really pouty oscar

[cichlid tank]

my 4" tiger oscar has been all gloomy or shy or pouty for about a month. the original cause was because he was bullied by a firemouth, but tht firemouth has been out of the tank for 4 ish weeks water conditions are great, just in a little diatom bloom right now. im starting to think this isnt normal. he used to be this SUPER puppylike fish but now hes more like a crab or something really gloomy or shy

 

[Jexnell]

Dim the lights
Give him a cave/flower pot to hide out in and come out when hes ready
Get some real or fake floating plants

 

[cichlid tank]

Dim the lights
Give him a cave/flower pot to hide out in and come out when hes ready
Get some real or fake floating plants

haha he has a TON of hiding places, a big pot, basically a tree beside it, im not worried about few hiding places, but also my lights arent dimmable

 

[Kvandy]

Depending on what kind of lights you have you have put electrical tape over part of them to dim the tank down a little

 

[FINWIN]

Darken the substrate a bit too, if you haven't aleady. Cute lil O.

Fake lily pads available on amazon.com

 

[duanes]

Darken the substrate a bit too, if you haven't aleady.

I agree with this, although an aquarist may think a white, bright, light colored substrate looks good.
Any dark colored fish is going to be under stress because it feels vulnerable.
The main threat in nature to cichlids are fish eating birds so so being a dark fish on light colored substrate makes them a target.
The only cichlids that feel comfortable on light substrate are light colored, sparkly ones, Beside blending with the substrate, the iridescent spots help them blend with the reflective surface of the water as seen from above.
An example below.

There are 3 herichthys carpintus in the shot above.
From the side (below), they are quite visible, but from above, as you can see........

These and others like the Geophagus iporagunsus would be comfortable on your substrate, but dark fish like oscars, or Stomatepia pindu (2nd shot below)would be under constant stress.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

I would also like to add that even when ya change the substrate to a darker one don't be surprised if the O wants to lay at the bottom of the tank. Oscars are extremely lazy/moody fish and will often just lay on the bottom and act like it's dieing just to receive attention or to sleep/rest. Ik mine used to lay at the bottom all the time and act like it was dieing but the moment I would walk over to the tank he would suddenly be up, alive and wiggling around infront of the glass wanting food.

 

[Jexnell]

Diva in full on pout mode

 

[duanes]

Its interesting to me how adult oscars in nature often hang around the surface, if they know they can disappear into the mire quickly.


Because even as adults the gauntlet of birds that will easily swallow them up is everywhere.


a shot from a rivers edge in Colombia S America above
Below a cormorant fishing for Jack Dempseys and Mollies below

 

[dr exum]

haha he has a TON of hiding places, a big pot, basically a tree beside it, im not worried about few hiding places, but also my lights arent dimmable

what kind of lights? back in the day i wrapped my fluorescent lights in electrical tape...

if led - could try paper or plastic egg crate under light if your concerned about fire