Oscars fighting

[oldshell4481]

yesterday my oscars started fighting for the first time, they are both 4-5 inches long, but they will get beside each other and bite at each other's sides, and slap at each other with their tails. my bigger one now has small patches of missing scales. is it necessary for me to give one away?? i like both of them and am afraid of my one being lonely. is there a way to keep the from fighting with each other, i don't think its food issues, because i make sure to feed them twice a day, and i feed them real good, a lot of variety, and they seem to like their food. they would harass my angelicus cat, until i moved him. they used to bully the plecos, but don't bother them anymore.

 

[spence0416]

A 55 gal. is pretty small for 2 Oscars (actually its pretty small for 1 Oscar). If you have two males it will never work. If you have a male and female things may settle down, but I wouldn't be on it. This rough housing is sometimes done by Oscars that are pairing up.
If you plan on growing them to full size get ready for a lot of water changes. I'd say 20% a day. Too much fish not enough tank. You would probably need around a 90 gal. to keep these fish happy.

 

[oldshell4481]

an oscar can be completely happy in a 55 gallon alone. most of what ive seen is people with 50 gallons with an oscar. alot of people find anything bigger to be pretty expensive. i am planning on giving one away though.

 

[spence0416]

I never said it couldn't be done. I just said it was small. An Oscar can grow to 12 plus inches. An average 55 is only about 11 inches wide.

 

[JimmyJam]

yesterday my oscars started fighting for the first time, they are both 4-5 inches long, but they will get beside each other and bite at each other's sides, and slap at each other with their tails. my bigger one now has small patches of missing scales. is it necessary for me to give one away?? i like both of them and am afraid of my one being lonely. is there a way to keep the from fighting with each other, i don't think its food issues, because i make sure to feed them twice a day, and i feed them real good, a lot of variety, and they seem to like their food. they would harass my angelicus cat, until i moved him. they used to bully the plecos, but don't bother them anymore.

You should give one away. They are ok together when they are younger, and sometimes if they grow up together they will be ok. But since they are fighting you are going to have to give one away, because the fighting will not stop until one is dead.

 

[oldshell4481]

thats what i figured, ill get to it next time i make it into town