Oscar Breeding Questions

[GODSLAYER_TOM]

hi I have a few questions. how old approximately are the small and medium oscar fish sold at petsmart/ 1.5-2.5 in". I have 2 Oscar fish in a 55 gallon tank. I plan on upgrading to 150gal soon. they are both 5.75"-6"in. they are liplocking, circling each other,gill flaring, and generally acting much different than normal. are the they preparing to breed or sizeing each other up? I have literally never seen them fight before and I spend a lot of time with them as im a stay at home dad. I have had them since june.purchased at petsmart as small oscars 1.5-2.5in".

 

[Ltygress]

At 1.5 to 2.5 inches, they will only be a few months old. About 2-3 months or so. The activity could be either one. They are becoming sexually mature at their size now, so territories are becoming important, as is reproduction. So they might be establishing dominance now or mating. Or they may be two males or two females going through the mating ritual anyway. YEARS ago, I had two cichlids that would actually make a nest and lay eggs, and LOOK male and female, since one developed brighter coloring. But they were BOTH female (every other time, the OPPOSITE one was laying the eggs). 

If they are male and female, I would highly suggest trying your best NOT to let them breed (destroy eggs or feed babies to something else). Oscars are incredibly difficult to rehome, unless they actually are sold from Petsmart, Petco, or even Walmart. But then you get the unknowing people who put them in 20 gallon tanks...