Understanding aggression

[PaulVerrall]

My 2 big Oscars are, I guess teenagers now at 12" and 11". They have been together from tiny fry and inseparable, they swim everywhere together, almost up against each other. The past couple weeks they have started squaring up to each other, open mouths, back and forward posturing for a minute or 2, then go back to swimming around happily together. They don't actually lip lock and when finished they don't try and bite each others fins or anything.

I'm just after anyone's view that has actually kept these and seen this type of behaviour?

I've done lots of reading and get answers ranging from they're going to kill each other separate immediately to there's no problem.

I know these are big, aggressive fish and there will be a certain amount of aggression in the tank, I'm thinking as long as know damage is being done its just playing, posturing etc and you'll always get it with fish like these. But If its the start of something I'd rather act before a fish got hurt rather than after.
Worth adding, they pay no attention to any other fish and they don't do it over food, they eat side by side and definitely not territory as they're always together

[Stephen]

If they are male & female then it may be part of the courtship.

[Lo1]

Really sorry to hear you have issues with your Oscars.

As you say: "teenagers", a new pecking order may now be under way.

As for the question about: "damage", some losing fish put up a longer fight than others, which results in greater injuries.

[PaulVerrall]

If they are male & female then it may be part of the courtship.

LOL it did cross my mind! They would be a whole new ball game (pun intended) of problems. I'd have to convert my whole lounge into a tank to house loads of baby Oscars!!!

[PaulVerrall]

Really sorry to hear you have issues with your Oscars.

As you say: "teenagers", a new pecking order may now be under way.

As for the question about: "damage", some losing fish put up a longer fight than others, which results in greater injuries.

At the moment they aren't connecting, it's all posturing etc. I don't know if this is the beginning of a war or like you say a pecking order, that's why I'm after first hand experience of this age of oscar, whether to let them sort it, at the moment neither are taking damage or being bullied, they go back to being best pals right after

[Stephen]

If they are male & female then it may be part of the courtship.

LOL it did cross my mind! They would be a whole new ball game (pun intended) of problems. I'd have to convert my whole lounge into a tank to house loads of baby Oscars!!!

A female Oscar will lay approx 2000 eggs on a flat stone.

[PaulVerrall]

All pals!

[PaulVerrall]

If they are male & female then it may be part of the courtship.

LOL it did cross my mind! They would be a whole new ball game (pun intended) of problems. I'd have to convert my whole lounge into a tank to house loads of baby Oscars!!!

A female Oscar will lay approx 2000 eggs on a flat stone.

Hahaha thanks for that, just told the wife your interesting nugget of information and I definitely can't repeat it in text form

[black ghost]

A female Oscar will lay approx 2000 eggs on a flat stone.

A small one. A large one will lay closer to 5000.

My thinking is if they were a pair they’d have paired up and spawned by now, so probably same sex trying to live together peacefully despite the occasional hormones flowing.

Oscars are very peaceful as cichlids go, btw.

[PaulVerrall]

A female Oscar will lay approx 2000 eggs on a flat stone.

A small one. A large one will lay closer to 5000.

My thinking is if they were a pair they’d have paired up and spawned by now, so probably same sex trying to live together peacefully despite the occasional hormones flowing.

Oscars are very peaceful as cichlids go, btw.

When watching them, it's one that starts the posturing and the other only does because it has to. I can certainly live with their behaviour as it is, just worried it was the beginning of something. The bigger one does seem like he's a grump, he can be really friendly coming up for a stroke and playing through the glass, but then the rest of the time he has a proper misery on and doesn't want to know you at all, lol like you say probably hormones