Oscars in 90g

[brian1973]

Ok as some of you know I have a 90G with 2 Oscars, 12in Pleco, some rapheal cats. My Oscars have recently decided to get into some fights and the pleco gets into them as well I think it is trying to break them up or referee them but not sure it is actually entertaining to watch the pleco push them around, he doesnt bother them at any other time, but when they start a skirmish he gets fiesty and pushes into them and swims all around the tank restlessly. I know some here will say they need to be seperated and others will say the tank needs to be bigger for both, but I am more interested in waiting it out to see what happens. The odd thing is the smaller of the 2 (one is 10in the other around 8in ) is the one initiating the skirmishes. Would adding some expendable fish possibly relieve some of the tension, I personally think it is out of boredom.

 

[mistercoffee]

Yeah one of my gourami's is pretty big and he's always chasing the little one around. Sometimes it's entertaining, usually it's pretty annoying actually. Entertaining though is the Mollie will imitate other fish. So when the big Gourami starts chasing the other fish, the Mollie will chase the big one. When the Mollie is around the Oto's though he goes all crazy on the glass.

Mollie is a character lol.

To solve the Gourami issue in the meantime though, I actually put a glass jar in the gravel on the bottom, and covered it with big rocks. It's pretty sweet for the Gourami, he's got his own cave.

 

[Big Vine]

Just how escalated is this skirmishing?
Posturing? Liplocking? Scales flying?

Can any of what you see possibly be the beginnings of spawning behavior?
BV

 

[brian1973]

im not sure about spawning..no real scales flying...liplocking yes...but like i said its the smaller one that starts it..then a few mins later they swim off and now they are within inches of each other with no issue.

 

[mistercoffee]

Hm sounds like my situation. Can't wait for a new tank to separate them.

 

[Big Vine]

Well it doesn't sound like things are too overboard just yet, but I've read about countless tragedies where an oscar snaps overnight and injures (often fatally) its fellow oscar tankmate(s).

You'll just have to keep a very close eye on them...
BV

 

[brian1973]

Yea thats my current plan..I am going to get some giant danios to see if the activity gives them something else to do...I have another 90G I havent set up yet and dont really want to right now..and when i do set it up I am planning on a native tank so if it gets worse one is probably going to have to go which sucks.

 

[big54bob]

Throw in some cheap african cichlids. It helps some what.

Either that or just go buy a 125 along with some good size convicts,