Question about Oscar!!

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Steveo1987

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 14, 2009
196
0
0
Rep. of Ireland, Dublin
Right, I've had my O for almost 4 years now! He's around 12-14" and lives in a 450 Litre alone (2 x FX5 for filtration)!! Lately, his aggression has been getting way out of control for some reason?! I'm not sure what it is??

He's never really liked the light being on in the aquarium so I never bothered with it unless I had company over or something?! I wanted to ease him back in a couple of weeks back but he didn't like it much ha?! I was turning the light on for an hour or so in the evening, not much so he wasn't getting too stressed? Anyway's he's always been an aggressive fish. He attacks the glass and flares his gills when people get close to the tank! He always gives the side on angle to show his size!!

But the other week, he jumped up and broke one of my T5 fluorescent tubes and cut himself in the process (the light wasn't on thank-fully). Wasn't a major cut, healed in 4-5 days!! Stopped with light going on after that incident?!

A few days later he freaked in the tank and took a major chunk out of his head?! Think he jumped up and cut himself on the brace bar that goes across the top of the tank for reinforcement (I'm guessing that's what he did?)! I performed a 50-60% W/C the day after and the wound is seemingly getting better!! It's fierce annoying seeing your fish get injured like this though?! I don't know what the problem is but I'm just guessing that this is just normal aggressive territorial behaviour for an adult O, or is it?????

Would adding "Dither" fish like Silver Dollars or Tinfoil Barbs reduce this aggression or would he manage to catch and kill these fish?! I was also thinking of adding floating Elodea to help dim the light in the tank if I was to go back using the light?!

What do use think, all opinions are welcome?! I got to do something! Cant let him keep hurting himself like this?!

Thanks, Stephen.
 
oh my.. i think its posessed! lol thats.. not really a normal oscar's behavior.. i dont know too much about treating the paranoia he seems to have, but IMO adding another would just make him go nuts even more and most likely harass/kill the new guy.. i dont know on this one!:nilly:
 
im not sure the affect adding the dithers would do but i know that the oscar wont be able to catch the other fiish... oscars are extremely slow...... mayb the fish got used to not having the lights on and when you turn them on he freaks out... could be a reaction.....
 
Possessed seems to describe him fairly well ha?! Not sure what to do at this stage?

I was thinking the Dither fish would keep him 'occupied' or something?! He wouldn't focus so much on what's happening outside his tank then?? I seriously don't know what to do ha ha???

I think anything he can catch would be dead though!! When i bought him all them years ago he was fairly adapt at catching pearl danios and tiger barbs?! Are they more efficient hunters at a younger age? What size Silver Dollars should i go with and how many if I was to go that route??
 
I don't actually have a camera and lost my phones usb connection!

All thats in the tank is a 3d background, gravel (obviously ha) and two large pieces of Bogwood. The 2 FX5 are on either end of the tank with 1 300W Heater at one end!! That's all, nothing out of the ordinary?!
 
I'm thinking possibly that something about the tank is causing this behavior. Have you recently redone the tank? Also, what color is the substrate and such?
 
Roughly 3-4 months ago I replaced a paper background with the 3d one and installed the second FX5! There was an internal filter but swapped that over as i believed it would harbour waste and increase my nitrates?! I find it easier cleaning the externals anyhow?! The gravel is a natural looking gravel.

Its as if he gets really excited when he's rubbing the glass with his mouth and then he just jumps up (and hurts himself in the process)?! Quite similar behaviour to when he's hungry!!! Don't get me wrong, it's not constant but happened 2-3 times and he broke the bulb once and seriously damaged himself the second time?! Could it be hunger??
 
Steveo1987;4824878; said:
Roughly 3-4 months ago I replaced a paper background with the 3d one and installed the second FX5! There was an internal filter but swapped that over as i believed it would harbour waste and increase my nitrates?! I find it easier cleaning the externals anyhow?! The gravel is a natural looking gravel.

Its as if he gets really excited when he's rubbing the glass with his mouth and then he just jumps up (and hurts himself in the process)?! Quite similar behaviour to when he's hungry!!! Don't get me wrong, it's not constant but happened 2-3 times and he broke the bulb once and seriously damaged himself the second time?! Could it be hunger??

Was this behavior happening before you changed the background? As for the cause, it could be anything. Cichlids are interesting in their behavior. So are docile and calm, while others are glass banging, hand biting monsters lol.

Just take precautions to assure it doesn't happen again. Find a way to cover the lights so the bulbs can't be hit again, try and dull any sharp edges on the wood also. Perhaps adding a cave made of rocks and slate or something might help? Just ideas to help relax the fish.
 
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