My 5-year-old fully mature Oscar has started an interesting new behaviour. Heās shoving gravel up one side of the tank and resting in the hole at the bottom of the tank (see pic). Went to vacuum the tank this morning and as I neared the depression he struck out and bit me! Never did any of these things before. Thoughts?
Oscar Nesting Behaviour?
- Thread starter Cjde
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75 gallons. Had a full grown common Pleco with him but he killed itā¦
Tried putting a few things in the tank but he either attacked them or pulled them apart. I donāt know what i could add that he wouldnāt try to eat or attack.
Tried putting a few things in the tank but he either attacked them or pulled them apart. I donāt know what i could add that he wouldnāt try to eat or attack.
?
It wonāt be āsafeā to add anything. Itās his tank, and anything you add is for him to āplayā with. It really needs some more adult Oscars for company but your tank isnāt big enough.
You could put a television in front of the tank. That isn't a joke about parenting by the way. Oscars are smart fish and if the fish is bored, having things in the tank and around it can sometimes help stop it getting as bored.
Some Oscars do watch television. You don't need the sound on although some people say their fish respond to sound (probably the vibration on the glass and through the water).
Others watch pets (dogs & cats) and a number of people in fish club kept Oscars and they used to tell us about their fish and cat, dog or bird talking to each other. We saw it a few times as well, really freaky stuff. The cat or dog would go to the tank and sit down in front of it. The Oscar would come across to the front glass and they would stare at each other for anywhere up to an hour, (usually 10-15 minutes). The owners were convinced they were communicating with each other and from what I saw, they appeared to be doing just that. My dog used to steal fish out of a bucket and eat them but she never stared at fish in the tank.
I have also seen a Weero (small parrot) sit on top of the tank and preen the Oscar that lived in it. Birds preen each other and themselves to keep their feathers neat, tidy and waterproof. This bird used to drag its beak along the back of the Oscar in a preening fashion. They did it every day and the bird would hang out by the fish as much as it could. Birds do need company and mate for life, but the fact the Oscar was a willing participant shocked me.
Some Oscars are intrigued by mobiles that hang from the ceiling. I don't know whether they are thinking food or predator but they seemed to enjoy watching it. Having small items on a mobile moving slowly around in front of the tank might give the fish something to watch. I would remove it after an hour or two so the fish doesn't get use to it.
You can try the old ping pong ball in the aquarium. Some fish will try to kill it, others ignore it and some bash it from one side of the tank to the other. You don't leave it in there all the time and might add it once or twice a day for a few minutes or until the fish tires of it.
You can try putting a small mirror near the tank for a short time (5-15 minutes) and see how the fish reacts. If it's a male he will probably flare his gills and fins out and try to kill his reflection through the glass. If he does this, remove the mirror after a couple of minutes. You can move the mirror around the tank to pretend its another fish checking it out. You might do this a couple of times a week for a male fish who will challenge the intruder and drive him away, or more often for a female fish, who might enjoy seeing another fish.
As a last resort you can try finding another Oscar that is the same size as yours and the opposite sex. Have them in separate tanks next to each other so they can see each other. Monitor them over a few weeks and if they seem to get along, try putting them in the same tank. I would move the current Oscar into the new Oscar's tank, or put them both in a completely different tank or even an outdoor pond or above ground swimming pool. Then monitor them to see how they get along. But a pr of adult Oscars do need a big tank (6x2x2ft is recommended for the pr).
Some Oscars do watch television. You don't need the sound on although some people say their fish respond to sound (probably the vibration on the glass and through the water).
Others watch pets (dogs & cats) and a number of people in fish club kept Oscars and they used to tell us about their fish and cat, dog or bird talking to each other. We saw it a few times as well, really freaky stuff. The cat or dog would go to the tank and sit down in front of it. The Oscar would come across to the front glass and they would stare at each other for anywhere up to an hour, (usually 10-15 minutes). The owners were convinced they were communicating with each other and from what I saw, they appeared to be doing just that. My dog used to steal fish out of a bucket and eat them but she never stared at fish in the tank.
I have also seen a Weero (small parrot) sit on top of the tank and preen the Oscar that lived in it. Birds preen each other and themselves to keep their feathers neat, tidy and waterproof. This bird used to drag its beak along the back of the Oscar in a preening fashion. They did it every day and the bird would hang out by the fish as much as it could. Birds do need company and mate for life, but the fact the Oscar was a willing participant shocked me.
Some Oscars are intrigued by mobiles that hang from the ceiling. I don't know whether they are thinking food or predator but they seemed to enjoy watching it. Having small items on a mobile moving slowly around in front of the tank might give the fish something to watch. I would remove it after an hour or two so the fish doesn't get use to it.
You can try the old ping pong ball in the aquarium. Some fish will try to kill it, others ignore it and some bash it from one side of the tank to the other. You don't leave it in there all the time and might add it once or twice a day for a few minutes or until the fish tires of it.
You can try putting a small mirror near the tank for a short time (5-15 minutes) and see how the fish reacts. If it's a male he will probably flare his gills and fins out and try to kill his reflection through the glass. If he does this, remove the mirror after a couple of minutes. You can move the mirror around the tank to pretend its another fish checking it out. You might do this a couple of times a week for a male fish who will challenge the intruder and drive him away, or more often for a female fish, who might enjoy seeing another fish.
As a last resort you can try finding another Oscar that is the same size as yours and the opposite sex. Have them in separate tanks next to each other so they can see each other. Monitor them over a few weeks and if they seem to get along, try putting them in the same tank. I would move the current Oscar into the new Oscar's tank, or put them both in a completely different tank or even an outdoor pond or above ground swimming pool. Then monitor them to see how they get along. But a pr of adult Oscars do need a big tank (6x2x2ft is recommended for the pr).
I
My dog always sits on the couch and watches the Oscar. The Oscar stares right back at him. Youāve given me quite a few good ideas ā thanks again for your attention and your help.
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They are planning something. I can see it in their eyes.My dog always sits on the couch and watches the Oscar. The Oscar stares right back at him. Youāve given me quite a few good ideas ā thanks again for your attention and your help.
Your dog seems to be quite comfortable there, imitating its owner I guess
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