertron3000]

We don't see too many wild caught fish for sale here in oz due to the quarantine laws. It's hypocritical of me but I wouldn't mind having something wild but I would feel bad about it if I'd seen it swimming around in a nice big pond before I caught it myself.

Like the new avatar too, I hope everyone settles on one soon as it's getting hard to recognise anyonE as they keep changing every few days.